Wazzup Pilipinas!
The Guitar Friends and St. Scholastica's College present classical guitar artist JACOB CORDOVER with the special participation of THE KABATAANG GITARISTA and EDEL MARK BITAO in a free concert set on Oct. 6, 2016 - Thursday 7:00 pm, St.Cecilia's Hall, St. Scholastica's College Manila.
Jacob Cordover will also be conducting a guitar masterclass on Oct. 3 Monday, 3 pm at the Mini Hall, UP College of Music and on Oct. 7, Friday, 1 PM, at the Rehearsal Hall, St. Cecilia Bldg., St. Scholastica's College Manila.
Currently residing in Barcelona, Spain and enjoying a truly international career as both a concert and recording artist, Jacob Cordover “impresses with his intuitive musicianship and impeccable technique” (Leicester Mercury, UK). His “consummate artistry” (Adelaide Advertiser, Australia) has enticed audiences in over a dozen countries across four continents.
Mr. Cordover has appeared as soloist with the Las Colinas Symphony, the Arlington Symphony, the Garland Symphony, the Orquestra Simfònica de Balears “Ciutat de Palma” and the Orchestra dell’Accademia “l’Ottocento”, and his performances have “demonstrated how much poetry and feeling can be obtained from the guitar in the hands of master musicians such as Jacob Cordover.” (The Mercury, Australia).
As a recording artist, Mr. Cordover has released three solo CDs to much critical acclaim; Stélé (independent release, 2004) was hailed by Classical Guitar Magazine (UK) as “wonderfully sympathetic and highly accomplished... Cordover managing to get to the very soul of this striking and brilliant music.” His second solo release Blackwattle Caprices (Cala Records, 2013) received the following review in the American Record Guide: “His technique is flawless. His expression tasteful and always interesting and moving.” Mr Cordover's third solo CD Expresivo was released through Cala Records on July 1st, 2016. This latest album contains all the Spanish and Latin American favourites alongside arrangements of popular songs and works from the world of jazz. The pieces Jacob recorded for GSI recently are all included in this new release.
Critics have equally praised his performances of J.S. Bach and William Walton, saying “His interpretation of the Bach suite is one of the finest I have heard to date with superb phrasing and total mastery of the technicalities involved in playing this difficult composition” (Classical Guitar Magazine) and “This is simply the finest performance of Walton’s Bagatelles I’ve encountered. I and V crackle with energy, and he realizes perfectly the range of moods and colours in this modern masterpiece.” (American Record Guide).
Mr. Cordover has also released two CDs with his long standing chamber ensembles; Songs from the Forest, (independent release, 2012) the debut CD from the Australian Guitar Duo (with Rupert Boyd) and Historias (Cala Records, 2014) the debut CD from Zoco Duo (with Laura Karney, oboe/cor anglais). As well as receiving rave reviews, all of his CDs have been broadcast on radio stations in Asia, North America and Australia.
Aside from his formative studies at the Australian National University School of Music with renowned performer and pedagogue Timothy Kain, he completed post-graduate studies at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya with Laura Young and at the Escola Luthier with Arnaldur Arnarson in Barcelona, Spain. He also studied 19th-century performance practice with Carlo Barone at the Academia l’Ottocento in Paris as well as taking several long-term residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada. Masterclasses with Sérgio Assad, Manuel Barrueco, Ricardo Gallén, Paul O’Dette, Pavel Steidl, Geoffrey Simon, Geoffrey Lancaster, Nicholas Daniel, Edgar Meyer, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi amongst others, have also been influential in the development of his playing.
His music has been used in television, he has been broadcast on radio stations and he has been a prize winner at major national and international music competitions including the Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Festival de Córdoba (Spain), the Sydney Performing Arts Challenge (Australia), the Australian Guitar Competition (Chamber Music Section), the Certamen Internacional de Guitarra de Barcelona (Spain) and the Performing Australian Music Competition (London, UK).
Mr. Cordover plays a guitar by Greg Smallman and Sons (2006) and exclusively uses Knobloch Strings.
The Kabataang Gitarista (KG) is a group of young classical guitarists who perform a varied repertoire of classical, Filipino, Spanish and popular pieces. The Kabataang Gitarista was organized by the Artist Training Division of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in August 2012 to promote appreciation for, and interest in, classical guitar performance among public high school students. The project also aims to provide the highest level of guitar training free of charge through a scholarship programme and the to develop a performing classical guitar ensemble. More than 30 guitarists are currently in the programme.
The five members performing for the “Asian Gems in the Arts” are Christian John Mercader , Fernando Sy-Changco III, David Tiongson, Adrei Fernandez and Edel Mark Bitao. Christian, 19, and Fernando, 16, are both alumni of the programme and are currently pursuing degrees in classical guitar at different music colleges in Manila. David and Andrei, both 17, are in senior high school. Edel Mark, 14 is currently in Grade 9.
The Guitar Friends is a group composed of businessmen, doctors, professionals, guitar teachers and students, all united by their love for the classical guitar. It supports various classical guitar activities in the Philippines, like recitals, concerts, classes and provides financial support for students on a case to case basis.
For further inquiries, please call 09393785908 or leave a message on the Guitar Friend’s Facebook page, facebook.com/GuitarFriendsInc.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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