"Bringing big names to a small town"
Aquarelle Guitar Quartet
THURSDAY 12th SEPTEMBER 2024
7.30pm
“All is performed with that same customary blend of high-octane virtuosity, relaxed lyricism, tonal richness and perfection of ensemble which has made the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet not merely one of the world’s leading guitar ensembles but, for sheer imagination and musicality, equal to the finest string quartet going.”
Gramophone Magazine
Recognised as one of the world’s leading guitar quartets, the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet is a dynamic and innovative group known for its extraordinary ensemble in performance, expansive repertoire and ground-breaking work in developing the guitar quartet medium. Originally formed at the Royal Northern College of Music in 1999 under the guidance of Craig Ogden and Gordon Crosskey, the quartet continued their studies with guitarists including Sérgio Assad, Oscar Ghiglia and Scott Tennant. Their early successes included winning awards from the Musicians Benevolent Fund, Tillett Trust and Tunnell Trust.
The AGQ is dedicated to presenting music from around the globe, spanning the period from the renaissance right through to the present day. Alongside their own arrangements of music from various genres, including works by Gismonti, Mussorgsky, Rossini, and film music composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, the quartet has been invited to perform the work of many established international composers, including Carlos Rafael Rivera (U.S.A), Phillip Houghton (Australia), Stephen Dodgson (U.K) and Nikita Koshkin (Russia).
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The Aquarelle Guitar Quartet has been signed exclusively to Chandos Records since 2009, during which time they have recorded 5 critically acclaimed albums: ‘Spirit of Brazil’ (March 2009), ‘Dances’ (June 2010), ‘Final Cut’ (June 2012), ‘Cuatro’ (Nov 2013) and ‘Aspects’ (Nov 2016). BBC Music Magazine awarded ‘Spirit of Brazil’ five stars for both performance and recording and subsequent releases have received excellent reviews from the press ranging from International Record Guide, American Record Guide, Classical Guitar Magazine through to CD of the Week on Classic FM and Editor’s Choice in Gramophone Magazine.
Festival Programme
Baião de Gude Paulo Bellinati
Baião Malandro Egberto Gismonti
Carmen Suite Georges Bizet
Alfonsina y el mar Ariel Ramirez
Three Argentinian Dances Alberto Ginastera
A mi pueblo Ismael Ledezma
Manhã de Carnaval Luiz Bonfá
Hasta Alicia Baila Eduardo Martin
Stairs David Pritchard
Nebulae Olga Amelkina-Vera
De Usuahia a la Quiaca Gustavo Santaolalla
A Furiosa Paulo Bellinati
In 2023, Craig Ogden joined the group to replace Rory Russell who had decided to step back from the quartet after 17 years. As well as being a world-renowned soloist, Craig is an exceptional chamber musician and the quartet is looking forward to new projects including an exciting recording collaboration of music from Latin America and a supporting tour.
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This will be Craig's third visit to Music at Stow, and the second since he became President of the festival!
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Festival Programme
Baião de Gude Paulo Bellinati
Baião Malandro Egberto Gismonti
Carmen Suite Georges Bizet
Alfonsina y el mar Ariel Ramirez
Three Argentinian Dances Alberto Ginastera
A mi pueblo Ismael Ledezma
Manhã de Carnaval Luiz Bonfá
Hasta Alicia Baila Eduardo Martin
Stairs David Pritchard
Nebulae Olga Amelkina-Vera
De Usuahia a la Quiaca Gustavo Santaolalla
A Furiosa Paulo Bellinati