Guitar Series
Throughout the academic year, the VCU Guitar Series presents outstanding classical and flamenco guitarists in concerts and master classes.
Guest artists featured in this series are widely recognized throughout the U.S. and around the world. Past performers have included British guitarist Simon Dinnigan, flamenco guitarists Paco de Malaga and Richard Marlow, the Alexandria Guitar Quartet, William Kanengiser, Larry Snitzler, Dennis Koster, Lily Afshar, the Lafayette Trio, and Italian guitarists Lorenzo Micheli and Aldo Minella.
2009-10 VCU Guitar Series
The Potomac Guitar Quartet
Sunday, September 20, 4:00 p.m.
General admission: $10
The Potomac Guitar Quartet began in the winter of 2006. Members Brian Litz, Phil Mathieu, Jeff Meyerriecks and Peter Fields have know each other for many years and each brings a high level of enthusiasm and dedication to the group. Four classical guitarists each with a lifetime of accomplishments. From Baroque to the Ventures, their repertoire spans the centuries of guitar music across the globe.
Flamenco Guitarist Torcuato Zamora with flamenco dancer Maria 
Sunday, October 25, 4:00 p.m.
General admission: $10
Torcuato Zamora was born amidst the rhythms and legends of Granada in Spain. At the age of five he moved to Barcelona where he began studying classical guitar. At age fifteen he began giving concerts professionally with his professors Ramon Delgado and Graciano Tarrago. In college he was a solo guitarist with La Tuna, the traditional Spanish college music ensemble. He has performed for the King and Queen of Spain. His international credits include concerts in Luxembourg, France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Canada. Mr. Zamora came to the United States in the 1960’s and since that time has devoted himself to presenting the music of his country, flamenco, as well as classical and South American music and his own compositions. He has toured the U.S. with the Jose Molina Spanish Dance Company. He now resides in Washington, D.C. where he has dominated the Spanish music scene. Mr. Zamora has his own academy of Spanish and classical guitar in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Maria regularly performs as a soloist in the Washington, D.C., area and teaches at D.C. Dance Collective, www.dcdancecollective.com. She is the instructor and choreographer of Suspiro Andaluz, a group of apprentice performers. Maria studied Flamenco at Amor de Dios in Madrid and Fazil’s in New York, and has participated in International Flamenco Festivals in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her most influential teachers include Omayra Amaya, Adela Campallo, Rafael Campallo, Pastora Galvan, and Carmela Greco. In addition to Flamenco, her training included extensive ballet with regular performances at the Lviv National Opera. Maria toured in Germany performing folk dance. She taught and choreographed folk dance in Norway and performed for the Queen. Her background also included jazz taught by an Alvin Ailey Dance Company member.
Richmond Guitar Quartet with special guest Adam Larrabee
Sunday, January 24, 4:00 p.m.
General admission: $10
The Richmond Guitar Quartet is quickly gaining a reputation for exciting and versatile performances throughout the state of Virginia. The group combines standard repertoire with new transcriptions, arrangements and compositions by Richmond-based musicians. Andrew McEvoy, Nathan Aldhizer, Matt Rise and Ron Alig met while students at VCU's Department of Music. Individually talented and active guitarists, the members of the Richmond Guitar Quartet have come together to offer a unique musical experience. Collaborating with the quartet on this concert will be the acclaimed banjoist/mandolinist/guitarist Adam Larrabee.
"Fascinating, Compelling, and Satisfying... The Richmond Guitar Quartet shows infinite promise."
-- Jesse Hernandez, Flair Magazine.
Adam Larrabee, guitar/mandolin/banjo
Sunday, March 7, 4:00 p.m.
Adam Larrabee has appeared as a sideman on Bruce Hornsby's album "Spirit Trail" and continues to involve himself in a wide variety of projects from playing banjo in the neo-bluegrass group "Joy Kills Sorrow", guitar in the chamber-jazz group "Andromeda", classical mandolin with "The Richmond Classical Guitar Quartet" and mandocello with "Enigmatica", in addition to his exploration of French music with "Le Bon Vent". In 2006, he won an Independent Music Award for his composition "Norwegian Slip" in the world/fusion category. Adam taught jazz theory, composition and arranging at The New England Conservatory in Boston for nine years and currently lives in Charlottesville,Virginia and teaches classical and jazz guitar at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and banjo at the University of Virginia.
"Adam's talents boggle the mind in their range" - jazz trumpet player Peter Kenagy.
"Fat tone and killer chops .. a feel that is truly amazing" - John Heidt, Vintage Guitar Magazine
All of the VCU Guitar Series concerts take place in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall in the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts at 922 Park Ave. For ticket information, please call the VCU Department of Music at (804) 828-1166.
