You may be familiar with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra or Newport Classical, but there’s another organization gaining widespread recognition in local classical music circles. We’re talking about the Rhode Island Guitar Guild, a non-profit organization that presents concerts and workshops with internationally acclaimed artists and educators in unique Rhode Island venues.
This spring, the Guild is presenting a pair of performances, featuring Derek Gripper (guitar) and Ballaké Sissoko (kora) on March 23 and Marco Tamayo (guitar) on April 19. Tickets are available here.
I spoke to Guild Artistic Director Adam Levin to learn more about the upcoming concerts. “The Rhode Island Guitar Guild was resurrected in 2019 with the objective of bringing classical guitar and plucked instruments to Rhode Island and creating community around it, transforming and enriching the lives of Rhode Islanders and New Englanders,” he explained.
“It’s a modest series; we have four or five events a year with world-class classical guitarists from around the world,” said Levin. “Part of our initiative is not only to provide a performance for our audience and the artists, but also to provide an educational piece for the younger generation of classical guitarists and musicians.”
The Guild works with other local organizations including the Community Strings Project and libraries “to bridge the access gap for classical music and specifically classical guitar,” explained Levin. “Rather than wait for audiences to somehow find us, we go to them, at places like local library branches, providing them with performances. You see pop-up restaurants appear here and there and I think that same model can be very valuable for the music scene, tapping into the spontaneity of live performance at various and somewhat random places around town.”
The first show this Spring takes place at the Bristol State House on Saturday, March 23. “Derrick Gripper, from South Africa, has been to Rhode Island several times,” continued Levin. “He’s made his mark translating kora music to the six-string guitar. He’s going to be joined by Ballaké Sissoko, from Mali, one of the foremost kora (21-string African harp) players in the world – they’ll play together. I saw a clip of them performing together; the synergy that I observed between the two was remarkable, it felt like a musical conversation.”
Prior to the performance, Gripper will lead a free two-hour afternoon workshop open to guitarists of all ages and levels. “It’s something novel, probably something that Rhode Islanders are not familiar with. It’s a way for us to bring folks into the world of the kora and classical,” said Levin.
In April, guitarist Marco Tamayo will appear. “He is one of the foremost classical guitarists of his generation, a technical wizard. “It will be very compelling to see his wizardry and technical progress. He comes from a very strong Cuban classical guitar tradition. He incorporates Latin and European traditions in his playing. He holds one of the most prestigious guitar classes in all of Europe in Berlin. Tamayo is one of the most profoundly interesting guitarists, who transcribed music for guitar for other instruments including works by Paganini or Tchaikovsky, who would have ever thought that was possible. He’s an incredible musician,” Levin added.
More programs are scheduled for the summer and fall, including a performance by the combined Community String Project/Providence Mandolin Orchestra, “Pick Meets Bow: A Mandolin and Violin Encounter” with soloist Mark Davis on June 8. “It highlights our commitment to building partnerships with organizations that are dedicated to music education for young people.” Levine hopes to create a sustainable mandolin program in the near future.
Click here to learn more about the Rhode Island Guitar Guild.
