Classical Guitar Insider

Chilean guitarist and composer Pedro Rodriguez comes on the show to talk about his homeland, being a nylon jazz player, and how much fun it is to hear Americans use foul language. He's in the right place because I swear like an older sister at a bachelorette party.

Humanitarian Guitarist and partner of the outreach project Kithara, Matthew Rohde visits for an interview. Also: I got fired last week! Who want's cake?!

It's Shark Week! Hawaiian hybrid classical guitarist and spear fisherman Ian O'Sullivan told me he eats Spam Sushi! Gross Ian. Gross.

Isabella talks about what it means to be a musicologist, her new guitar school, and being a parent. I talk about Korean food, pink eye and gout. There's something for everyone!

Christopher Mallet released three albums in the same year. Including two duo albums with two different guitar duos. He’s also married to four women, has a pet lion and is going into improv comedy. He’s a risk taker, a deal maker, and a ball breaker! (he’s a sweetheart)

It’s Turkey Day!!! Not the day you burp and fart and watch two teams you don’t care about give each other dementia, Turkey Day with award winning Turkish guitarist and composer Celil Refik Kaya!

Herschel Garfein shares that even he, an Grammy award winning composer and librettist, eats bananas out of garbage cans and smokes cigarettes off the sidewalk. Also, I move to an area contaminated by an oil spill in 1950 that was three times the size of Exxon Valdez. Art in America is alive and well and littered with high concentrations of free radicals.

Gyan Riley is a composer, magician’s apprentice, guitarist and the first man to give birth. How does he juggle it all? You have to listen to find out.

Threefifty, the group formed by the former members of Threefifty Duo, explain the origin of their name, talk about their new octet, teaching adults, and getting kicked out of their apartment.

Dr. Victor Kioulaphides is an award winning composer and concert double bassist who left his country for New York on a world class cruise ship. He met a plain faced, box shaped girl who let him paint her nude until the ship ran into a giant box of un-microwave-safe-good-morning-america coffee mugs. The End.

Israeli guitarist Yuri Liberzon comes on the show to talk about his new album and living in California, the Sunshine State! Right?

Ekachai Jearakul won the GFA last year and is currently on a world tour. Before his Carnegie Hall debut, he stopped by for an interview. He is from Thailand; a land of gilded temples, white beaches and sweet, exotic drinks. I am from Stockton and am applying for an inside sales position at a jewelry store in midtown. Fingers crossed.

Damien Kelly comes from Ireland: a country of pleasant green hills, crisp afternoons, warm traditions, and old, proud houses. I come from Stockton: a county of sweaty green dew rags, crips after school, warm crack pipes, and old folks homes.

The guitar professors from Mannes College of Music and Princeton University come to Brooklyn on a rainy day, drink old milk with watered down coffee, and give an interview to a broke 38 year old with gout. Let’s go Mets though.

A Classical Guitar Insider EXCLUSIVE: It’s the first time Michael shares his side of the story about that thing in 1986. That thing where he became “the guy Segovia kicked out of the masterclass at USC.” He also won the first GFA, has a robust guitar program at the University of New Mexico, and just recently cut his hair. He’s an all around great guy and I wouldn’t kick him out of anything.

Hunter College guitar professor Mariano Aguirre sits down and talks about how much he loves teaching, playing in ensembles and running the Mannes Guitar Festival. I talk about quitting a teaching job because they had a staff only copy machine (no faculty allowed). That was the last straw. Later dude.

Pablo Sainz Villegas is probably the best performer on the circuit these days. He captures the audience with broad and expressive phrasing, a vulnerable character, Mediterranean good looks, and the perfectly tailored Italian suit. I look like a free range chicken egg with a gambling problem. And I’m not in a good mood.

University of Wisconsin guitar professor, Elina Chekan, moved to the U.S. from Belarus, learned english, went to Yale, and is completing her Doctorate. I moved to Brooklyn last week and am struggling with a wall fixture from IKEA.

Grammy nominated recording engineer David Bowles takes time out from a three day lecture at NYU about spherical recording techniques and explains in scientific terms what I’ve been telling you hipsters for years: Records are not better than CD’s. Sorry Mustache Kid, you’ll have to find something else to spend your money on. Maybe hats?

USC Professor and founding member of the Grammy winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Scott Tennant, talks about how William Kanengiser makes the the cutest little pancakes, how Andrew York is taking time off from the ensemble to invent an ethical dolphin saddle, and how John Dearman is changing his name to John Dearperson.

July 16, 2015: Ryan’s Daughter 350 E. 85 St. New York, NY 10128 $15 comes with free drink. Party afterwards in the venue.

Gizem Gokoglu (not pronounced Gizem Gokoglu), a brilliant young composer from Turkey, explains how she had to choose between engineering and composition. I had to choose between working in mens’ suits at JC Penny and catering at birthday parties in Yonkers.

Juilliard Guitar Professor Tali Roth thinks I’m from Texas. I’m not from Texas everyone. I just struggle with my weight. I’m from California.

With the instrumentation of an early European jazz ensemble, this group of fusion players reference Andalusia, Americana and Django Reinhardt. It's Django Unchained!

