Classical guitarist, Pablo Sáinz Villegas, called "the soul of Spanish guitar" joins Music Director Kayoko Dan and the CSO to kickoff the second half of the CSO season. Mr. Villegas will perform Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 13, at 3 p.m. This concert also includes Rossini's Overture to The Barber of Seville and Sibelius' Symphony No. 1.
Concierto de Aranjuez is one of the most performed concertos of the 20th century and when Miles Davis adapted the second movement of the concerto, it became a jazz standard. “It has everything: dances, happiness, sadness, beauty, and brilliance," says Music Director Dan. "Mr. Sáinz Villegas is a very sensitive and beautiful musician and I know you will enjoy hearing his performance.”
Born in Spain, but now living in New York City, Sáinz Villegas has quickly established himself as one of the world’s leading classical guitarists by winning the Gold Medal at the first Christopher Parkening International Guitar Competition in May, 2006. Sáinz Villegas made his debut with the Houston Symphony and his other orchestral performances include appearances with internationally-acclaimed orchestras in the U.K., Australia, Spain, Russia, Denmark, France, Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, the United States, and Austria, in such prestigious concerts halls as the Musikverein in Vienna. Recently, Sáinz Villegas won Spain’s prestigious, “El Ojo Critico” Award (the Critics Eye). Prior to winning the Parkening Competition, Sáinz Villegas was already the recipient of more than thirty international awards, including the Andrés Segovia Award.
Known for his outreach programs, Sáinz Villegas is the founder of “The Music Without Borders Legacy”, a program that seeks to leverage the inspirational power of classical music to bridge communities across cultural, social, and political borders for the benefit of children and youth.
Music Director Dan also chose Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1 in E minor “to celebrate the winter. Sibelius is a Finnish composer, and when I think of Finland, I imagine a beautiful vast landscape covered in snow. I often find Sibelius's works to have a hint of ‘winter’ and ‘open space’, and this work is not an exception.”
While in Chattanooga, Sáinz Villegas will be the special guest at the CSO’s Overture Luncheon on Jan.y 11 from 12-1 p.m. and will offer a masterclass for four local classical guitar students on Jan. 11 at 1:30 p.m. The public is invited to both, although a reservation is required.
Tickets start at $19 and children 12 and under are free. Student tickets are $15 with a valid student identification. For tickets or information, contact the CSO Box Office at 267-8583, at 701 Broad St. or online at www.chattanoogasymphony.org.