CSUF Guitar Orchestra Director David Grimes conducts a rehearsal with the orchestra before the group's departure for its June tour of Bulgaria. Photo by Kelly Lacefield.
CSUF Guitar Ensemble Touring Bulgaria
Concerts Scheduled in Seven Cities, Including Capital of Sophia
Cal State Fullerton’s Guitar Orchestra is en route to Ruse, Bulgaria, for the first of a series of concerts the 17-member ensemble will perform this month during its three-week tour of Bulgaria.
At several of the concerts, the orchestra will be the headliner for international music festivals, including the first stop on the tour, the International Festival for Orthodox Music, Thursday, June 11.
Other cities on the tour are: Burgas, Kazanlak, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Varna and the capital of Sofia. In the capital, two concerts are scheduled, the first (June 21) in the Zala Bulgaria— regarded as the most prestigious venue in Bulgaria and the equivalent of Carnegie Hall — and the second (June 25) at the United States Embassy.
“A tour like this gives students a very practical experience in the life of a performing musician,” said David Grimes, orchestra director.
“The preparation and execution of a concert tour is complex and demanding and cannot be addressed adequately in a class. An international tour allows the students the cross-fertilization of meeting, hearing and working with students and professionals from different cultures and very different backgrounds,” he explained. “In many cases, the contacts made initially in musical travel —especially at festivals— help lay a vital foundation for the networking that is essential in establishing a career.”
Previous tours saw the orchestra performing in Greece (2001) and Hawaii (2005), as well as California, where the group tours most summers.
The student musicians on the tour, listed by city of residence, are:
- Buena Park: Cesar Anchante
- Covina: Daryl Hernandez, Russell Praslin
- Fullerton: Aki Iwata, Stephen Laughlin, Stephen Parilla, Shintaro Yana
- Irvine: Anahita Kashefi, Taha Yazdandoust Kermani
- Long Beach: Amy Hite, Nicolas Montalvo
- Lynwood: Daniel Ramirez
- Placentia: William Burner
- Redondo Beach: Maximillian Mendoza
- San Clemente: John Van Wie
- Santa Ana: Eric Salinas
- Sunland: Monica Kachbalian Cremona
Graduate student Amy Hite, pursuing a master of music in performance degree, is writing a blog about the tour: http://fullertonguitarorchestra.blogspot.com.
Graduate student Daryl Hernendez, also studying for a master of music in performance, and senior music major Nicolas Montalvo will perform conducting duties for portions of the program.
Besides Grimes of Huntington Beach, Orange resident T.K. Gardner, lecturer in music, is accompanying the students on the tour.
Photos:
Available online at www.fullerton.edu/newsphotos
Media Contact:
Paula Selleck, Public Affairs, 657-278-4856 or pselleck@fullerton.edu
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