“This is an exciting time, folks! Thank you all for your interest in joining our NEW JERSEY GUITAR ORCHESTRA (NJGO). As you may know, my name is Jayson Martinez, and from my many roles in the guitar education and performance field, one can conclude that I have an unhealthy obsession with all things GUITAR! Yet, one of my favorite passions is to play with fellow guitar enthusiasts and build our artistic community. New Jersey is in need of such an outlet, and it is definitely time that we collaborate and create music! For these reasons, I have taken the initiative to start the NJGO, provide future rehearsal locations, suggest ensemble pieces, and present an upcoming official webpage. However, please note that this ambitious endeavor is always a group effort and together we will make this a successful ensemble and society.”
In addition to our member performances, our June 26 meeting featured a presentation by Alvaro Henrique, “Interactive Performance – Melody.”
Alvaro Henrique
Guitarist Alvaro Henrique engages audiences with a world of emotions and story-telling through music. Henrique’s programs include a host of plucked instruments covering a fascinating range of history and cultures, from Villa-Lobos, Scarlatti, Giuliani to transcriptions of Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky and new works.
As a soloist, Henrique has performed with Brazilian and Finnish orchestras. Among the conductors he’s worked with are Julio Medaglia, Ville Mankkinen, and Angelo Cavallaro.
With an interest in social activism, Alvaro’s projects have included commissioning works centered on social issues, like Jorge Antunes’ Brasilia 50.
Program
Alex Cherfas
Lágrima – Francisco Tárrega
Robert Ey
Dreamcatcher – Mike Christiansen
Helen Shi-Yuen
Harry Potter Theme – John Williams, arr. Yenne Lee
The cost of using Zoom in June is covered by a generous contribution
from Valerie Nelson in loving memory of Hilda Samuel, her grandmother,
who was a silent movie pianist in Brooklyn.
As a first step back toward normality, we had an in-person outdoor meeting on Sunday, June 6, in Hopewell Boroough. For those who could not be there in person, our moderator, Gad Berger presented a one-way Zoom “broadcast” of the on-site performances.
Program
The Hopewell Guitar Ensemble (Rick Florio,
Jeff Griesemer, & Valerie Nelson)
Berceuse – Isaac Albéniz
Chorale – J.S. Bach.
Valerie Nelson & Rick Florio
Early in the Morning – Eythor Thoriaksson
Ponteio IV – Celso Machado
Rick Florio
Flamenco Rhythms/Palos – Various
Irene Ey (soprano) & Robert Ey
Spanish is the Loving Tongue – Trad., arr. Richard
Dyer-Bennet
Ray
Butler & Kevin Lutke
Invention in A minor ( 2 Part inventions) – J.S. Bach
Pe’ De Moleque ( Samba Chora ) – Celso Machado
Kevin Lutke
Cancion De Cuna (Duex Themes Populaires Cubains) – Leo
Brouwer
Gad
Berger
Bit.Trip Runner 2 Theme – Matthew Harwood, arr Gad Berger
Mazurka en Sol – Francisco Tarrega
Grauna – Joao Pernambuco
Ken Kraus
O Mio Babbino Caro (aria) – Giacomo Puccini, arr.,
Bridget Mermikides
Somewhere in Time Theme –John Barry and B.A.
Robertson, arrangement in G enhanced by Ken Kraus
Jeffrey Wilt
Adios a Ocumare – Angel Maria Landaeta, arr. A. Lauro
Preludio de Adios – Alphonso Montes
Danza Brasilera – Jorge Morel
Jeff Griesemer
Let Us Break Bread Together – African American
spiritual, arr. Jeff Griesemer
Our theme for this meeting is Togetherness: duos or ensembles (if anyone has been able to get close enough with others to practice), songs of love and romance, or any other music about bringing people together.
The cost of using Zoom in June is covered by a generous contribution from Valerie Nelson in loving memory of Hilda Samuel, her grandmother, who was a silent movie pianist in Brooklyn.
We’ve heard from Alex Valencia, with news of his upcoming Master Class. Alex and Lindeblad have hosted some of our meetings when we’ve been able to meet in person. For more details, please visit: https://www.lindebladmusic.com/masterclass
“It’s been a rough year and I hope you are doing well! I’m certainly looking forward to in person lessons and also hosting you guys in the near future as we start opening our facilities.In the meantime however, we are offering a series of online programs to help the community stay in touch with music.
I personally will be teaching a master class open to the public on Saturday May 8th at 2:00PM if you have any students interested in polishing their repertoire they are more than welcome to attend, registration is $50.
Thanks, and please let me know if you have any questions.
The New Jersey Classical Guitar Society is an informal association of guitar enthusiasts who gather together once a month to play for one another. Meeting locations alternate between member's homes in Hopewell Borough and Madison.