TEXAS MUSIC FESTIVAL


Listen here to:
Les Freres Meduses






  
Randall Avers 

University of Houston, Moores School of Music

and

the Immanuel and Helen Olshen TEXAS MUSIC FESTIVAL

Presents:

“Classical Minds” Guitar Festival and Competition

Valerie Hartzell, Director
 Fernand Vera, Assistant Director
Robert Nejakos, Coordinator


 June 15 - June 20, 2010

Artists and Faculty:
Mary Akerman
Frank Koonce
Les Frères Méduses (Randall Avers and Benoit Albert)
Anthony Glise
Duo Madriguera (Enric and Sabine Madriguera)
Kithara Duo (Olga Amelkina-Vera and Fernand Vera)
Patrick Lui
Joseph Williams
Marc Garvin
Jonathan Dotson

Student Assistants: Jordan Taylor and Eric Gracia












Fernand Vera and Olga Amelkina-Vera

2010 Competition Winners: Click HERE
2009 Competition Winners: Click HERE




We are honored to be part of the TEXAS MUSIC FESTIVAL at Moores School of Music, University of Houston.
By popular demand, we are pleased to offer a week of intensive study of the classical guitar.  Under the leadership of faculty members Frank Koonce, Randall Avers, Benoit Albert, Enric and Sabine Madriguera, Patrick Lui, Mary Akerman, Anthony Glise, Joseph Williams, Fernand Vera, Olga Amelkina-Vera, Marc Garvin, and Valerie Hartzell, participants will explore a rich area of repertoire with private lessons, master classes and Guitar Orchestra.  For tuition information, please download the application. We have created different package deals to meet as many needs as possible.  Competitions can choose this year to either participate in just the competition or in both the festival AND competition.  Competitors must submit a competition form and/or the festival form.  
Auditors are welcome; the fee is $30 and auditors may attend all late morning, afternoon events (bring your guitar if you want to join the Guitar Orchestra Class), and the evening concert.  We will have signs up for the auditors in the lobby of the Moores School of Music.
The goal of this festival is to increase each student's sight-reading abilities, gain ensemble experience through the Guitar Orchestra Class and of course, reach individual goals through the private lessons and/or master classes.  There will be two Guitar Orchestras. One will be the Classical Guitar Orchestra Level 1 (advanced students and adults - 14 and above) under the directorship of Olga Amelkina-Vera and the other will be the Kindermusik Guitar Orchestra, directed by Patrick Lui.  Olga Amelkina-Vera will compose orchestra pieces for both the Kinder Orchestra and the Level 1 Orchestra. Marc Anthony Cruz (faculty of the 2009 festival) will also write a piece for the Kinder Music Orchestra.  All parts can be downloaded off the web site (please visit the site again when it has been updated), it is advised that students prepare their parts BEFORE the festival.  Please do not download a part until you have received your acceptance letter.  The letter will tell you which part to download (music is available below).  
The festival is open to guitarists of all ages and levels.


Competition:
Winners announced

Prizes:

  Strings were donated to EACH Prize Winner!!

 Division 1:
$800 Edel Munoz - First Prize - Aquiles Torres guitar worth $3500 - scroll down to read about Aquiles Torres and about the guitar
$400 Hector Rodriguez - Second Prize
$300 Michael Gratovich - Third Prize
$150 Janet Grovohac Fourth Prize 

 Division 3:
$300 John Marcel Williams - First Prize
$250 Kyle Comer - Second Prize
$200 Jordan B. Taylor - Third Prize
$100 Vijay Meunier - Fourth Prize 
Honorable Mention: Isabella Stankovic -  Plaque and Savarez Goodie Bag


BUSINESSES and GUITAR FANS:
If you cannot participate in the festival and competition but like to become a sponsor, please downland and fill out the FORM.  We are already looking for scholarships for the 2011 festival.
Your donation will be monumental in raising scholarships and/or competition prizes.  Many students cannot afford to pay the full $250 tuition and are in need of financial aid.  Your contribution would allow these students to further their musical education at the 'Classical Minds' Institute which is part of the non-profit organization, The Texas Music Festival.  
Also, ALL prizes need to be raised through the community.  If you donate a full prize, the prize will be named after you or your company.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email Valerie Hartzell at valeriehartzell@consolidate.net or call her at 281-395-9066
All donations to the University of Houston are tax deductible.  

