Please join us for a pre-concert intro session at 6:15
“His natural and instinctive interpretations are second to none: his virtuoso technique allows him absolute command of the instrument giving him the independence of subtle phrasing, dazzling speed, beautiful tonal control... everything.”
Rene Izquierdo, a native from Cuba, graduated from the Guillermo Tomas, Amadeo Roldan Conservatory and Superior Institute of Art in Havana. In the United States, Mr. Izquierdo earned a Master of Music and an Artist Diploma degrees from the Yale University School of Music, where he studied with Benjamin Verdery. While at Yale he represented the university in an exchange program with the Conservatoire National de Musique et de Danse du Paris and worked with guitarists Olivie Chassain and Roland Dyens. Rene has appeared as a guest soloist and in chamber music concerts throughout the United States, Cuba and Europe. He has shared the stage with prestigious guitarists including Eliot Fisk, Benjamin Verdery and Jorge Morel, as well as renowned flutist Ransom Wilson, soprano Lucy Shelton, David Jolley and Paquito d’Rivera. Renowned composers such as Jorge Morel and Carlos R. Rivera have dedicated works to him.
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Mr. Izquierdo is a recipient of numerous awards. He is a winner of JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Competition in 2004, Extremadura International Guitar Competition, Schadt String competition, Stotsenberg International Guitar Competition among others.
He is currently a professor of classical guitar at the Wisconsin State University in Milwaukee and an active solo performer and chamber musician. Rene has studied with Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Shin-Ichi Fukuda, Eli Kassner, Pepe Romero, Angel Romero, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, David Starobin, Eduardo Fernandez, Jorge Morel, Robert Beaser and Anthony Newman among others.
Our Pre-concert: Ingrid Riollot & Damon Smallman
Join us for a special preconcert presentation. Ingrid Riollot, a rising star in the french guitar world will give a special performance and talk with her husband Damon Smallman.
Ingrid Riollot was born in France. She started learning music at 6 years old and classical guitar at 8 with Isabelle Regis-Touvron. She graduated from the National Conservatory of Music in Lyon (France) where she studied with Jesus Castro-Balbi and Marc Franceries. She earned all the distinctions with the higest rewards and received a “Special Prize” from The Philharmonic Society given to the youngest talented graduates. She continued her post-graduated studies in Barcelona under Ricardo Gallen. She holds all the French pedagogy diplomas for being guitar professor. As a student, she participated in european masterclasses with Joaquin Clerch, Marco Tamayo, Gerard Abiton, Costas Cotsiolis, Eric Franceries, Alberto Ponce.
Read More About Damon Smallman
Since 2018, Ingrid and Damon Smallman give lectures and demonstrations about:
* history, construction and design of Smallman guitars.
* Comparison of instruments to learn how to choose a guitar for musicality.
* Q & A session as well as an opportunity to “meet the maker” at the end of the session.Greg Smallman & Sons Damon & Kym are a family team working together building classical guitars for many world renowned classical guitarists. They produce guitars with a full warm sound (not percussive) and with good sustain. Greg started to build guitars nearly 50 years ago pioneering a new approach to classical guitar building.
Damon has a great passion for understanding how things work. Making guitars with Kym and Greg and constantly searching together for ways to improve the sound is extremely challenging and rewarding. He has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Newcastle in N.S.W Australia specialising in advanced materials and composites.
Exhibition Artists: David Naman & La-Z-Bones
Take in some modern art in the continuation of our gallery productions; in the salon during and before the concert. This concert’s featured artists are photographer David Naman, and graphic designer La-Z-Bones.
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David Naman is a dynamic, edgy, award winning photographer with extensive experience. He has been published in over 20 Art Books around the world. His works have also been curated by Industry leaders and showcased on numerous Art platforms. He shoots to create something special and unique for each person and situation. The desire and passion he has for his craft is apparent in all his photographic works of Art.
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La-Z-Bones is a graphic designer and illustrator based out of Vancouver, Canada. His work draws inspiration from surrealism, pop culture, street art, comic books, and an overwhelming sense of existential dread.