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South American Premiere of Robert Beaser's Guitar Concerto

Jun. 04, 2015

South American Premiere of Robert Beaser's <em>Guitar Concerto</em>

On June 27, José Serebrier leads the Orquesta Sinfonica del Sodre in the South American premiere of Robert Beaser’s Guitar Concerto at the Auditorium Adela Reta in Uruguay. The concerto was written in close collaboration with virtuoso guitarist Eliot Fisk, who is featured as soloist.

The history of the Guitar Concerto stretches back to 1972 when Beaser and Fisk first met as freshman at Yale. They quickly became friends, and Beaser absorbed a wealth of knowledge about the classical guitar and its repertoire through Fisk; the result was a string of guitar solos (Canti Notturni, Notes on a Southern Sky, Shenandoah) and a duet for guitar and flute from 1985 called Mountain Songs, all of which have become staples of the classical guitar repertoire.

Following a series of fits and starts, the concerto was completed in 2009 and received its fully revised premiered with the American Composers Orchestra conducted by Dennis Russell Davies at Zankel Hall in New York City. Cast in a four-movement sonata form, the work spans a variety of styles from baroque to Kentucky bluegrass, all the while exploiting Fisk's dazzling agility.

Fisk went on to champion the work with a variety of American orchestras, most recently the Boston Modern Orchestra Project at the Boston Guitarfest 2014. Following the South American premiere, the Guitar Concerto, alongside Beaser’s Evening Prayer and Ground O, will be recorded by Serebrier leading Fisk and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. The premiere recording will be released later this year on Linn Records.

For more information about Robert Beaser, visit schott-music.com.

Concert information can be found at sodre.gub.uy.

Robert Beaser
Guitar Concerto (2009)
for guitar and orchestra
2.2(2.ca).2.2-2.2.1.1-timp.2perc-str
23’

Evening Prayer (2008)
for orchestra
3(2.pic)3(2.ca)3(2.bcl).3(2.cbsn)-4.3.3.btbn.0-timp.4perc-hp.pno-str
21’

Ground O (2011)
for orchestra
pic.1.2.2.2-4.2.3.btbn.1-timp.3perc-hp.pno-str
4’

Canti Notturni (1974)
for solo guitar
17’

Notes on a Southern Sky (1980)
for solo guitar
13’

Shenandoah
for solo guitar
12’

Mountain Songs (1985)
for flute and guitar
30’

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