Saturday, September 11th, 7:30pm:

Click HERE to download the poster. Please help spread the word by posting this in your business. Thank you!

VENUE CHANGE!!! We are moving the concert to the Hartzell-Nejako residence.  HCC will not be able to host us due to change in regulations.   We will also be offering FREE appetizers at 7pm.  Please come visit with the artists before the concert starts.  BYOB or W.  

Tickets are being used to help fund both Jennifer Grassman's 2010-2011 "I am Ghost in you Living Room" Salon Concert tour and Valerie Hartzell's upcoming CD release for the fall of 2010.

• Tickets are $15 for guild members (or 2 for $25), $10 for students & senior citizens and $5 for HCC Students/Faculty/Staff.
  

Jennifer Grassman - Singer/Pianist/Song Writer

Jennifer Grassman is a Texas based pianist, vocalist and songwriter. Born in Austin, Texas on December 8, 1984, she has been touring and recording since 2006. Commended by Tori Amos for her charitable work on behalf of abuse victims, and by President George W. Bush for her patriotic song dedicated to the troops, Grassman has a heart for advocacy and philanthropy.
In a 2010 interview with The American Chronicle, Grassman stated, “Every time I write a song I do it in the hope that it will inspire, comfort, entertain, or fascinate someone out there.” Most of Grassman’s latest compositions are featured on her 2010 release, Serpent Tales & Nighitngales.
“One of the more intriguing albums I've heard in a while, Grassman's 58-minute opus is a unique mix of bombastic prog rock, piano pop, and opera,” said Mark Moring, Editor for Christianity Today, in a May, 2010 article. “The versatile Texan says she drew on 1930s influences such as Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington, and Frank Sinatra to write these songs, which she hopes will encourage listeners through the recession as those artists did during the Great Depression. A concept album laden with classical and theatrical flourishes, Serpent Tales progresses through songs of confusion and sadness ultimately arriving at joy and peace.”
While the media has compared Grassman’s music to that of Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Loreena McKennitt, and Enya, fans have compared her to the likes of Danny Elfman, Sarah Brightman and Kate Bush. Grassman’s lyrics are often derived from classical literature and real life experiences. She married her best friend and guitarist, Jason Greenberg, in 2006. They are happily married and residing in Spring, Texas with their two cats, Mr. Charles Bingley and Miss Agatha Mittens.

AWARDS:

• Best Music Video, Pretty Girls, Dances With Films 2009
• Silver ADDY Award, Pretty Girls, Houston ADDY Awards, 2009

DISCOGRAPHY:

• Reverie EP, 2004
• At The Back Of The North Wind, 2006
• Keep Silent, A Collection of Ancient Carols, 2008
• Serpent Tales & Nightingales, 2010

Valerie Hartzell - classical guitarist

Valerie Hartzell began her classical guitar studies on a half-size Ramirez at the age of three.   At the age of six, she studied with maestro Alexandre Lagoya at the Académie Internationale d’Eté in Nice, France.  She has participated in master classes with several internationally acclaimed artists, including Ako Ito, Castellani-Andriaccio Duo, David Russell, and Elena Papandreou.

Saturday, October 2nd at 7:30pm:

About the Artist: 

    Guitarist Alejandro Saladin Cote is quickly establishing himself as an exciting new face in the classical guitar scene. He concertizes regularly throughout the United States and Caribbean with recent engagements at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the Goethe Institute in New York City, the Yamaha Piano Salon, the Cas di Cultura in Aruba, and La Belle Alliance in Curaçao. He has been a featured performer at the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Madison Chamber Music Festival and the Water Island Music Festival in the Virgin Islands.

      An avid performer of contemporary music, Mr. Saladin Cote frequently collaborates with composers and has premiered new works at the Brooklyn Conservatory’s New Music Collective, Turtle Bay Music School and has appeared in a tribute concert to composer Roberto Sierra at the Peabody Conservatory. Upcoming events include the release of his debut CD of Spanish guitar music by Artek Recordings in 2008 as well as numerous solo and chamber music recitals in the US and abroad.

