Our feature article on David Tanenbaum reminded us that San Francisco is a great town for guitar enthusiasts of all stripes. For fans of acoustic classical guitar, the Omni Guitar Foundation’s annual Dynamite Guitars series offers a particularly rich vein of six-string gold.
The season opener on Oct. 22 features the powerhouse Tomatito Sextet, a contemporary flamenco ensemble led by guitarist José Fernández Torres “Tomatito.” He will be joined by guitarist José del Tomate, Kiki Cortiñas and David Maldonado on vocals and palmas (clapping), Israel Suárez “Piraña” on percussion, and dancer José Maya. Although rooted in the flamenco tradition, Tomatito incorporates jazz, Afro-Cuban, and Brazilian influences into his musical olla podrida.
In a Nov. 19 program named for the street address of the San Francisco Music Conservatory, “50 Oak Street” boasts three stellar guitarists and Conservatory faculty members, David Tanenbaum, Marc Teicholz, and Larry Ferrara, with visiting virtuoso, Marcin Dylla. The three Conservatory pedagogues are well known to Bay Area listeners, and the return of Polish guitar phenom Dylla is a welcome addition. In a 2013 SFCV review, Scott Cmiel wrote that “[Dylla] exhilarates his audience with brilliant, poetic performances enlivened by sensuous tone, rhythmic flexibility, and deeply felt emotion.”
For many years, the performing life of a classical guitarist tended to be one of solitary, tradition-bound recitals. There were some notable exceptions, such as the Munich Guitar Quartet and the Romeros (see Pepe Romero’s performance, below), but it wasn’t until recent years that the potential of the guitar ensemble has been more fully explored. The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet is among the most important and influential of the latter-day bands of six-stringers. They describe their concerts as ranging from “Bluegrass to Bach,” with “Programs including Latin, African, Far East, Irish, Folk, and American Classics [that] transport listeners around the world in a single concert experience.” Their eclectic approach transcends mere borrowing, and they have a firm commitment to champion new compositions by living composers. They play Dec. 9.
On Feb. 4, Omni welcomes the one of the greatest living exponents of the classical and flamenco guitar, Pepe Romero, of the celebrated Romero guitar dynasty. Born in Spain and raised largely in California, Romero began performing in his teens in a flamenco ensemble with his father and brothers, and the group evolved into the internationally recognized Romero Guitar Quartet. Over the years he has recorded over 60 albums, performed with countless orchestras, and headlined on major stages throughout the world.
For 17 years now, Brian Gore has been hosting a movable feast he calls International Guitar Night. Each season features a selection of three outstanding guitarists in a range of styles, from contemporary fingerstyle to classical to jazz. This year Brian introduces three musicians new to the series: innovative Italian guitarist Luca Stricagnoli, young Brazilian composer/performer Chrystian Dozza, and India's groundbreaking slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya, who plays Indian ragas on an archtop Gibson jazz guitar outfitted with sympathetic drone strings and noted on the fingerboard with a steel slide. Gore himself had to take a hiatus from touring this year but his chair will be filled in style by gypsy jazz legend Lulo Reinhardt, Django's grand nephew. Gore plans to make a guest appearance at the Feb. 18 show here in San Francisco only.
The New York Times wrote about David Russell, “... Mr. Russell made his mastery evident without ever deviating from an approach that places musical values above mere display. It was apparent to the audience throughout the recital that Mr. Russell possesses a talent of extraordinary dimension.” The Grammy-winning guitarist will perform on Feb. 25. Check out a video of his NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
Meng Su and Yameng Wang, protégés of guitar hero Manuel Barrueco, comprise the Beijing Guitar Duo, and the young artists have racked up an impressive shelf of significant awards. Their sophisticated playing belies their years and their repertoire spans centuries and continents. They will expand their horizons further when noted flutist Marina Piccinini, dubbed “the Heifetz of the flute” by Gramophone, joins them for their March 12 performance.
Guitar wizards Zoran Dukic, Pavel Steidl, Thomas Fellow, and the mononymous Reentko join forces in the European Guitar Quartet. Their playing incorporates intricate, interlocking lines incorporate techniques more commonly heard in steel-string fingerstyle playing — slapping, tapping, and tickling the strings — and their unique repertoire draws heavily on their own original compositions, with a healthy dollop of Astor Piazzolla and a sprinkling of Balkan-tinged tunes. Look for them on March 18.
Xuefei Yang (Fei) takes the stage on April 8. The Beijing-born, British-based guitarist was born following the Cultural Revolution when Western instruments such as the guitar were banned. She managed to overcome that hurdle and became the first guitarist in China to enter a music school and the first to launch an international performing career on that instrument — and a wildly successful one at that. She is an EMI recording artist, a member of the Roayal Academy of Music, and has performed at major concert houses and festivals throughout the world. She is among the first to incorporate traditional Chinese music into the guitar repertoire, and she has collaborated with several composers to bring new music to the instrument.
Croatian virtuosa Ana Vidović began performing internationally at the age of 11. By the time she was 13, she became the youngest student to attend the prestigious National Musical Academy in Zagreb. With a half-dozen solo recordings, numerous awards, and over 1,000 performances in major cities around the world to her credit, Vidović is a major artist in the classical guitar universe. The Washington Post wrote in a review, “[Her playing] was virtually immaculate — detailed, precise and polished. But this was no mere virtuostic display. Vidovic's playing is nuanced and intensely personal, both deeply felt and deeply thought." She plays the season finale on April 22.
The 50 Oak Street, David Russell, and Ana Vidovic concerts will be at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. The European Guitar Quarter will perform in the Green Room. All other shows are scheduled for Herbst Theatre. For times, prices, and tickets, see the Omni Foundation concert calendar.