The eighth rendition of the annual University of Rhode Island Guitar Festival will take place Oct. 18-22 at locations across South County.
The event, which in years past only featured classical guitarists, will now feature a global array of styles: Latin guitar, blues and jazz, classical Italian and French music.
“We’re showcasing the broad spectrum of what’s possible on the guitar and its plucked-instrument relatives,” Adam Levin, URI guitar professor and festival organizer, said. “Every night is going to be a radical experience.”
The first concert, “Costa Rica Meets Greece”, will take place Wednesday, Oct. 18 on campus at the Center for the Performing Arts and will feature three artists. URI’s very own Adrián Montero Moya will headline the night, followed by Costa Rican guitar national champion Jeisson Ramírez Salas and Greek classical guitarist Filippos Manoloudis.
Montero Moya, who is a master’s student in guitar performance at URI, will play three pieces: one composed by Cuban composer Eduardo Morales Caso, one by URI composition professor Eliane Aberdam and one by New England-area composer Thatcher Harrison.
The concert will follow a noon lecture on violin composer Niccolo Paganini’s work by musicologist Danilo Prefumo, and a 1:15 p.m. lecture and performance by Israeli mandolinist Dor Amran on Paganini’s violin caprices adapted for the mandolin. Paganini’s 24 caprices are regarded as some of the hardest classical music pieces to perform, according to classical musician and BBC Music contributor Hannah Nepilova.
The second concert, “Music From America”, will be held Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Narragansett Towers at 6 p.m. and will feature a mandolin ensemble performance along with pieces from Atlanta-based blues guitarist Jontavious Willis and jazz guitarist Jay Azzolina. At 12:15 p.m., clinical psychologist Dr. Eric Zillmer will deliver a lecture on building resilience in elite performance musicians, followed by another lecture at 2:15 p.m. on mandolin ensembles.
Friday’s schedule will feature all-day activities, with a 9 a.m. technique workshop and afternoon masterclass-style lectures from performing artists. The show will move to the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd on Old North Road for a 5-6:30 p.m. open mic and subsequent “Italian Night” show, featuring lutist Elisa la Marca, classical guitarist Mauro Zanatta and 10-string guitarist Nicolo Spera.
Saturday, Oct. 21 will have two concerts: a 4:30 p.m. mandolin ensemble at St. Augustine’s Church with contemporary guitarist Pierre Bibault. The department will host an 8 p.m. “French Night” show at the URI Fine Arts Concert Hall, featuring contemporary guitarist Mathhias Duplessy, classical guitarist Jeremy Jouve, table player Amit Kavthekar and guitar trio The Great Necks.
Sunday, Oct. 22 will conclude the week of events with a final “Argentina Meets Contemporary Italy” concert, held at 7 p.m. at the URI Fine Arts Concert Hall, featuring classical guitarist Juan Falú and acoustic guitarist Luca Stricagnoli.
The event is aimed at pushing the limits of what the guitar is capable of as an instrument, according to Montero Moya.
“Playing the guitar is about exploring every quality that we have to use, be that timbre and advanced techniques,” Montero said.
For more information, visit http://www.uriguitarfestival.org.