Joe Plays Guitar

This Friday, Ill be giving a lecture recital on my newest work for solo guitar: Zia: Myth and Folklore from New Mexico. The set is a collection of concert etudes whose pedagogical and musical focus is timbre and extended techniques guitar.

The event is free and open to the public.
April 19th, 4-5 pm
MRH 2.614
Butler School of Music
University of Texas, Austin

“Zia” is a symbol for the sun: a red circle with groups of rays pointing in four directions. The symbol comes from the Zia tribe from New Mexico and was adopted as the state flag in 1925. As a New Mexico native, I grew up with the Spanish and Native American folklore and mythology integral to the cultural landscape of this state. When I began writing etudes on extended techniques and timbre, I found a sympathetic relationship between this exotic sound palette and the frequently fantastical elements in New Mexican folklore and myth. Therefore, I have associated each etude with a specific myth or folkloric story. Although the pieces can exist without this association, it is my hope that the programmatic reference will empower a general audience to engage in a contemporary musical language and also to keep these narratives alive in modern consciousness.

The work is in seven movements:
I. La Loba
II. Pedro and Diablo
III. La Llorona
IV. Kokopelli
V. Hawikuh
VI. Coyote
VII. Zozobra

Peter Bay Conducts the Classical Guitar Orchestra | Arts In Context from KLRU-TV on Vimeo.

Soundboard, America’s premiere quarterly classical guitar magazine, is featuring one of my pieces in their current issue. The article is on Capital City Construction, from Austin Pictures, and discusses the how the piece was developed, its formal devices and suggestions on how to prepare it for performance. For a limited time, the full score is available for free here: Capital City Construction

Scores and parts for all movements of Austin Pictures will be available on joeplaysguitar.com for purchase in early March. If you are interested and need more information please contact me.

In the meantime watch the premier of Austin Pictures above and enjoy a short excerpt of the article:
“In early summer 2011, Matthew Hinsley, executive director of the Austin Classical Guitar Society, asked me to write a short piece for a high school guitar ensemble. The piece would be about life in Austin, TX and would open a concert event called Austin Pictures. Matt and I were so excited about the project that, within a few months, it developed into a twenty-minute, five-movement work for the Miró String Quartet and an enormous guitar orchestra lead by Austin Symphony Orchestra conductor, Peter Bay.”

Read the full article in Soundboard Vol. 39.1

This Friday, Ill be presenting an afternoon concert at Lone Star Community College in Montgomery Texas. The concert is free and part of the LCC Montgomery’s Concert Series.

Then on Sunday February 23rd at 3:30, Ill be giving my final doctoral recital at Jessen Auditorim at the University of Texas, Austin. This concert is also free and open to the public.

The program of both concerts will be Sonata I in G minor, BWV 1001 by J.S. Bach (1685-1750), Fantasia, Op.19 by Luigi Legnani, and three Spanish pieces by Federico Moreno Torroba. In addition, Ill be premiering my newest work Zia: Folklore and Myths of New Mexico.

Correction: Friday February 15th, 1pm
Music Recital Hall in Building H, LSC-Montgomery
3200 College Park Drive, The Woodlands

Sunday February 24th, 3:30pm
Jessen Auditorium in Homer Rainey Hall, UT Austin
Details and Parking info here

January 25-27th, 2013

The Collins College Guitar Festival is a three day event for guitarists of all ages and levels accomplishment. CCGF is presented by the Kithara duo (Olga Almekina and Fernand Vera) with guest artists Mitch Weverka and Joseph Williams II.

In addition to faculty and student concerts, it will include masterclasses, a technique workshop, a special topics course by Mitch Weverka and participation in a guitar orchestra. The orchestra will be premiering a new work by Joseph Williams II.

To download a brochure/application here.

http://news.kitharaduo.com

This Thursday, Ill be presenting a short lunch-time concert in the beautiful sanctuary at Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Austin. The concert is free and part of the CPC’s Noon Concert Series which happens every Thursday and provides a brief interlude for your work day.

Thursday January 10th, Noon
Central Presbyterian Church.
200 E. 8th St, Austin, TX 78701

For info on parking and lunch reservations:

http://cpcaustin.org/worship-and-music/music/thursday-noon-concerts

My dear friend Joseph Palmer will be giving his Doctoral Chamber Recital this Friday. The program will include works by Manuel de Falla, Kaija Saariaho, Robert Beaser and my own Homage to Tom Waits.

Friday, November 30, 7:30pm
UT Austin, Jessen Auditorium
Free Admission

Jessen Auditorium is on the UT campus inside Homer Rainy Hall – which is a few yards north of the intersection of 21st street and Whitis Ave. (just east of Guadalupe).
Parking – The Dobie Center parking garage is on Whitis Ave. just across from the hall – this is the most convenient option – though you can sometimes find free parking in the surrounding neighborhoods just west of Guadalupe.

Joseph Palmer – Guitar
Joseph Williams – Guitar
Mari Stoner – Soprano
Elizabeth Ashley Lehr – Double Bass
Tim Hagen – Flute
Audrey Springer-Wilson – Flute

Presented by Heritage Society of Austin and Austin Classical Guitar Society, Ill be performing a special program in an intimate historical setting.
This beautiful home dates to before Texas’ statehood, and is graciously hosted by well-known UT architecture professor Simon Atkinson, who will provide some fascinating background about this extraordinary, historic space. From architecture to music, the incredible Antonelli’s cheese and seasonal goodies, we hope to share it with you!

Saturday, December 1st, 2012 at 7:00pm
Heritage House, North Central Austin
Tickets $50 ($40 ACGS/HSA Members) available here.

Thursday, November 15th, 2012 at 8 pm
Cactus Café on UT Campus – Tickets $5
For info and tickets click here

Ill be playing at the Cactus Cafe at UT Austin as part of the Austin Classical Guitar Society’s Classical Cactus series. Ill be opening for the lovely guitar duo of Janet Grohovac and Chad Ibisen in one of the coolest settings to hear live classical music. Joseph Palmer(guitar) and Elizabeth Lehr (bass) will join me in the performance of my Homage to Tom Waits and I will be premiering two new pieces for solo guitar.

The Texas Guitar Quartet will open the 2nd Annual Texas A&M International Guitar Festival & Symposium with a concert on Oct. 24 at the Rudder Theater in College Station, TX. We are thrilled to be sharing Tracks a new work we commissioned from Peter Liewen. In addition, the TxGQ will be presenting masterclasses on Oct. 26.

More information is available here.