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The Evolution of Classical Guitar Technique – Part 1

By Simon Powis A defining characteristic of the classical guitar and its lineage is the constant development and change it has undergone over the course of history. Modern performance practice, compositional styles and even construction of the classical guitar are still in a state of flux and although there may be a conceived standard for any particular aspect of the instrument at any given time, there have always been innovators and pioneers who challenge contemporary conventions and encourage development and diversity. The influences that have guided the way we play the classical guitar today are as varied in chronology as they ...

New Manuscript of Romanza discovered!

[caption id="attachment_467" align="alignright" width="249" caption="New manuscript of Romanza dicovered!"][/caption] Leading 19th century music specialists have discovered what academics have confirmed to be the original manuscript of the world's most famous guitar solo, Romanza. Age has wearied the manuscript and the composer's name remains lost. However, barely legible musical markings confirm that for decades the performance practices of many beginner guitarists have led the vanguard of understanding of this sometimes complex music. Classical Guitar Review would like to thank Andrew Blanch and the Sydney Classical Guitar Society, who discovered the manuscript, for granting permission to publish this invaluable resource. Download the PDF here ...

Great guitar sites that you should know about

The European Guitar Teachers Assosiation [caption id="attachment_308" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="European Guitar Teachers Assosiation"][/caption] Based in the U.K. the European Guitar Teachers Assosiation (EGTA) website is a fantastic resource for the classical guitarist. It has a fantastic array of articles written by professional guitarists, biographies of musicians, instrument advertisements and teacher resource listings. Primarily devoted to the development of guitar teaching in the U.K. this organization has already made a great contribution to the classical guitar community and will continue to do so. The Delcamp Classical Guitar Forum [caption id="attachment_334" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Delcamp Classical Guitar Forum"][/caption] For those of you want to get in touch with ...

An Interview with John Williams part 1

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="340" caption="John Williams"][/caption] Interviewer: Austin Prichard-Levy Published with the kind permission of Ron Payne John Williams needs no introduction to classical guitarists, or indeed fine music lovers the world over; since his debut at the Wigmore Hall in 1958, he has attained enormous popularity with his voluminous recordings in both the classical repertoire and with his rock group, Sky. John was in Australia touring with the Australian Chamber Orchestra for performances of Rodrigo's Aranjuez Concerto and Nourlangie, a new work for guitar, strings and percussion by Peter Sculthorpe. During this visit, Austin Prichard-Levy talked at length to John on topics ...

Ana Vidovic

Though barely twenty three years of age,she has already won an impressive number of prizes and international competitions all over the world.Those include first prizes in the Albert Augustine International Competition in Bath,England,the Fernando Sor competition in Rome,Italy and the Francisco Tarrega competition in Benicasim,Spain.Other top prizes include the Eurovision Competition for Young Artists,the Mauro Giuliani competition in Italy,the Printemps de la Guitare in Belgium and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Ana Vidovic"][/caption] Equally impressive is the fact that she has already recorded five CDs,one of them for the Naxos label,and that she has already concertized in some twenty countries throughout ...

Oscar Ghiglia

Born of an artistic family - his father and grandfather both famed painters, his mother an accomplished pianist – O.G. had to choose between a path strewn with brushes and colours and a world cut into harmony and melody. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="340" caption="Oscar Ghiglia"][/caption] Though his early choice produced a few hundred water colours and a number of oil paintings, he soon realized music was his way. For this decision he thanks his dad, who one day made him pose for a painting showing a guitarist... For this he had to hold his father’s guitar, a companion to his artistic musings ...