I hate Apple's recording software, but I love the head of University of Washington's guitar department, Michael Partington. Just pretend it's an NPR phone interview from 1993 and you should be fine.

Bay Area guitarist Giacomo Fiore argues that new music is not too new and I ask Chris Roberts from the San Fransisco Examiner if it’s ethical for Fanfare to charge musicians for positive reviews. Spoiler alert: it’s not.

EMI recording artist Xuefei Yang explains to me that China is a country that is not in Africa and that Africa is not a country either. USC Professor William Kanengiser comes on to talk about the new Los Angeles Guitar Quartet release, and I buy a chair for the park.

ders of my favorite ensemble in New York, violinist Colin Jacobsen from the Brooklyn Rider, The Knights and Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road. But before I do that, I complain for 20 minutes about journalists that charge for positive reviews in magazines. Then I fantasize about going into real estate.

Manhattan School of Music Professor Mark Delpriora takes time out from stroking his beautiful beard and dressing well to talk to us about the 70’s, Staten Island, King Crimson and Class Piano.

TJ and I tell it like it is in this no-holds-barred attack on everything you believe in (if all you believe in is atonality, all-Bach-concerts, and spring mattresses. Other than that we're probably on the same page).

If you don’t want to hear grown ups talk about drugs, leather pants, dropping out of college, or putting a classical guitar through a wood chipper on stage, you shouldn’t listen to me and multi media artist Dominic Frasca.

My first interview with people outside of the guitar world! I try and keep up with WQXR’s New Works Presenters The Brothers Balliett as they dance circles around my musical knowledge. Also it’s my birthday so listen.

The legendary nylon string jazz guitarist talks about being in Johnny Carson's Tonight Show Band, playing with Burt Bacharach, Paul Desmond and every other huge name in jazz, and getting hip surgery.

Mak Grgic (pronounced Mahk Gergich) is the young up and comer who’s new album of transcriptions of film music is shining a new light on the classics (pronounced classics).

Composer Carlos Rafael River talks about studying with Randy Newman at USC, writing the music for the movie A Walk Among the Tombstones staring Liam Neeson and his upcoming score for the film The Ballad of Big Diaper Bret, a story about a rosy cheeked California boy who dreams of opening a stand up MRI station in Grand Central.

Adam Holzman, from the University of Texas, sits down with his old student (me) and reminisces about Segovia, Ghiglia, winning the GFA and getting a call from a student the night of his concert asking him where it was and how much it will cost. (also me age 19)

San Fransisco has been to the Superbowl, the World Series and the NBA playoffs in the last year or so, but nothing more exciting has happened than the advent of Mobius Trio, a new and exciting group of young Bay Area guitarists out to beat new music into the minds of the many. Matthew Holmes Linder serves as their ambassador to Big Diaper Bret's winter estate.

Soundboard Magazine calls him "masterful and stylish," The Boston Globe calls him "sensitive," David Sterobin calls him "Superb," and I call him "happy pie faced little oat oat," founder of Arc Duo, Bradley Colten joins me to talk about bacon (american composer Ernst Bacon).

Wanna hear me talk to a heavy metal guitar god who gave up touring with Ozzie to become a fusion finger style guitarist at New School University? Then listen to me DESTROY this interview with Testament Guitarist Alex Skolnick.

The up and coming Colin Davin talks about being the assistant to Sharon Isbin at Aspen, Juilliard, performing new music for new audiences and coffee. The next time you get a coffee at Joe, the Barista could be one of the best guitarists in the world.

Darth Vader comes on the show to talk candidly about performing classical music on electric guitars, teaching at Manhattan School of Music, and living with a mezzo soprano. Oh wait it's Oren Fader. Darth Vader doesn't play guitar. If he did he probably wouldn't record John Dowland's Melancholy Galliard.

I take a vacation into the dreadlocks of Brazil Guitar Duo's Joao Luiz. He talks about his move to the U.S. and sudden rise to Classical Guitar fame (meaning about sixty highly educated musicians and four hundred old men can't get enough).

Manhattan School, Curtis Institute Professor and Grammy Award winning guitarist/producer/composer/juggler/tennis champion and non-stop dancer David Starobin is on the show

The Devil came back from Georgia! Andrew Zohn returns to his home in the North East and discusses his rise to power from the lowly groveling of Graham St. in Austin to the high chair of full time professor at Columbus State University.

Guitarist Ana Maria Rosdao talks to me about Puerto Rico, Segovia, judgmental pedants, and Segovia.

The best duo out of Italy since the Mario Brothers, Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli drop by the apartment.

Head of the Yale University guitar department, Curator for the Art of the Guitar concert series at 92nd St. Y, and Vice President of the United States of America Ben Verdery gives us the dirt on John Williams, Chuck Berry and Keith Richards.

Australia is missing an angel; Simon Powis drops by and we discuss why we like people that make mistakes, dancers, and how he is receiving his Doctorate of Music Arts from Yale this month. Let’s get him an ice cream cake!

Big Bad Jerry Willard takes time out from transcribing Bach and making Guitar-Doctors at SUNY Stony Brook to teach me about ancient instruments and how to control my anger.

I interview award winning guitarist and U.S. Artistic Ambassador to Africa, Dr. Lily Afshar.