Concert: Friday, October 29, 2004
Masterclass: Saturday, October 30, 2004
The long awaited “JCGS Concert Series” began with a concert by British classical guitarist, Michael Partington. Mr. Partington performed for us on Friday, October 29th, at 8:00 pm. The concert took place at the First Methodist Church, 165 N. Main Street, in Ashland. The Southern Oregon University music department hosted a master class with Mr. Partington the next day, Saturday, October 30 from 10:00am-noon in the choir room (room 220 upstairs) of the music building.
(Click here for Mr. Partington’s Website. http://www.michaelpartington.com/concerts.html)
Michael Partington is one of the most engaging of the new generation of concert players. Praised by Classical Guitar Magazine for his “lyricism, intensity and clear technical command,” this award-winning British guitarist has performed internationally as a soloist and with ensemble to unanimous critical praise. Audiences are put at ease by his charming stage manner and captivated by his musical interpretations. His innate rhythmic understanding and sense for tonal colour combine to form some of the most memorable phrasing to be heard on the guitar.
He began playing guitar at age 6 while growing up in Wales, gave his first public performance at age 7 and won his first competition at age 9. He has trained with many of the world’s greatest guitarists, including Oscar Ghiglia, Eliot Fisk, Eduardo Fernandez, Manuel Barrueco and David Russell, who commented on his “exquisite good taste and fluid perfection.” Partington received a performance degree from the University of Washington, where he was a Brechemin scholar and graduated magna cum laude, studying under Steven Novacek.
Since moving to the USA he has received awards in several guitar, instrumental and concerto competitions. He has appeared throughout the USA, UK and Scandanavia in solo recital, with orchestra and in chamber ensembles. He has performed along the West Coast from Los Angeles to Vancouver, and in Idaho, Arizona, Texas and Virginia, including the first solo guitar recital in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall. Other US performances include the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, the Cascadia Festival, the Chelan Bach Fest, the Northwest Guitar Festival and the Portland Guitar Festival, Town Hall and Meany Theater in Seattle, Portland’s Lincoln Hall, Murphy Hall in Los Angeles, Katzin Hall in Phoenix. Concerts in England and Wales have included Blackheath Halls, St. Martin-in-the-Fields and St. James’, Piccadilly in London; St. Mary in the Castle, Hastings; Bristol Music Club; Norwegian Church, Cardiff; Russell-Cotes Museum, Bournemouth; Brewery Arts Centre, Kendall; Trinity Arts Centre, Tunbridge Wells; Nottingham; Carlisle; Derby; and others. He has performed live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, BBC Radio Bristol, BBC Wales and Great Western Radio in the UK, as well as on KUOW, KING FM, KZAZ, and KAOS in Washington, KUT in Texas, and cable television in California and Washington. He has also performed with Orchestra Seattle, Seattle Choral Company, Seattle Chamber Players, Seattle Creative Orchestra, Wenatchee Valley Symphony, Seattle New Music Ensemble, Seattle Symphony Chorale, English organist Margaret Phillips, Grammy-winning soprano Carmen Pelton, and the Seattle Guitar Quartet. He has released four solo CDs for Rosewood Recordings.
“Consummate guitar artistry command, tonal variety and.”
Melinda Bargreen, Seattle Times
” exquisite good taste and fluid perfection. He truly makes the guitar sound beautiful.”
David Russell
“His playing was beautifully poised with all the technique and imagination to convey the textures of the work, and produce a very full, rich tone on the guitar… fine musicianship.”
Thérèse Wassily Saba, Classical Guitar Magazine
“Gorgeous playing… He does what I think is most interesting, he owns every note he plays. No muffled half played passages or over the top slurred messes of ambiguity. Every note was there and every note contributed to the shapes and forms and drama of the music unfolding. The breathing was perfect and the long crescendos with such a big sound on top took my breath away … wonderful clarity and sense of texture.” Larry Deack, Orange County Guitar Circle
