Pavel Ralev

Pavel started playing the guitar at the age of ten, quickly developing a passion for classical music. He graduated the National School of Music and Dance Arts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, receiving an award for his high musical achievements. He then went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music on a full scholarship with widely respected professor Michael Lewin.

Pavel has participated in masterclasses with world-renowned guitarists such as Fabio Zanon, David Russell, Marcin Dylla, Edoardo Catemario, George Vassillev to name a few, and he has met and played for the legendary Julian Bream. He has won several prizes in solo and chamber music competitions in his native Bulgaria. He has also performed live for both the Bulgarian National Radio and Television, and in venues like the Plovdiv Philharmonic House, Bulgarian National Opera, Duke’s Hall at RAM, and the House of Commons in the British Parliament. This year he went back to his school in Plovdiv to give a performance class. He lives in London and works as a guitar teacher with the DaCapo Music Foundation.

Programme

Lute Suite No 3, BWV 995                                                                    J. S. Bach (1685-1750)

Prelude-Tres viste

Allemande

Courante

Sarabande

Gavotte I

Gavotte II En Rondeaux

Gigue

Rondo Brilliante in A minor, op.2, nr. 3                                                D. Aguado (1784-1849)

Luciferiada                                                                                          S. Hvartchilkov (b. 1984)

Suite Popular Brasileira                                                               H. Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)

1. Mazurka-Choro

2. Schottisch-Choro

3. Valsa-Choro

4. Gavota-Choro

Shumen miniatures, op. 29                                                   Pancho Vladigerov (1899-1978) (arr. for guitar duo Boshikyov)
1. Berceuse
4. Chant
5. Humoresque

Johan Löfving

Since being a prize winner in the prestigious London International Guitar Competition, Swedish Johan Löfving has established himself as one of the most exciting musicians of a new generation.

His solo recitals have taken him to some of the finest halls in Britain such as Kings Place and The Sage Gateshead, followed by celebrated chamber music performances in major halls and festivals such as Spitalfields, King's Lynn, Stratford-on-Avon, Brighton Early Music Festival, Carinthischer Sommer, Styriarte Festival and Konzertsaal der Wiener Sängerknaben MuTh in Vienna. 

He graduated with First Class Honours from the Royal College of Music in London where he studied guitar with Gary Ryan, theorbo with Jakob Lindberg and conducting with Natalia Luis-Bassa. At RCM he was awarded both the Guitar Prize and the Hilda Anderson Dean Prize. Later, he completed his studies with Prof. Robert Wolff at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Additionally, in 2011 Johan was awarded the First Prize in the Young Talent Concert at the Uppsala Guitar Festival in Sweden the performance was recorded and broadcasted later by the Swedish Radio P2.  

The following year he was honored to receive the Jörgen Rörby Prize from the Swedish Guitar and Lute Society as well as their audience prize.

   

Since 2009, Johan has been performing regularly with his wife, flautist Yu-Wei Hu as Flauguissimo Duo.  They have specialized in the early 19th century repertoire and its exciting blend of spontaneous musical conversations and sublime beauty. The musical experience is heightened by their use of period instruments and Johan is particularly fond of his beautifully ornamented french guitar dating back to 1850.

Apart from his long term work with Flauguissimo Duo, he has worked with some of the finest musicians,  such as baritone Thomas Guthrie, tenor Rob Murray and pianist David Owen Norris who invited him to take part in the 'Playlist Series' on BBC Radio 4. His passion for new music has resulted in several world premieres of both solo and chamber works, notably by the highly acclaimed British composer and guitarist Sam Cave.   

Johan is keen to emphasize the great inspiration he received from his teachers since the very beginning. He started to play at the age of nine at the Music School in Årjäng with Lars Eriksson. From there, he went on to study privately with the distinguished Norwegian Guitar Professor Sven Lundestad and later with Bo Hansson in Stockholm. Later he had the honour to study with legendary Eliot Fisk in Salzburg as part of the Erasmus Exchange Programme.   

