Born in Mexico City in 1979, Morgan Szymanski started
playing the guitar at the age of six. Early studies at the National Music
School (Mexico) and the Edinburgh Music School led to a scholarship to study
under Carlos Bonell and Gary Ryan at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in
London, graduating in 2004 with first class honours. During his studies he won
all guitar prizes from the RCM as well as scholarships from the Tillett Trust,
Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Leverhulme Trust, Wall Trust, FONCA and a
scholarship to study at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He immediately went
on to become the first solo guitarist to be selected by Young Classical Artist
Trust and was the first guitarist to be awarded a Junior Fellowship at the RCM,
where he completed his Masters with distinction.
A top prize-winner at international competitions, in
2002 Morgan won first prize at the National Guitar Competition in Mexico.
Performances as a soloist and with orchestras have taken him to concert halls
and festivals in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, China, Chile, France,
Germany, Guatemala, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Macedonia,
Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Scotland, UK, USA and Zimbabwe.
In recent years Morgan has given recitals at major UK
venues and festivals including at the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Bridgewater
Hall, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, King’s Place, The Sage Gateshead,
Royal Opera House, Lichfield Festival, Salisbury Festival and London
International Guitar Festival. He has appeared as a soloist with the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé, Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of the Swan,
Southbank Sinfonia, the Welsh Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Sinfonia, the
Cervantes Choir and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Morgan continues
to build his international reputation with performances around the world, most
recently including performances at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre,
Luxembourg Philharmonie, Vienna Konzerthaus and Mexico’s Palacio de Bellas
Artes.
Morgan’s devotion to chamber music has led to
collaborations with artists such as John Williams, Celso Machado and Carlos
Bonell (guitar), Mark Padmore (tenor), Alison Balsom (trumpet), Priya Mitchell
(violin), Marcelo Nisinman (bandoneon), Adam Walker (flute), the Sacconi, Doric
and Carduci Quartets, Phuong Nguyen (accordion), Adam Walker (flute) and Clara
Mouriz (mezzo-soprano) amongst others.
Regularly broadcast live on TV and radio worldwide,
Morgan can often be heard on BBC Radio 3. Described as ‘top class in every
respect’ (Classical Guitar Magazine, 2005), Morgan’s first CD ‘The Unicorn in
the Garden’, was released in 2005 including works by Iannarelli, Ritter, Ponce
and Barrios as well as works especially written for him by Alec Roth. Morgan’s
second CD, ‘Songs in Time of War’ (Signum), is a stunning collaboration with
Mark Padmore (tenor), Philip Honoré (violin), Alison Nicholls (harp), composer
Alec Roth and the words of Vikram Seth. His recordings with his ensemble
Machaca, ‘Mano a Mano’ and ‘Los Ambulantes’ on Sarabande Records, have been
described as ‘a jewel’ by Gramophone Magazine.
Morgan’s latest project is a visual and auditory journey
entitled ‘Sketches of Mexico’. Released on Sarabande, this is a unique
collaboration combining Mexican music from Julio César Oliva and Manuel M.
Ponce and the work of twenty visual artists from the UK, Mexico, Portugal and
China. Gramophone Magazine has called it ‘a gorgeous and original tribute to
Szymanski’s homeland, its artists and its music’ with Morgan’s playing ‘of the
highest order.’
The season 2012/13 sees Morgan return tours to Mexico,
China, UK and Spain as well as return visits to London´s Wigmore Hall,
Spitalfields Festival and his debut with Dublin´s RTÉ Orchetrsa.
Morgan Szymanski plays on a guitar by the Chinese master
guitar luthier Yulong Guo. He is a Live Music Now alumni, the scheme started by Lord Yehudi
Menuhin to reach audiences that would otherwise have no access to live music. ´
www.livemusicnow.org.uk
