Classical Guitar by Guitaresque

Classical Guitar by Guitaresque
06 Sept 2008, Sat
3 – 4pm
Open Stage, library@esplanade

FREE Admission!

A word from the quartet:

Four musicians trading ideas while carrying a tune, each providing his own senses and ideas.  Together, the quartet paints a beautiful image of the Baroque landscape…

If you think that sounds like a description of a typical string quartet, you are possibly right.

Well… not really.

Not many classical music lovers here in Singapore are familiar with the sight of a classical guitar (CG) quartet — 4 classical guitars playing in an ensemble, ala the string quartet.   Guitaresque is such a quartet — and we are 100% made-in-Singapore.

Guitaresque members are Shu Hann, Ivan, Alex and Kevin.  We are a group of CG lovers, who have been playing together for the past 8 years though none of us are actually full-time musicians by profession.  Instead, we have found time amidst our busy working schedules to meet on a weekly basis, not so much to practice and rehearse a repertoire, but more to be with friends who share a similar passion in guitar music.

The quartet has been actively promoting CG ensemble music in the local music scene for the past few years.

We have been invited to numerous public performances, including a Charity dinner function at the (then) Pine Tree Club; the Open House event for the Tampines East Community club; Fusion Feast concert at the Chinese Garden, amongst others.

In 2004, Guitaresque took part in the Singapore (Yamaha) Guitar Festival and won the first prize for the Ensemble category.  Since then, we have been invited to play at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM), where we played a one-night recital in the SAM Auditorium, as well as in conjunction with the Engraving the World exhibition, showcasing music mainly from the Baroque era.

Come 6th September, the quartet will take the stage in the library@esplanade for the second time (we played in the Open Mic event back in 2006), and we hope to bring the audience an afternoon of easy-listening guitar music.  Expect evergreen songs like Mancini’s Moon River, the theme song from the Godfather, as well as one of the perennial favourites of many a guitarist — Cavatina (from the movie Deer Hunter).

This performance acts as a prelude (or appetizer, of sorts) to our upcoming recital at the SAM Auditorium later this year (November 8th).   More information on that performance will be available at a later stage, so keep a look out at our quartet’s blog site.

Yours,
Shu Hann, Ivan, Alex and Kevin