A Late Summer Classic!
Special Event
Saturday, September 9, 2006 3:00 PM
(Rain Date: Sunday, Sept. 10, 3:00 PM)
Riverfront Plaza, Hartford
Admission: FREE
 Handicapped Accessible
"an annual invocation to the guitar's glory"
- The Hartford Courant
Come celebrate the start of our new season as guitarist Daniel Salazar, Jr. takes the evening stage accompanied by the Hartford Festival Orchestra in this signature concert featuring Spanish, Latin, and World Music. In addition, several of New England's top guitarists will perform a variety of music styles throughout the afternoon.
With a terrific atmosphere of music and fun, pack up the kids and a picnic for a great day—free to the public!
The festival is supported in part by The National Endowment for the Arts, The Hartford Financial Services Group, The Greater Hartford Arts Council, The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, and media sponsor Beethoven Radio.
For more information, call The Connecticut Classical Guitar Society at (860) 249-7041 or Riverfront Recapture at (860) 713-3131. Riverfront Plaza is fully handicapped accessible. Click for directions, map of Hartford, and handicap accessibility.
We have been very fortunate to always have wonderful weather for this event, but in case of rain the concert will take place the following day on Sunday, September 10.
This annual event has now become an end-of-summer tradition for thousands of music lovers. Presented by The Connecticut Classical Guitar Society, the afternoon festivities will include several of New England's best guitarists, performing an exciting variety of musical styles. The evening will feature internationally acclaimed guitarist Daniel Salazar, Jr. performing with the Hartford Festival Orchestra, conducted by Brian Sparks.
To start this special day, The Connecticut Classical Guitar Society will present an afternoon of great guitar music featuring several of its professional members performing an array of guitar styles. Performers include The Hartt Suzuki Guitar Ensemble, Kevin Gallagher, Val Ramos, and The Alturas Duo.
The performance schedule for this exciting guitar extravaganza is as follows:
3pm- The Hartt Suzuki Guitar Ensemble, David Madsen, Director: This impressive group of extremely talented young players will inspire you with their unique sound as they perform on Octave, Alto, Contrabass and traditional Classical Guitars. They will perform their unique repertoire ranging from Renaissance Dances to Surf guitar arrangements!
4pm- Kevin Gallagher, virtuoso classical and electric guitar: International competition winner who breaks new ground by performing traditional classical guitar as well as sophisticated arrangements and cutting edge works on solo electric guitar.
5pm- Fuego del Corazón playing a sultry mix of Flamenco guitar combined with passionate violin and fiery percussion, featuring Daniel Salazar III on guitar and Danielle Turano on violin.
6pm- Val Ramos Flamenco Ensemble: One of the top flamenco players in the country performing with his extraordinary group of versatile musicians: Val Ramos (guitar), Jose R. Ramos (guitar), Carlos Hernandez Chavez (bass), Kris Jensen (flute), and Matt Moadel (percussion).
7:30pm- The Alturas Duo with Gonzalo Cortes and the Hartford Festival Orchestra: Playing charango (South American stringed instrument played by Carlos Boltes), classical guitar (Scott Hill) and Andean flutes (Gonzalo Cortes), this extraordinary ensemble will perform the fascinating work Danzas Peregrinas by Chilean composer Horacio Salinas (founder of the legendary group Inti-Illimani) based on South American folk and dance rhythms. Don’t miss this acclaimed group!
8pm- Daniel Salazar, Jr. with the Hartford Festival Orchestra:
Guitar Under the Stars founder and internationally acclaimed guitarist Daniel Salazar will perform his highly popular program of Spanish classics and new, original works combining classical guitar, Spanish melodies and Latin rhythms, accompanied by his ensemble of international musicians and the Hartford Festival Orchestra conducted by Brian Sparks.
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Acclaimed guitarist Daniel Salazar started Guitar Under the Stars in 1991 with the goal of sharing his love for the guitar and its beautiful music within a setting that everyone in the community can enjoy. With his dynamic original music and arrangements of Spanish classics for guitar and orchestra, Daniel continues to expand the guitar’s repertoire while introducing new audiences to the magical sound of the guitar.
Daniel’s contemporary style fuses traditional Spanish guitar with Latin and World rhythms. Known to Connecticut audiences for his highly popular Guitar Under the Stars concerts, this renowned musician has appeared in many prestigious international venues throughout the U.S., Latin America and Europe. His latest CD titled Mosaico features an ensemble of guitars, bass, keyboards and percussion playing his dynamic original compositions and arrangements. Daniel has held the distinguished title of United States Artistic Ambassador, and currently serves as Artistic Director of the Connecticut Classical Guitar Society.
For additional information, log on to www.danielsalazar.com
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David Madsen grew up in Wethersfield where he began his studies with Walter Kaye Bauer. He recieved his B. Mus. from the University of Connecticut and went on to study with David Leisner and Pepe Romero. He teaches at the Loomis Chaffee School and at the Hartt School of Music, Community Division, where he is the founder of one of the largest Suzuki Guitar programs in the country.
Kevin Gallagher was the first-prize winner in the 1993 Guitar Foundation of America, the 1994 American String Teachers Association, and the 1993 Artists International Competition. Most notably, Mr. Gallagher also earned the distinct honor of being the only American classical guitarist ever to win first prize in the prestigious Francisco Tárrega Guitar Competition in Spain (1997). His recording for Naxos Records - Guitar Recital - Music from the Renaissance and Baroque was hailed as "...one of the very best NAXOS guitar recordings" by Classical Guitar Magazine (London) in 2000.
Val Ramos has become one of the finest Flamenco guitarists in the United States. He has three recordings: Olive Green Eyes (1992), Boricuas Flamencos (1995) and Por Mi Camino (2001). A featured artist at international festivals in the United States and Spain, and venues such as the Yale Cabaret, the Village Gate, the Iron Horse, the Regatta Bar and NYU's King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center. He has also been featured in the CPTV documentary Puerto Rican Passages and the WNET-Thirteen (PBS) documentary Nuyoricans. He has been described by Guillermo Christi of Flamenco Connection as "a hidden treasure of Flamenco in the Americas...superb musicianship." Brian Grosjean of Rootsworld.com has described his music as "the best of classical Flamenco brought to modern standards".
The Alturas Duo, who according to the Washington Post play with "...marvelous virtuosity" is being recognized as one of the most entertaining ensembles in the chamber music world today. Formed with the idea of performing and promoting Latin and classical music by integrating the strengths and beauty of the viola, charango, and guitar, the Alturas Duo musicians, Carlos Boltes (viola and charango) and Scott Hill (classical guitar), have combined their talents to craft a seamless blend specializing in the rhythms and dances of South America.
This event is generously sponsored in part by The Hartford Financial Services Group, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Greater Hartford Arts Council, Riverfront Recapture, The Hispanic Professional Network, The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, and media sponsor Beethoven Radio.
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