Billy

Author: Billy

antonio-raya-pardo

Antonio Raya Pardo. Granada, Spain.

Antonio Raya Pardo. Granada, Spain.  One of the most important names in the Granada school of guitar making, Antonio Raya Pardo was born in Jaen.  After a brief time working at the shop of Jose Lopez Bellido, he established his own workshop in 1973.  A meticulous craftsman, Antonio Raya Pardo’s guitars are elegant, warm and well balanced.  Hi son, Antonio Raya Ferrer (b. 1980), continues the tradition in the same elegant style of his father.

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José Marín Plazuelo

José Marín Plazuelo. Granada, Spain.

José Marín Plazuelo began making guitars in 1974 at the age of 14 under the guidance of his uncle, world-renowned guitar maker Antonio Marín Montero.  Few at his age can claim a classical guitar-making career spanning over 40 years and today Plazuelo is considered one of the best guitar makers in Spain.

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Erik Satie, Phonology by Scott Morris

Scott Morris “Phonology the Music of Erik Satie for Guitar

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Scott Morris to talk about his latest project Phonology: The Music of Erik Satie for Guitar.

 

What was your inspiration for the project?

I saw that there was a hole in the guitar repertoire for early 20th century music.  And a composer like Satie, who wrote such intimate music, would fit perfectly on the guitar.  I wanted to help fill this need and Satie seemed like the perfect composer.

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Antonio Marín Montero

Antonio Marín Montero. Granada, Spain.

Maestro Antonio Marín Montero almost doesn’t warrant an introduction.  He is one of the legends of classical guitar lutherie.  In 1977, wanting to perfect his craft further, he journeyed to Paris.  The purpose of his trip to France was to meet the respected and influential luthier, Robert Bouchet, where he would learn and expand his craft from this great master.  It would have been hard to imagine at the time that this was to have an unimaginable impact and be the beginning of a new guitar making tradition, the “Granada School.”  Antonio’s enduring friendship with Bouchet was to last until Bouchet’s death in 1986.

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José González López

José González López. Granada, Spain.

I have had the good fortune of making long lasting friendships over the years.   One of the most special relationships I have enjoyed were with world renowned guitar makers, Antonio Marín Montero, Pepe Marín Plazuelo and José González López.

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Luis Ángel González, Luthier

Los Angeles Classical Guitars is proud to introduce the guitars of Luis Ángel González.  I had the great pleasure of visiting with Luis and playing his classical guitars this past July.   I left his shop impressed and eager to make his instruments available at our shop. Read more

LACG in Spain 2003

It has now been fifteen years since my first visit to Spain and I still remember my father’s emotional words before I left, “Te vas a la Madre Patria.”  After many returned visits and a yearlong sojourn, Spain is now like my second home.

As I sit down to write this, many memories come to mind and I reminisce about the great times and people that I had the privilege of meeting; having Miguel Rodriguez make my very first concert guitar and subsequently getting to know the Rodriguez family; having a few lessons with David Russell; my year at the Universidad Autonoma of Madrid; going to “El Revolver” every Wednesday night in the basement of a dilapidated building Read more

Tilman Hoppstock 2006

During the past year I have had a series of telephone conversations with guitar virtuoso Tilman Hoppstock. We spoke about his many recordings of J.S. Bach, Villa-Lobos, Sor, and Brouwer, his interest in 19th & 20th century guitar music, his collaboration with Christoph Prégardien, and his publishing firm Prim-Editions. After speaking with him and becoming more familiar with his work, I realized that it would be beyond the scope of this interview Read more

Scott Tennant 2002

For many years I have admired Scott Tennant and have considered him to be one of the greatest guitarists of our time. He is the main reason why I pursued my education at the USC School of Music. Recently I had the great honor of asking Scott some questions about his playing, practicing, recording and his soon to be released guitar method. Read more