For more information on Alejandro Cote, go to: http://coteguitar.com/

Saturday, October 23rd:  SPECIAL MASTER CLASS WITH ADAM HOLZMAN

About the Artist: 

For more than twenty years, Adam Holzman, recording artist, concert performer, soloist and educator, has been at the forefront of a generation of guitarists. Born in New York City in 1960 Adam began the guitar at the age of 7 as a student of his older brother Bruce and continued his private study with Albert Valdes Blain and Eliot Fisk. He returned to work with his older brother Bruce Holzman at Florida State University where he received his Musical Degrees. In addition he studied in the master classes of Oscar Ghiglia in Siena at the Academia Musicale de Chigiana and at the Aspen music festival. Twice he was chosen to perform in the historic master classes of the legendary Andres Segovia.
Adam Holzman has received rave reviews from concert critics around the world.  He has been hailed as “...polished and quite dazzling,” by The N.Y. Times. Mr. Holzman has performed at the prestigious Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, distinguished New York venues such as Kaufman Hall at the 92nd St. Y, Merkin Hall, and Carnegie Recital Hall as well as in music festivals and series from Miami to San Francisco and from Boston to New Orleans. His extensive international performances have taken him throughout Europe, Canada, Mexico, Central and Latin America.
Mr. Holzman’s recording for the Naxos label have been critically acclaimed The first two are discs of the music of Fernando Sor and have been called “...irresistible” by Gramophone Magazine. Vol. I and II of the music of Manuel Ponce are also now available. Of the Sonata for Guitar and harpsichord on Ponce Volume II Classical Guitar Magazine (England) says “It’s a fine and substantial work and here it receives the finest recording yet...”  His recording debut, on HRH Records, is a collection of rarely or never before recorded selections. According to The American Record Guide this performance is “...so flawless he makes it all sound easy.” Of his release of The Venezuelan Waltzes of Antonio Lauro the American Record Guide had this to say: “The landmark recording was David Russell’s 1980 LP. Now, 20 years later, comes another masterly recording by Adam Holzman: in many ways it raises the benchmark still further.” His newest Naxos release is the Bardenklange, Opus 13, of Johann Kaspar Mertz.
Mr. Holzman’s commitment to new music has led him to co-commission Samuel Adler’s First Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra. He was the first person to perform the music of Roland Dyens in North America and he has also premiered works by composers Robert Helps and Stephen Funk Pearson.
Adam Holzman is founder of the Guitar Department at the University of Texas at Austin where, in addition to his active performing career, he heads a thriving guitar studio. From 1992-1994 Mr. Holzman held the title of “Maestro Extraordinario” given by the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico, where he served as artist-in-residence. In 2001, Adam Holzman was awarded the Ernst von Dohnanyi Prize for Outstanding Achievement from Florida State University and the Robert W. Hamilton Fine Arts Award from the University of Texas.
He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Carolyn and their son Benjamin.

Saturday, November 13th at 7:30pm:

About the Artist:

Marina Alexandra was born in the city of Kharkov in the Ukraine. At the age of six, she was accepted at The School of Music for talented children. She graduated with honors and continued her studies with Vitaliy Petrov at the Kharkov’s State College of Music. At the age of seventeen, while still completing her bachelor’s degree, she was invited to direct a classical guitar program at the public school in Kharkov. Within a year, she received an offer as a full-time guitar teacher at The School of Music for talented children.
In 1998 Ms. Alexandra was awarded a scholarship in music and a graduate fellowship in guitar to continue her studies with Christopher Berg at the University of South Carolina. Berg described her as "technically gifted and musically inspired.” In 2001, she received her Masters of Music degree in Guitar Performance from USC.
Since receiving her degree, Marina has been awarded honors such as:

* November 2001 - First Place at MTNA-Gibson Collegiate Artist Guitar Performance Competitions for South Carolina
* June 2002 - First Prize at South Carolina Guitar Competitions - Professional Category
* January 2002 - Second Place at MTNA Competitions for Regional
* February 2002 - Selected to compete at the 6th annual Edwin H. and Leigh W. Schadt String Competition for a classical guitar among eight other USA semifinalists
* February 2006-became one of the 10 semifinalists at Columbus International Guitar Competitions

