The 1st guitar festival

The Pancyprian Classical Guitar Association presents: THE 1st GUITAR FESTIVAL LEO BROUWER – A MUSIC LEGEND IN PAPHOS Paphos Castle, 19 – 22 May Recitals Thursday 19 May 8pm - Costas Cotsiolis (Greece) Tickets: €15 Friday 20 May 8pm - Sabrina Vlaskalic (Serbia) Tickets: €15 Saturday 21 May 8pm - Aniello Desiderio (Italy) Tickets: €15 Three day ticket: €30 Master Classes Thursday 19 May 3pm - 6pm - Sabrina Vlaskalic (Serbia) Friday 20 May 3pm - 6pm - Aniello Desiderio (Italy) Saturday 21 May 10am - 1pm - Leo Brouwer (Cuba) Saturday 21 May 3.30pm - 6.30pm - Costas Cotsiolis (Greece) Sunday 22 May 10.30am - 1.30pm - Leo Brouwer (Cuba) Master classes do not have an age limitation. Participants are of 2 categories. A - Active (those who would like to perform) participation fees €100 for one performance. B - Non-active (those who are not performing) participation fees €50. All participants can have FREE entrance to all three recitals at Paphos Castle. Sponsors: The Embassy of the Republic of Cuba. The Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture. For hotel accommodation call Kings Hotel Tel: 26933197. Single: €25, double: €35, per night with breakfast. Rooms fully air conditioned. More details and tickets - Tel: 99632346 or Email: babaji@cytanet.com.cy INFORMATION – Tel: 26932017, 26937670. www.pafos2017.eu Sponsored by: Ministry of Education & Culture – Cultural Services, Embassy of the Republic of Cuba, Polis Charalambous – Paphos Acadamy of Fine Arts. Accomodation Sponsors: Anemi Hotel Apartments. www.anemihotel.com Click on the links for more details - Leo Brouwer - www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zvOjdacG8 Costas Cotsiolis - www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUeZcPWpROg Sabrina Vlaskalic - www.sabrinavlaskalic.com Aniello Desiderio - www.aniellodesiderio.net LEO BROUWER was born in Havana, Cuba in 1939. He studied with Isaac Nicola, Pujol's pupil, specialising in composition, completing his studies at the Julliard School of Music and at Hartt College of Music. In 1987 Brouwer was selected, along with Isaac Stern and Alan Danielou, to be an honourable member of UNESCO, in recognition for his music career - an honour that he shares with Menuhin, Shankar, Karajan, Sutherland and other musical luminaries. Brouwer has conducted orchestras around the world including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scottish National Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Mexico National Symphony Orchestra. He has been heard as both composer and classical guitarist at many major international music events and his Cancion De Gesta (Epic Poem) has been performed by orchestras throughout the world. His discography comprises over a hundred commercial recordings and his works have been recorded by John Williams, Julian Bream, Franz Bruggen and Harry Sparnay, as well as The Toronto Festival, the London Sinfonietta and the Liège Festival. Brouwer has also written many film scores including A Walk In The Clouds and Alfonso Arau's internationally acclaimed Like Water For Chocolate. He served as General Manager of the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra for ten years and since 1992 conducted the Córdoba Orchestra in Spain. In 1998 Brouwer was awarded the Manuel de Falla prize and in 1999 the National music prize for Cuba. In recent years, Brouwer has continued his unique series of guitar concertos (Concierto No.7 La Habana, Concierto No.8 Concierto Cantata de Perugia, and Concierto de Benicassim) as well as writing for a rich variety of other ensembles, most notably his horn trio of 2002, Pictures Of Another Exhibition. His latest concerto for guitar is his Double Concerto (Book of Signs), premiered by John Williams and Costas Cotsiolis on 27th January 2004 at the Megaron in Athens. Leo Brouwer has now returned to live in Havana. COSTAS COTSIOLIS was born in 1957 in Athens. He is nowadays considered as one of the greatest guitarists of our time, thanks to his tours all over the world and his recognition by the audience as well as by the musical critics, Costas Cotsiolis has been Artistic Director of the Volos International Guitar Festival since 1978, where more than 9000 students appeared as well as about 