Fret-Filled, but SCarCeLy
FretFuL By Bryan A. Hollerbach | Photos supplied
The St. Louis Classical Guitar Society welcomes new leadership and, in its latest season, an exciting, international lineup of guest musicians.
E
ddie Ate Dynamite, yet lived to tell the tale. That odd independent clause – the first half of a common mnemonic for the E, A, D, G, B, E progression of a guitar’s open strings – may well prompt a fleeting collective smile from the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society at a pleasantly explosive moment, as it both greets a new executive director and starts a new season boasting a roster of mind-boggling musical talent. “Being appointed director of the nation’s third-oldest guitar society added a lot of perspective to my life,” reveals Kevin Ginty, who began leading the organization on July 1 and who adds that it ranks junior only to Valley Glen, California’s American Guitar Society and the Seattle Classic Guitar Society. “This is an institution that has existed for a long time before me and will hopefully exist for a long time after me. To have the opportunity to guide the direction of such a legacy is truly exciting.” For having “all the pieces in place for the 2017-18 season,” which commences Saturday, Oct. 7, and runs through April 14, Ginty credits his predecessor, William Ash. “There are still small details to iron out as the concerts come closer, but there was no mad dash in terms of season planning when I started,” Ginty says. According to the society’s newsletter, Ash, after leading the society for almost four decades, recently became its director of education; in that capacity, he’ll also serve as a general advocate for the society in the community and assist in fundraising. The society’s latest season features six musical acts exhibiting the diversity of the guitar family of instruments, which ranges from the currently resurgent ukulele through something of a miniature “B suite” (the freakish-looking Russian balalaika, the Spanish bandurria or bandore, and the common banjo) to the pear-shaped, flat-backed cittern. Forming the society’s seasonal playbill are native Minnesotan Xavier Jara on Oct. 7; the Beijing Guitar Duo (Meng Su and Yameng Wang, both born in Qingdao, China) on Nov. 11; The Kithara Duo (transplanted Belarusian Olga Amelkina-Vera and Houstonite Fernand Vera) on Dec. 2; Peru native Jorge Caballero on Jan. 27; Columbus, Ohio-born Paul O’Dette with West Virginia native Ronn McFarlane on March 10; and Cuban immigrant Manuel Barrueco on April 14. Given the guest musicians’ geographic dispersal, Ginty admits to facing logistical complications surrounding their individual visits here, despite Ash’s groundwork. “In brief, there’s airfare, lodging, meals and ground transportation needed for each artist,” he says. “If they’re coming directly from overseas, then visa paperwork adds another layer of complication. “We do have a wonderful sponsor, The Cheshire Inn, which provides hotel rooms for us, as well as a network of volunteers who can help with transportation around town. Those things help take some of the weight off our shoulders.” Academically, of course, Ginty can lay claim to fairly broad shoulders. More specifically, he holds both a bachelor’s degree in guitar performance and a master’s degree in arts administration from Florida State University, for whose own classical guitar society he served as co-founder and president. Prior to that, he attended high school at the distinguished Las Vegas Academy of the Arts. Toward the end of his third quarter as the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society’s executive director, incidentally, Ginty will face one joyous complication exclusive of his duties – a walk down the aisle with a lady named Bailey Salinero in Florida, between the penultimate and ultimate concerts of the society’s season. “Yes, my beautiful fiancée and I had a spring wedding set prior to our knowledge of the season schedule,” he confesses happily. “It’ll be a busy few weeks in March and April, but the work will be fulfilling. With a little help from friends and family, I should be able to keep the anxiety low and happiness high!” St. Louis Classical Guitar Society, P.O. Box 11425, St. Louis, 314-567-5566, guitarstlouis.net
St. LouiS CLaSSiCaL Guitar SoCiety 2017-18 SeaSon Cursory information on the six performances in the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society’s latest season (for which ticket and membership prices vary) follows. Because most if not all of the society’s nine guests have enjoyed extensive careers, earned numerous accolades and recorded variously, those wishing details on an individual musician should visit his or her website.
Xavier Jara, oct. 7, 8 p.m., The ethical Society of St. Louis (xavierjara.com)
Beijing Guitar Duo, nov. 11, 7:30 p.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall & art Galleries (beijingguitarduo.com)
The Kithara Duo, Dec. 2, 8 p.m., The ethical Society of St. Louis (kitharaduo.com)
Jorge Caballero, Jan. 27, 8 p.m., The ethical Society of St. Louis (jorgecaballeroguitar.
Paul o’Dette with ronn McFarlane, March 10, 7:30 p.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall & art Galleries (esm.rochester.edu/faculty/odette_paul) (ronnmcfarlane.com)
Manuel Barrueco, april 14, 8 p.m., The ethical Society of St. Louis (barrueco.com) LadueNews.com | oCtoBer 6, 2017
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