The Mikey Cohan Scholarhsip:
In 2009, Mikey Cohan, a middle school 'Classical Minds' festival participant in 2007, died in a motorcycle accident on Mother's Day, along with his father.  Mickey was a student of Kay Meek and was part of the Jeter Strings School (the students from Jeter Strings make up 90% of the 'Classical Minds' Middle School Program).  We have started a scholarship in his name, The Mickey Cohan Scholarship, and the profits raised will be awarded to the 2010 Jeter String students in need of financial aid.  For more information, please email Valerie Hartzell at valeriehartzell@consolidated.net  Please download the form above and fill it out.  Thank you.  

Click HERE for pictures from our May 23rd fundraiser!  JB Taylor, Misha Ramirez, and Eric Gracia performed at Dion Coffee Cafe.  They helped
raise money for scholarships.

Thank you Jennifer Grassman for raising scholarship funds for the Classical Minds Institute. Click HERE to read the article in on-line magazine, Katy News.
Click HERE to see pictures of the concert.


Concert Schedule:
All concerts are included in the price of tuition – all concerts will be in Dudley Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Bldg
June 15 (Tues.), 7:30 p.m.: Anthony Glise & Duo Madriguera
June 17 (Thur.), 7:30 p.m.: Valerie Hartzell & Kithara Duo
June 18 (Fri.), 7:30 p.m.: Patrick Lui & Joseph Williams
June 19 (Sat.), 7:30 p.m.: Mary Akerman & Les Frères Méduses (finalists will be announced at intermission)
June 20 (Sun.): Guitar Orchestra Recital at 1pm and Competition Finals (Division I, II, III) at 2:30pm
 







 Aquiles Torres is donating a $3500 guitar to the first prize winner in the Open Division

About Aquiles Torres:
 Aquiles Torres, luthier, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, started making and repairing stringed musical instruments in his native country; cuatros, mandolins, bandolas and classical guitars were constructed to satisfy the needs of the folkloric and academic performers. Here in Houston, he’s been focused almost exclusively to the classical guitar making, given the intense activity around this superb and beautiful instrument.
After about four years in the Katy area, he was introduced to the Greater Houston Guitar Guild by Mr. Claudio Zangirolami, a guitar dealer and co-director of the guild, where he met Valerie Hartzell, director and Jon Erickson, co-director, from whom he has received the best support to his work.
During these years, he’s been working with students and advanced guitar players, constructing customized and standard-measure guitars.
Aquiles Torres feels highly honored to be part of the Greater Houston Guitar Guild as a co-director and the Classical Minds Festival as a vendor-luthier.
 
The Classical Minds Festival Donation:
This guitar (Studio Model) has been completely constructed with solid high quality woods, materials and accessories on the traditional spanish technique and patterns. The top, or soundboard, is made of Western Red Cedar, a highly appreciated tone wood for its warm and deep sound, good response and persistence.
Back and sides are made of Indian Rosewood, an excellent hard wood, with a high acoustic performance and stability. The neck is constructed from a nice Honduras Cedar piece, very light in weight but very stable and resistant and the fingerboard is an Ebony wood piece.
Aquiles says:
 “… thus, I’m happy and honored to present this guitar to the Open Category winner of the 2010 Classical Minds Festival edition and feel proud that one of my instruments is played by one of the most talented guitar players of the new generation”.




Sponsors:
 


The D'Addario Music Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to inspiring and assisting the growth and appreciation of music throughout the world by partnering with passionate music educators.  Through the generous support of D'Addario and Company, the D'Addario Music Foundation awards grants and product donations to educational programs that offer sustained opportunities for active participation in music making particularly to those that might not otherwise have the opportunity.   http://www.daddariofoundation.org

        
For Auto-Homeowners-Commercial-Life-Health-Group-Annuities, call Jon Erickson at 281-392-8922 or email at jerickson@twfg.net. He can also insure your instrument!


Marc Garvin and Elaine Kennedy on 'Pulling Strings' on KUHF, 88.7FM on Saturdays at 8pm (Houston's NPR).
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                      
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Dion Coffee Cafe                                        http://www.savarez.fr/anglais/index.html
18039 FM 529 Rd, Ste. D                                                                                                                                       Marc Anthony Cruz publications                                                                                                                        
Cypress, Tx 77433


http://www.class.uh.edu/music/pcs/auxilary/index.php                                   


LINKS:

WorldGuitarist

Valerie Hartzell

Marc Garvin

LesFreresMeduses

KitharaDuo

FrankKoonce

AnthonyGlise

PatrickLui

JosephWilliams