400 professors and soloist from all over the world. Many fabulous guitarists started their international career as young talents at this festival. He has been professor of the Conservatory of Athens since 1977 and of the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki since 1981, creating an exemplary school of excellent guitarists who have been awarded all over the world and have international careers. For his activities, Costas Cotsiolis was awarded by the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Greece in 1979. In 1987 he published his book for guitar technique, The Virtuose Guitarist. In 1998 he became an Honorary Citizen of Dallas, Texas. Since 2008 he is professor also of the University of Indianapolis, Athens Campus. Since 2009 he is professor of the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki. Since 2012 he is Artistic Director of the Guitar Art Festival of Belgrade, Serbia. For his outstanding artistic work and his excellent teaching and in addition his more than 30 years giving the guitar in Greece an important stage, which is well known all over the world, he is an honorary member of the EGTA-Germany. He has played in many concert halls, including the Auditorium de Madrid, Grande Auditorium Radio France, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Concert Hall BBC, Alt Opera Frankfurt, Filarmonie de St. Petersburg, Tschaikowsky Moscow, Palais de Beaus Arts Brussels, Palais de Congres de Paris, Athens Concert Hall Megaron, Herodium Theatre and many others. Costas Cotsiolis played as a soloist with the following orchestras: Liege (Belgium), RTBF Brussels (Radio, Belgium), Sofia Soloist (Bulgaria), Orquesta Sinfonica de la Habana (Cuba), Czech Virtuosi (Czech Republic), Cyprus Symphony Orchestra (Cyprus), BBC Concert Orchestra (England), Oxford Pro Musica (England), Auvergne (France), Cannes (France), Nouvelle Filarmonie Paris (France), Athens Camerata (Greece), Athens State Symphony (Greece), Patras Soloist (Greece), Radio Orchestra (Greece), Volos Symphony (Greece), Thessaloniki State Symphony (Greece), Orchestra of Colours (Greece), Bochum (Germany), Frankfurt Oder (Germany), Radio Symphony Frankfurt (Germany), Junge Deutsche Philharmonic (Germany), Bari (Italy), Beer Sheva (Israel), Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano (Italy), Lithuanian Symphony Orchestra (Lithuania), Baja California (Mexico), Camerata de Cohahuila (Mexico), Katowice AUKSO (Poland), Katowice Symphony (Poland), Wrochlaw (Poland), Oporto (Portugal), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Brasov (Rumania), Moscow Symphony (Russia), New Russia (Russia), Ankara Bilkent University Orchestra (Turkey) Istanbul Philharmony (Turkey), Cermal Resit Rey Istanbul (Turkey), Bursa Symphony (Turkey), Ankara Hacetteppe (Turkey), Ankara Presidential (Turkey), Akbank Orchestra (Turkey), Radio-TV Belgrade (Serbia), Skrovan Soloist Belgrade (Serbia), Cordoba Symphony Orchestra (Spain), Las Palmas Canarias (Spain), Orquesta de la Reina Sofia de Madrid (Spain), Donetsk (Ukraine), Rostov (Ukraine) and others. He has collaborated in concerts with many artists including Astor Piazzolla, Mikis Theodorakis, Theodore Antoniou, Maria Farandouri, Angelica Cathariou, Leo Brouwer, John Williams, John McLaughlin, Al di Meola, Stanley Jordan, Vicente Amigo, Jose Antonio Rodriguez, Juan Jose Mosalini, Odon Alonso, Saulis Sondechkis, Simeon Kogan, Jean Jacques Kantorow, Peter Soave, Hector Ulisses Passarella, Isel Rodriguez Trujillo, Patrice Fantanarosa, Milva, Roberto Limen and many others. SABRINA VLASKALIC was born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1989. She has been playing the guitar since she was seven. In 2006 she graduated from the Music High School Vatroslav Lisinski in the class of Professor Aleksandar Hadzi Dordevic and she is currently studying the guitar at The Faculty of Music Art in Belgrade with Professor Srdjan Tosic. Sabrina has attended a great deal of master classes with the most eminent guitarists of today including Pepe Romero, Manuell Baruecco, Pavel Steidl, Marcin Dylla, Susana Prieto, Alexis Mauzurakis, Roland Dyens, Sergio and Odair Assad, Dusan Bogdanovic, Gerhard Reichenbach, Costas Costiolis, Annielo Desiderio, Denis Azabagic, Goran Krivokapic and