MEDIA CONTACT: Judy Moore at (847) 491-4819 or jkm229@northwestern.edu

October 20, 2003

Segovia Guitar Series Celebrates 10 Years

EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Northwestern University School of Music celebrates the 10th anniversary of its renowned Segovia Classical Guitar Series during the 2003-04 music season.

Originally created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia, the series has since become the Chicago area’s most popular full season of concerts by world-renowned classical guitarists.

The 7:30 p.m. concerts will be held on the Evanston campus at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Dr., or Lutkin Hall, 700 University Place, as noted below.

The series begins on Dec. 7, at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, with a performance by Grammy-Award winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin. Isbin, the “Monet of the guitar,” incorporates folk, classical, and other influences into her signature sound. Featured during this concert will be two Chicago premieres -- Tan Dun’s “Seven Desires for Guitar” and John Duarte’s “Joan Baez Suite,” Opus 144 --both written for Isbin. Single tickets are $23 for the general public, $19 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff, and $10 for full-time students.

World-class guitarist Raphaella Smits brings her internationally renowned talents to Lutkin Hall on Jan. 24. An acclaimed teacher of both guitar and chamber music, Smits is the first woman to win the Francisco Tárrega International Guitar Competition. She is an advocate of eight-string guitars and historical instruments, and her Evanston campus performance includes music from the Romantic period by J. K. Mertz and Mauro Giuliani. Single tickets for this event are $19 for the general public, $16 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff, and $8 for full-time students.

Duo guitarists Anne Waller and Mark Maxwell have toured the United States and Europe for more than 20 years. Their unique programming of works for both 19th century and modern guitars provides rare insight into the evolution of this art. The duo will appear at Lutkin Hall on Feb. 21 during a recital of modern American and Spanish repertoire featuring works by Sor, Carulli, Beaser and Albéniz. Single tickets are $16 for the general public, $13 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff, and $5 for full-time students.

Celebrated Italian virtuoso Oscar Ghiglia returns to Northwestern on March 28 for his annual concert in honor of his late mentor Andrés Segovia at Lutkin Hall. Known for his musical imagination, Ghiglia has performed and taught widely throughout America, Europe and the Middle East. He is professor of guitar at the Basel Musik-Akademie in Switzerland. Single tickets for Ghiglia’s performance are $19 for the general public, $16 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff, and $8 for full-time students.

Members of the Assad family have played the guitar since father Jorge first handed them the instrument as toddlers. Several of them have since reshaped the classical guitar scene and will bring their talents to Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on April 16. Brothers Sérgio and Odair have toured Europe and America, reviving contemporary Brazilian guitar music and are described by one performer as having the ability to “breathe together.” Younger sister Badi fuses jazz, pop, percussion and voice to create a sound that defies categorization. Single tickets for this performance are $30 for the general public, $24 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $10 for full-time students.

The Segovia Classical Guitar Series is supported by the Chicago Classical Guitar Society.

A series subscription to five concerts is $85 for the general public, senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; $77 for Chicago Classical Guitar Society members; and $38 for full-time students.

Discounts are available for series subscribers, or for those who purchase tickets to three or more concerts. To order a series subscription or single tickets, call the Pick-Staiger Ticket Office at (847) 467-4000.