Johan plays on a guitar made by the Norwegian Luthier Yngvar Thomassen, a theorbo by German Wolfgang Emmerich and a French Tribout guitar from 1850.

Programme

On original romantic guitar:

Sor: Mozart variations op 9

Giuliani: Sonata op. 15 (three movements)

Mertz: Lied Ohne Worte and Tarantelle

Interval

On modern classical guitar:

Kubizek: Sonata op 13a

( varied four movement piece by quite unknown Austrian composer from last century)

Refracted Meditations I & II 

( two short pieces by young British guitarist and composer Sam Cave)

Ponce: Sonatina Meridional (three movements)

Deluge

Deluge is a collaboration of jazz guitarists Jeff Rodrigues (London) and Tobias Rupp (Cologne). Sharing a passion for the Standard repertoire, Brazilian jazz and harmonically sophisticated music of Bill Evans and Wayne Shorter, Deluge are equally at home in both classic & modern contemporary jazz guitar styles and share a unique chemistry.

Jeff Rodrigues is a guitarist and music educator fluent in both Classical and Jazz genres. He performs on the London jazz scene in numerous settings - from solo guitar and accompanying vocalists, to various instrumental duo/trio and larger groups. As well as being regularly invited to perform at venues and festivals throughout the UK, he has also performed in Canada, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Jeff studied guitar in his native Canada and holds both a BMus and FRSM in Guitar Performance.

Tobias Rupp is a composer, performer and guitar teacher, and holds a Masters degree in Jazz Guitar. He studied with world-class guitarists Ben Monder and Wolfgang Muthspiel in New York. He has been involved in numerous jazz and fusion projects and played with renowned musicians Jacob Collier, Tim Lefebvre, Carlos Lopez-Real, Calum Gourlay, and others. He has appeared at festivals and venues including the prestigious London jazz clubs The Vortex, The Bulls Head Barnes, Charlie Wright’s, and Ronnie Scott’s.

A NIGHT OF JAZZ CLASSICS

Deluge - Wayne Shorter

Stella by Starlight  - Victor Young

Time Remembered - Bill Evans

Dolphin Dance - Herbie Hancock

Windows - Chick Corea

Blue in Green - Bill Evans

Joy Spring - Clifford Brown

Recorda Me - Joe Henderson

Darn that dream - J. Van Heusen

Ruby, My Dear - Thelonious Monk

La Mesha - Kenny Dorham

Four on Six - Wes Montgomery 

Isotope - Joe Henderson

Cyclic Episode - Sam Rivers

Very Early - Bill Evans

Confirmation - Charlie Parker

Ed Billingham

 

Ed studied in London with Carlos Bonell and David Russell and studied performance and interpretation with Rodger Bigley as an RNCM post grad. He is an experienced and engaging performer who also teaches in Manchester and Yorkshire. Ed has performed at many festivals including Boston, Rye, Battle, Buxton Fringe as well as the Rose Hill Theatre Whithaven, De La Warr Pavillion, Bridgewater Hall, Bolivar Hall London and RNCM Concert Hall.

Up coming concerts include Buxton Fringe and Chorlton Festival and Prestbury Church Cheshire. In April Ed stood in for a Ray Burley Concert with a days notice.

His programme will include the Bach Chaconne as well as Rodrigos Fandango along with works by Dyens, Villa Lobos, Eric Satie and Albeniz.

Programme

Villa Lobos Cinq Preludes  (1940)

1. Lyric melody.  Homage to the Brazilian sertanejo
2. Capadocia & capoeira melody.  Homage to the carioca hustler
3. Homage to Bach
4. Homage to the Brazilian Indian
5. Homage to social life.  To the young teenagers who frequent Rio's concerts and theatres

J.S.Bach

Chaconne in D minor from 2nd Partita for Violin

Tarrega

 Recuerdos de la Alhambra

Interval 

Roland Dyens

Tango en Skai 

Rodrigo 

Fandango

Barrios 

Valse op 4 No8

Isaac Albeniz

Asturias 

Mallorca 

Sevilla