many others. She is the winner of numerous National and International prizes. Sabrina has won over 10 special and 21 first prizes in solo guitar competitions all over the world. Sabrina’s biggest successes are as follows: First and Special prize at the international competition for young guitarists Andres Segovia in Velbert, Germany in 2004. First prize at the international competition: Festival de Chitara in Sinaia, Romania in 2004. First prize and special prize at the international competition: Cocurso per I Giovani Gitaristi in Mottola, Italy in 2005. Many first and special prizes at the international competition: Guitar Art Festival in Belgrade, Serbia in 2004, 2006 and 2007. First prize at the international competition: Summer Guitar Art Festival in Herceg Novi, Montenegro in 2006. First prize and two special prizes (for the best interpretation of a classic work and EMCY Art for Music prize) at the International competition: Anna Amalia in Weimar, Germany in 2007. First and special prize: The best upcoming performer at the international competition: Split Guitar Festival in Split, Croatia in 2008. Second and special prize: The best Spanish music performer at the Julian Arcas International Classical Guitar Competition in Alemeria, Spain in 2008. First prize at the international competition: Niksic Guitar Festival in Niksic, Montenegro in 2008. Second and special prize: The best performer of J S Bach’s music at the Iserlohn Guitar Competition in Iserlohn, Germany in 2008. Second prize at the international competition: Forum Gitarre Wien in Viena, Austria in 2008. Second prize at the international competition: Weikersheim Musik Festival in Weikersheim, Germany in 2008. Many first prizes and Laureates at national competitions in Serbia in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Sabrina won the competition of the Guitar Art Festival in Belgrade, no age limit category, on the 2nd of February 2009. Many times described as new Ida Presti, Sabrina is considered to be one of the most talented young players and she has already given many recitals all over Europe, including Italy, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Spain, Slovenia and Serbia. She also played recitals at the 3rd and 5th Conference of Guitarists of Southeast Europe and remarkably, represented her homeland. At the age of 19, for the first time, she was a part of jury at an international competition, which is very big honour for such a young musician. ANIELLO DESIDERIO was born in Naples, Italy in 1971 and started playing guitar when he was very young. He studied with B. B. D’Amario and Stefano Aruta. He also attended musical interpretation classes with Leo Brouwer, who chose Mr. Desiderio for special group lessons. In 1992 he graduated with honours from the Conservatory of Music in Alessandria, Italy. At the age of eight, he performed in public for the first time, displaying such outstanding gifts that music critics started to speak of him as an enfant prodig (child prodigy), wunderkind, a genius, the Orpheus of the Guitar, a guitarist of the Century, il Fenomeno etc. He won 18 first International Awards in both national and international competitions, including: First Prize at the Donia Competition Messina, Italy in 1986. First Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of South American music at the International Guitar Competition in Habana, Cuba in 1988. Neapolitan of the Year Award for Mr. Desiderio in Italy in 1988. First Prize and Special Prize of best interpretation of Tarrega’s music at the International Francisco Tarrega Competition Benicasim, Spain in 1992. First Prize at the International Competition Citta’ di Sanremo, Italy in 1994. First Prize at the International Guerrero Competition Madrid, Spain in 1995. Artist in Residence Award by the German Radio & Musikfest Bremen, Germany in 1999. His international career started in 1989 during the International Guitar Festival in Volos, Greece. This was the starting point for his career as an international artist, one who now performs all over the world in countries such as Switzerland, France, Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Greece, Italy, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Cuba, Columbia, Venezuela, Japan, Canada