Classical Guitar Recital with Marcos Vinicius

“…besides his virtuosity, Marcos Vinicius lets us listen to the poetic sounds hidden in the strings of this wonderful instrument” Riccardo Chailly – Director of the Royal Concertgebouw – Amsterdam

Marcos Vinicius started his concert career at the age of fourteen and, since then, he has gained an increasing success of public and critics, playing in the most prestigious Brazilian and European cultural centres.

The story of his first encounter with the guitar, when he was 8, is really singular:
“…coming back from school, I always walked along the same way to go home…One day, as my mother didn’t see me at home at the usual time, worried about my unusual being late, came and looked for me, walking along my way, and suddenly she saw me, still in front of a shop window where there was a guitar hung on the wall (I remember it as if it had happened today)…The owner of the shop, seeing my mother coming, told her that I was there, my eyes fixed on that instrument, since more than an hour and he added: ‘Mrs…it is as if he had discovered something very precious for him’. Fortunately, at that moment, my mother realised the force of that attraction for me and, though with difficulty, she bought me my first guitar. I still thank her, because she understood that by that present she allowed me to walk along this difficult but fantastic way.”

He was only sixteen when he received the Honorary Diploma from the Cultural Department of Congonhas, a Brazilian city protected by UNESCO as World Historical Heritage and, in 1984, he won, by unanimously, the prestigious National Villa-Lobos Musical Contest. In 1987, he distinguished himself as the best guitarist in the Master Classes held by Oscar Ghiglia and received the “Diploma of Merit” from the Chigiana Musical Academy of Siena.Graduated with the title of Teacher of Classical Guitar in the Superior Chair at the State University of Brazil, he is often invited as a Professor and concert player by the most important Music Conservatories of his country, two of which are the Recife Music Conservatory and the Music High School of the Minas Gerais Federal University.

He has performed as a soloist with prestigious orchestras, such as the Milan Ensemble, the Pernambuco Symphony Orchestra and the Minas Gerais’ Symphony Orchestra, winning, in 1992, the title of Soloist of the Year for his performance in the famous Concierto de Aranjuez with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra.

Besides his intensive concert activity, Marcos Vinicius attends to important transcriptions and editing revisions of works for classical guitar that are edited and promoted by Edizioni Carrara (Bergamo), that have also given him the direction of a whole collection called Marcos Vinicius Guitar Collection – a collection that has the prerogative of bringing to light a repertoire for this instrument always new and rich of treasures sometimes still unexplored. Also his original works for classical guitar now are published by Sonitus and Preludio Editions (Italy) and Periferia Sheet Music in Spain.

Thanks to his profound knowledge of the guitar repertoire, Marcos Vinicius is often invited to give lectures and Master Classes that take him around the world. His technique of a very high standard and his sensitive stylistic interpretation, have also attracted the attention of many composers who dedicated to him valued works for guitar – for example, William Lovelady in England, Paolo Colombo and Antonio Brena in Italy, Marcelo Fortuna, Julio Borges and Claudio Tupinambà in Brazil.

His record production, that includes the CDs Dedicatoria, My Hands...My Soul, Guitar Recital, Leyendas, Encantoand Viola...Violar (edited by Discantica, Milan) and more recently, Playing Marcos Vinicius, has always been followed by enthusiastic critical in Europe and America (Corriere della Sera, Repubblica, Io Donna, Amadeus, O Estado de Minas, The Independent, El Pais, among others).Marcos Viniciuslives and works in Italy, where for several years held the position of President of the Academy of Classical Guitar in Milan.

Marcos Vinicius will perform a selection of Brazilian pieces as well as works by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Isaac Albeniz, Georg Frederic Handel, Radamés Gnatalli, David Kellner, Mauro Giuliani, Celso Machado, William Lovelady.

Tickets: €15
Tel. 7000-9304 (daily 9.30-11.30am) / www.pharostickets.org

The event is part of the Brazilian Culture Month organized by the Pharos Arts Foundation, the Honorary Consulate of Brazil, and the Embassy of Brazil in Cyprus