Oberlin Guitar Ensemble Spring '25
We had our annual spring chamber music performance this week. While the performances fulfill the requirements of the class “Guitar Ensemble”, what we play is mostly mixed chamber music. (I go into some detail on why I do it this way here.) Commonly, our Fall Semester features two concerts, with each student playing two or more pieces while in the spring we put on a single show. In this way, I can defer some to the student’s need to prepare their solo recitals at the same time. In spite of my general lean toward mixed chamber music, this program included two guitar duets. (The full program is included at the end of the post). The first item on the program was one of these: a couple of movements from the great Brazilian work, Suite Retratos, by Radames Gnattali. It was played exuberantly by Rio Manzanares and Aleksandr Lapshin.
Rio Manzanares and Aleksandr Lapshin perform on the Kulas Hall stage
The next piece was a short work for flute and guitar, Duettino Facile, of Mauro Giuliani. Flutist Angelo Cresta played with great control; he was ably accompanied by Thomas Stafford.
Thomas Stafford and Angelo Cresta play Giuliani
Next up was the beloved Villa-Lobos song, Bachianas Brasilieras. Soprano Delaney Fox delivered this richly expressive score expertly—she even managed the difficult humming section at the end with elegance and impressive control. Her guitarist, Grigor Ylli, supported her musical phrases and dynamic shapes admirably.
Grigor Ylli accompanies Delaney Fox
For our next work, flutist Angelo Cresta returned to the stage, this time with guitarist Caden Basile. They presented the contemporary favorite, John Doe’s Running, by Dierdre Lynds. They played with impressive clarity and rhythmic verve, with Caden holding down the various grooves easily, and Angelo sounding like an improvising jazzer in his element. The large crowd responded loudly.
Caden Basile and Angelo Cresta play Lynds
Our next piece was the wonderful Sonata for Viola and Guitar by Jose Lezcano. Violist John Cezekanski was assisted by Josefina Stone for this outing. They played the sultry second movement and the complex tango that concludes the work, and landed them both with a delightful insouciance. The audience love it.
Josefina Stone and John Cezekanski play Lezcano in Kulas Hall
This was followed by the complete set of flute & guitar duets by Celso Machado, his Musiques Populaires Brésiliennes. Flutist Ellison Allen was accompanied by Damian Goggans. They presented the pieces with just the right amount of laid-back, jazzy groove, with Ellison decorating the melodies as if in a nightclub in Rio.
Damian Goggans and Ellison Allen perform Brazilian music
Our final piece of the evening was a set of two Spanish pieces, as played by guitarists Solis Dornan and Sam Schollenberger. First was the middle movement of the Tonadilla by Joaquin Rodrigo. This was followed by La Vida Breve by Manuel de Falla. Sam and Solis had rehearsed deeply and on stage played the pieces with impressive clarity, ensemble detail, musical perspicacity and, when required, virtuosic flair. When they finished, the audience erupted enthusiastically.
Solis Dornan and Sam Schollenberger play Spanish music in Kulas
Thanks everyone, for a terrific performance!
