Los Angeles Guitar Quartet to perform at UGA

“The world’s hottest classical ensemble or its tightest pop band? However it helps you to think about the LAGQ, keep the emphasis on superlatives for its unrivaled joy, technical elan and questing spirits.”—New York Times

One of the world's most celebrated guitar ensembles, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, is appearing at Hodgson Concert Hall Sunday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m.

Their program is characteristically varied, ranging from J.S. Bach, Beethoven (the first movement of the "Moonlight" Sonata) and Liszt (Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2) to flickering music by the late Australian composer and guitarist Phillip Houghton.

The LAGQ appearance follows an early September concert by bluegrass guitar virtuoso Molly Tuttle, and precedes a November performance by the Silkroad Ensemble, led by banjo player and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Rhiannon Giddens.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

The Grammy Award-winning LAGQ is one of the most multifaceted groups in any genre. The LAGQ is comprised of four uniquely accomplished musicians bringing a new energy to the concert stage. They consistently play to sold-out houses worldwide. Their inventive, critically acclaimed transcriptions of concert masterworks provide a fresh look at the music of the past, while their interpretations of works from the contemporary and world-music realms continually break new ground. Programs including Latin, African, Far East, Irish, folk and American classics transport listeners around the world in a single concert experience. Their Don Quixote collaboration with Firesign Theater veteran, actor Philip Proctor, continues to expand and delight audiences and the workSHIKI: Seasons of Japan written for the LAGQ plus guitar orchestra by composer Shingo Fujii is connecting communities across the nation.

Winner of a 2005 Grammy Award, their Guitar Heroes CD released on Telarc is a brilliant follow-up to their Grammy nominatedLAGQ-Latin. Spin (Telarc, 2006) continues their explorations of jazz and contemporary music. LAGQ: BRAZIL (Telarc, 2007), including collaborations with vocalist Luciana Souza, was released to rave reviews, and their newest recording of the RodrigoConcierto Andaluz and Sergio Assad’s Interchange, written specifically for them, was released on Telarc in Spring 2010, and quickly climbed to the top spot on the Billboard charts.  The live DVD of The Ingenious Gentleman: Don Quixote was released on the Mel Bay label in spring 2012. In 2015, the LAGQ released New Renaissance, a unique blend of renaissance originals and renaissance-inspired compositions by Dusan Bogdanovic and Ian Krouse.

Opalescent, released in Spring 2022, shows off the LAGQ's rich palette of colors and sparkling sound. 2021 albums include the Grammy®-nominated collaboration with Conspirare, The Singing Guitar (Delos), featuring Nico Muhly's groundbreaking work How Little You Are and Pat Metheny's Road to the Sun (Modern Recordings/BMG), named for the title track written for LAGQ, which hit #1 on the Apple Music Classical chart. This monumental work features in their current American Guitar Masters program. In addition to solo programs, other touring highlights include collaborative works with choir, guitar orchestra, symphony orchestra and Latin Romance with vocalist and flamenco dancers; many of these works were written expressly for the LAGQ.

PERFORMERS

John Dearman

Matthew Greif

William Kanengiser

Douglas Lora

PROGRAM

COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: Danse Négre from African Suite Op. 35

PHILLIP HOUGHTON: Opals

BEETHOVEN: From “Moonlight” Piano Sonata No. 14, Quasi una fantasia

COPLAND: Two Mexican Pieces

J.S. BACH: Selected works

DOUGLAS LORA: Maracasalsa

LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor (arr. S. Tennant)

PERFORMANCE TALK

Join us for a free pre-performance talk by UGA Assistant Professor of Guitar Daniel Bolshoy in Ramsey Concert Hall from 2:15-2:45 pm.

SUPPORTED BY

James A. and Leslie C. de Haseth

BUYING TICKETS IS EASY

Securing tickets for UGA Presents performances and other events couldn’t be easier. There are three ways to choose from:

1. Purchase tickets online 24/7 at pac.uga.edu.

2. Call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at (706) 542-4400, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

3. Visit the UGA Performing Arts Center Box Office, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 230 River Road (5 minute parking is available in the drop off circle at the Performing Arts Center for purchasing or picking up tickets.)