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Dear Subscriber,
We had a fantastic string of masterclasses last season, including classes with GFA Winner Xavier Jara, Rupert Boyd and Laura Metcalf, so I know a lot of you are fired up to see our masterclass with 2006 GFA Winner Thomas Viloteau this month. Masterclasses are an incredible opportunity to gain insights into what makes musicians tick. Make sure you sign up soon so you don’t miss out!
Now, you may be asking, what is a masterclass? Picture a masterclass as a public lesson in which a visiting artist listens to and critiques students one at a time in front of an audience so that everyone in attendance may benefit from their instruction. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study, if only for a short time, with some of the brightest rising stars of the guitar world, and to see them pass on some of their experience to their students.
Coming up on Saturday, October 20 at 1:30pm, 2006 GFA Winner Thomas Viloteau will be teaching a masterclass in the West Room of Church of the Covenant. In case you don’t know Thomas, he won the prestigious GFA International Concert Artist Competition in 2006, prevailing over hundreds of exceptionally talented guitarists from all over the world. Thomas has studied intensely at an international level, moving from Barcelona, to Paris, San Francisco, London, Tucson, Rochester and Montréal seeking advice from some of the leading professors like Alvaro Pierri, Alberto Ponce, Judicaël Perroy, Tom Patterson, Roland Dyens, Nicholas Goluses, Paul O’Dette and Marc Teicholz. You may recall the name Judicael Perroy from other bios in our series; Judicael won the GFA competition himself in 1997, and his students include many GFA winners, including our two previous year’s winners Xavier Jara and Thibaut Garcia. Besides an impressive education and performance resumé, Thomas has recently taken a faculty position at Peabody Conservatory teaching alongside Manuel Barrueco and Julian Gray.
Thomas has also recorded several albums and a DVD, which you can see/hear samples of on his website, as well as written a book on technique. He’s perhaps the most proflific artist we’ve worked with to date, and the quality of his work is impeccable. He clearly knows his stuff and is passionate about making music and sharing that excitement with his students.
If you want to get a taste for Thomas’ playing, there’s no better place than YouTube. Thomas has recorded an amazing array of videos. I’ve been particularly enjoying this recording of a Caprice by Johann Kaspar Mertz recently, but there is something for everybody on his YouTube channel if you go searching.
Intrigued? Sign up to perform for Thomas Viloteau and receive personalized coaching from one of the best young guitarists in the world, who has studied with some of the most highly respected pedagogues of classical guitar. Musicians of all levels are welcome to perform. Don’t feel ready to perform, or just curious? Sign up as an auditor, and join us in the audience to take advantage of the advice given to our masterclass performers.
All masterclasses are open to the public and free to observe, but registration is required. There are only a few performance slots left, so don’t hesitate to reserve your slot if you’d like to perform in the class (a small performer fee applies). Register as either an auditor or performer for Saturday’s class in our Online Store.
Don’t miss your chance to learn from the best. Sign up to perform or audit a masterclass today!
Best,
Matthew Lavanish
President & Artistic Director, Wilmington Classical Guitar
PS – Don’t miss our Concert with Thomas Viloteau taking place Saturday, October 20 at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant at 7:30pm. Full details, including a link to purchase tickets, are on our website.
Wilmington Classical Guitar Season 2018-19 Concerts
September 22 – WCGS Members Showcase at Old Town Hall
October 20* – Thomas Viloteau, classical guitar with special guest Keith Calmes at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
November 17 – Brendan Evans, classical guitar with special guests Zach Alex & Liam Thomas at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
February 23* – Jeremy Lyons, classical guitar and Lisa Perry, soprano with special guest Evan Conrad at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
March 23* – Alec Holcomb, classical guitar with special guest Darla Rublesky at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
April 28* – GFA Winner’s Tour featuring Tengyue Zhang, classical guitar with special guest Everett Shen at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
May 25 – 7th Annual WCGS Members Concert at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