and United States, both as soloist and with orchestras including The Virtuosi Di Mosca with Vladimir Spivakov, RSO Berliner, Deutche Kammerphilharmonie and Alessandro Scarlatti. He played for many important associations and festivals and in some of the most prestigious theatres around world, such as Radio France in Italy, the Ravello Festival, A Scarlatti, Megaride, and I Pomeriggi Musicali in Germany, Berlin Philarmonie, Rheingau Musik Festival, Bayerische Rundfunk TV, Musikfest Bremen, Ludwigsburger Schloßfest-spiele, Omni Concert Series, S. Francisco, Alte Opera Koln, Tonhalle Dusseldorf, Filarmonie and Prinzregententheater, Munich, Die Gloke, Bremen, etc. In Nov. 1996 he made his New York Debut at the Manhattan School of Music with a concert and a masterclass. In May 1999 the German Television BR/ARD produced a music 45 minute film and a 45 minute portrait of Desiderio in Naples. It was broadcast more than ten times Europe-wide between 2000 and 2003. In September 1999 he received the Artist in Residence Award 1999 from German Radio DLF and the Musikfest Bremen, together with Gidon Kremer, who received the Großer Musikfest Preis. During 2001 and 2002, Aniello Desiderio was on tour with the Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin und der Deutschen Kammer-Philharmonie. He was invited to the 70th birthday Gala of Maestro Lorin Maazel by the Bavarian Radio & TV station. He also toured extensively throughout Mexico, Indonesia, and Europe. In 2003 he co-founded the World Guitar Ensemble, where he played together with some of the best guitar players in the world, followed by its first European tour and made many radio and TV recordings. He also toured in Europe (Paris, Wien, Barcelona etc) the US (San Diego, New York, Nashville) and in Brasil (Rio, Sao Paolo), giving both solo recitals and performing with orchestras. In 2004 he toured the US again – in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, etc. He founded, together with his brothers Gennaro and Gaetano Desiderio and other famous Neapolitan musicians, the group Passione Napoletana, performing the highly emotional music of his home town Naples – Serenate, Tanghi, Danze, Canzoni e Tarantelle Napoletane. He was one of the performing artists of a prestigious German TV show – ZDF which was broadcast Europe-wide. In 2005, aside from his solo performing in Germany, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Indonesia, etc, he toured with the World Guitar Ensemble throughout Europe, including Istanbul, Athens, Montpellier, and at German Summer Festivals including Ludwigsburg, Rheingau, Mosel, Bremen, Würzburg, etc and throughout the USA. He also performed with the Bavarian Chamber and Romulo Larrea (Bandoneon) Tango con Passion, in Germany and in Turkey with the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra. In 2007, in addition to his solo touring, Aniello Desiderio and his brothers Gennaro (violin) and Nino (piano) Desiderio, Romulo Larrea, (bandoneon) from Montevideo and the singer Veronica Larc from Buenos Aires set the audience alight with their new Tango Project: Tango y Milongas. Desiderio records for Frame, Waku Music, Koch-Universal and since 2006, his own company Adoro Records. In 2005 he became a guitar teacher at the International Music Academy in Koblenz, Germany. In 2009 he became a teacher at the Conservatorio Domenico Cimarosa in Avellino, Italy, where he started a post graduated course. In late 2009 he created his latest project: Aniello Desiderio’s Quartetto Furioso, performing with Gennaro Desiderio (violin), Gaetano Desiderio (piano) and Salvatore Minale (drums and percussion) the programme of: Vivaldi 4 and 4 Piazzolla Seasons and he recorded the CD of this project for the famous German label Termidor, which records artistes such as Paquito D’ Rivera and Sabine Mayer. In 2010 Desiderio performed the Concerto Madrigal by J. Rodrigo, with one of the legend, of classical guitar: Angel Romero. From 2010 he has given masterclass during the Summer International Academy in Mozarteum, Salzburg. John McLaughlin chose Desiderio for the European Premier of his Concerto: Thieves and Poets, in May 2012, during the Koblenz International Guitar Festival. From 2010 Desiderio has played in duo with Lucio Matarazzo.