Josefina played an ambitious program of masterworks for their second Oberlin solo recital. I generally try to lead my students towards balancing less-commonly-played pieces with beloved warhorses of the repertoire; on this program, they favored the well-known works, incorporating pieces by Bach, Mertz, Turina and Merlin. (Full program at the end of the post). They played beautifully.

Josefina Stone on stage in Fairchild Chapel

They have always had an excellent tone and a firm touch on the guitar, but ever since they got their new instrument last year (a 630-scale Wolfgang Jellinghaus), they have sounded absolutely remarkable. Their sound is huge and their tone gorgeous, amply filling the large space of Fairchild Chapel. Their Bach Prelude soared.

The Prelude, Fugue and Allegro landed well, the intricate counterpoint clearly presented and the cadences arriving with satisfying closure. But when they launched their Turina set, it was clearly time to strap in. They played those pieces as well as I’ve ever heard them, with a fierce confidence, commanding sound and control over rhythm and timbre that was truly impressive. The audience went crazy.

And yet, when they began her final set, things got even stronger, as the Suite del Recuerdo had been in their repertoire since early in the academic year, so it was the piece they were most comfortable with. They blew the roof off the room. Their standing ovation was instantaneous and loud.