Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
Nov. 10, 8:00 pm - Tickets - Program
Recognized as one of America's premier instrumental ensembles, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet is one of the most charismatic groups performing today. Popularly known as the LAGQ, these four virtuosi bring a new energy to the concert stage with their eclectic programs and dynamic musical interplay. Their critically acclaimed transcriptions of concert masterworks provide a fresh look at the music of the past, while their interpretations of works from the contemporary and world-music realms continually break new ground. The LAGQ has set new standards for the guitar quartet medium.
The LAGQ has given recitals in many of the world's top halls, including Chicago's Orchestra Hall, London's Wigmore Hall, Tokyo Opera City, and New York's Alice Tully Hall and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. They have toured extensively in Europe and Asia, where they were featured at the Hong Kong, Singapore and Manila International Arts Festivals.
The LAGQ has recorded for SONY Classical. Their first SONY release, entitled "L.A.G.Q.," debuted in the top 15 on the Billboard Classical-Crossover charts and remained there for six months. Their second SONY album enjoyed similar success, enjoying a four-month stay in the top 25.
Each member of the group is a seasoned soloist and gives the Quartet the unique capability of rotating the "first chair" from piece to piece:
John Dearman
Originally from Minneapolis, John Dearman is a versatile guitarist whose repertoire ranges from samba to bluegrass, and from flamenco to classical. He enriches the sound of the LAGQ by performing on a unique seven-string guitar with extended upper and lower registers. John is currently the Director of Guitar Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
William Kanengiser
Acclaimed soloist, recording artist and professor at the USC Thornton School of Music, William Kanengiser is one of the few guitarists to have won the Concert Artists Guild New York Competition. His solo recordings on the GSP label display his unique approach to programming, ranging from the music of the Old World to the Caribbean to his latest disc Classical Cool, an exploration of jazz currents for classical guitar. He has earned critical acclaim for his imaginative arrangements for solo guitar and guitar quartet, and for producing two instructional videos for Hot Licks. Kanengiser may be best known as the classical guitarist in the 1986 film Crossroads.
Scott Tennant
Celebrated as a world-class performer, author and teacher, Detroit-born Scott Tennant has been concertizing since the age of twelve. Much in demand as a solo artist, Scott has recorded for Delos International and is currently completing a recording project of the complete solo guitar works of Joaquin Rodrigo for GHA, Belgium. He is the author of the best-selling book and video Pumping Nylon, a technical handbook for the classical guitarist, and the five-part series Scott Tennant's Basic Classical Guitar Method. He has taught at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and is now on the faculty at the USC Thornton School of Music.
Matthew Greif
As a graduate of the University of Southern California, and long-time friend of the ensemble, Matthew’s musicality, musicianship, and diverse background will certainly continue in the LAGQ tradition. He is an award-winning classical guitarist who has recorded with Andy and Scott and with composer Dusan Bogdanovic. He also has extensive experience as a flamenco and jazz musician (he has worked with the legendary Dave Brubeck). Matthew comes from a musical family. He is the son of a renowned bluegrass/classical fiddler and has played with many famous non-classical and jazz musicians such as Chet Atkins.
In addition to being a strong soloist, Matthew has extensive experience in ensemble playing; he is a former member of the Falla Guitar Trio. He brings a variety of skills, beautiful tone-production, and vast stylistic capabilities to the LAGQ.
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