Marina Alexandra is an active performer and promoter of classical guitar. Her performances have been featured by venues such as Piccolo Spoleto, SC State Museum, Wingate University, University of South Carolina in Aiken, Art Festival of North Charleston, Columbia College, Wofford College, Allentown radio, and Brookgreen Gardens concert series.
In 2001 Mrs. Alexandra founded the Guitar Muse Concert Series in Columbia, South Carolina and released her first CD "Timeless Enchantment", which includes the music of different time periods (from Baroque to modern).
In 2006 Marina Alexandra recorded her next CD "A Moment of Magic" which is completely dedicated to the music of Russian composer Nikita Koshkin. This CD received high acclaims from critics and leading guitarists.
In addition to her active concert schedule, Ms. Alexandra continues to master her multicultural teaching technique. She has led guitar programs in the Community Music Program at the University of South Carolina School of Music, Wingate University in North Carolina and the University of South Carolina in Aiken. Her students have been honored with scholarships from the University of South Carolina School of Music, Stetson University, University of Southern California, Eastman School of Music and Peabody Conservatory.
Her students have been awarded major prizes at the South Carolina Guitar Competition, Appalachian Guitar Competition (NC), and Columbus Guitar Competition( GA). Marina Alexandra is married and has two sons.

Saturday, December 18th at 7:30pm:

The Greater Houston Guitar Guild is proud to help sponsor young artists.  In this case, three of the young artists, Jordan Taylor & Misha Ramirez who are at Schwob School of Music, Columbus State University and Andrew Smith, who is at Southwestern University are coming back from their first semester.  This is a welcome home concert!   All of these young gentlemen will perform solo works and also duets and a trio with Valerie Hartzell.

At the end of the concert, The Presti Quartet (Lynn McGrath, Sabine Madriguera, Olga Amelkina-Vera and Valerie Hartzell) will perform a few pieces, including works by Olga Amelkina-Vera.

Jordan Taylor was born in Pensacola Florida. Two months before his first birthday his family moved to Ghana, West Africa to be missionaries to the Ghanaian people. While in Ghana, Jordan’s love for music grew as he started learning the piano at the age of 10. At 15 he started teaching himself guitar on his dad’s steel string. In 2006, Jordan and his family moved to Houston, TX where, in January of 2009, he started his classical guitar studies with internationally acclaimed guitarist Valerie Hartzell.
He has performed in master classes or had private lessons with such names as Andrew Zohn, Jason Vieaux, Eliot Fisk, Ana Vidovic, Frank Koonce, Douglas James, Randall Avers, Benoit Albert, Elliot Frank, and Isaac Bustos. He was invited to perform in a master class with legendary guitarist Pepe Romero at the 2010 Guitar Foundation of America, which will be featured in a documentary on PBS-Austin. Jordan was a prizewinner in the 2009 Music Academy of North Carolina Guitar Competition in Greensboro, North Carolina-high school division, received 3rd prize in the 2010 ‘Classical Minds’ International Guitar Competition-high school division, as well as a recipient of multiple music scholarships throughout the USA. Jordan is currently studying with Dr Andrew Zohn at Schwob School of Music, Columbus State University.
His first international appearance was in 2010 Madrid, Spain at the ChamberArt Festival where he was a featured soloist in a six-concert tour through Madrid. This included performances in Madrid’s “Ateneo” theater, Calatravas Cathedral, and the Nicolas Salmerón Culture Center.
Jordan was the Student Assistant to the Greater Houston Guitar Guild for the 2009-2010 season before moving onto his university studies. He was also the Student Assistant to the 2010 ‘Classical Minds’ Guitar Institute and Competition where he helped in the fundraising efforts for the institute. He will also return as one of the Student Assistants to the 2011 ‘Classical Minds’ Guitar Institute and Competition. 
Along with classical guitar, Jordan enjoys studying the history and cultures of ancient civilizations.