\u201c\u2026Vondiziano proved himself a soloist of distinction\u2026He is a knowledgeable man and a gifted lyricist\u2026.an aristocrat among guitarists.\u201d<\/p>\n
-Evert Lutz, Music Critic, Delftsche Courant, The Netherlands<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cI find your Bach absolutely wonderful . . . so beautiful, so lyrical, yet rhythmically true and graceful . . . what a fine player and musician you are!\u201d<\/p>\n –Katherine Hoover, composer, New York<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026\u2026especially Bach \u2013 really refined cultured playing: congratulations!\u201d<\/p>\n –Ayis Ioannides, Composer, Conductor (U.K., Australia, Germany, Finland, Cyprus).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201c…a superb guitarist\u2026 a sensitive musician in full command of his instrument.<\/p>\n He is not only technically proficient, but also admirably at home with<\/p>\n the neo-classical idiom of Rodrigo\u2019s music. \u201d<\/p>\n –Gerald Elliot, Music Critic, Grand Rapids Press, Grand Rapids, Michigan USA<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cPaul Vondiziano is an excellent performer\u2026what struck me from the very outset was his control of the wide range of colors which can be coaxed from the guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n –John L. Allen, Music Critic, Muskegon Chronicle<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201c..Paul Vondiziano\u2026a world class guitarist\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n –Cyprus Weekly<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201c…a big crowd\u2026a great success\u2026we would invite him again anytime.\u201d<\/p>\n –Dirk M. Hovener, MA, \u00a0Director, Goethe-lnstitute, Staufen, Germany<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYour concert here at the Dogwood Center for Performing Arts was <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cA WONDERFULLY WARM AND MUSICAL GUITAR RECITAL.<\/p>\n I have to confess that this occasion was for me\u00a0one of the best musical evenings<\/strong>, not merely a guitar recital. Everyone there agreed. \u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The calm, human, gracious, I would even say aristocratic nature of Paul <\/em><\/strong>is immediately apparent to the audience. He comments and explains briefly and clearly the works he is about to perform, thus enhancing everyone\u2019s listening experience.<\/p>\n The works on the program are demanding: Malbrouck and Mozart Variations by Sor, Second Partita for violin by Bach (the one with the Chaconne), Sonatina by Torroba, Domeniconi\u2019s Koyunbaba, and one of his own compositions (Triptych).<\/p>\n His technical competence is obvious. His playing is clean, totally devoid of string-buzzes or muffled notes. As for the character of his sound and his interpretation, here we have a uniquely personal approach which bestows a distinct freshness to familiar repertoire. It is novel without being eccentric. The Sonatina by Torroba had the required Mediterranean warmth. The Chaconne was deeply moving\u2026 Domeniconi\u2019s Koyunbaba was technically brilliant but also very musical. His own work Triptych (in three parts, inspired by the poetry of Seferis, Kavafis, and Elytis)\u00a0 made a great impression. A tonal work, intensely Mediterranean, with the flavour of the Aegean sea.I hope that his presence in Athens has continuity, so that more people can have the opportunity to get to know his art\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Excerpts form a review in the Greek Classical Guitar Magazine<\/strong> TAR <\/strong>of\u00a0Paul Vondiziano\u2018s recital in Athens, Greece<\/strong>, by Takis Atsidakos.<\/span><\/em> (On line in Greek at\u00a0www.tar.gr<\/a>) (article:\u00a0http:\/\/www.tar.gr\/content\/content.php?id=415<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Vondiziano\u2019s virtuosity on the instrument also has a warmth and a depth not often heard.\u201d<\/p>\n –Margarette Ingle, St. Cecilia Music Society, Grand Rapids, Michigan USA<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026It was our pleasure to finally bring you to our venue here at the Kirtland Center for the Performing Arts.\u00a0 Your performance this past weekend was another testimonial to the talent that we strive to bring to our patrons in this area of the state.\u00a0 The spontaneous standing ovation at the conclusion of your last programmed piece was indeed a tribute to your masterful and artistic performance. The patrons were in awe of you ability to capture \u201cBach on a guitar!\u201d I was also impressed by your ability to play all the parts of the fugues with such clarity and precision.\u00a0 \u2026\u2026.I look forward to bringing you back to the Kirtland stage as will the many who experienced your performance.\u201d<\/p>\n -Donald E. Wray, Director, Kirtland Center for the Performing Arts<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n Last Friday the Dogwood staff brought classical guitarist Paul Vondiziano After an introduction that included variations from Mozart, he guided the Between the musical gems he so deftly laid out for our enjoyment, Mr. Fielding questions following the performance, it was easy to see the This gentle man who plays with such precision mixed with a fervor that -\u201cTimes Indicator\u201d (review excerpt) by Ken DeLaat, Fremont Michigan.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI was among those enthralled by your exceptionally meaningful concert at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church back on Friday, Feb. 12th\u2026\u2026[I] was mesmerized by the magic of what your fingers were able to do on your classical guitar. What nimble agile movement to create such a variety of selections. That in itself was awesome \u2013 the range of your repertoire. My hands couldn\u2019t clap hard enough in delight at the close of each number. Whew and wow\u2026.It was a privilege to be present\u201d.<\/p>\n -Sister Sue Tracy, OP (\u201cMAJIC\u201d Concert Series, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Downtown Grand Rapids, MI.) <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Also from\u00a0Sotogrande Digital, Spain<\/span><\/em><\/strong>:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cPrestigious guitarist Paul Vondiziano plays music from Bach to Mediterranean composers with brilliant technique\u201d.<\/p>\n And in the Spanish Press: <\/em><\/strong> Paul Vondiziano\u2019s recital was referred to as: \u201c\u2026.one of the \u2018Events of the Year\u2019 for Andalusia\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026another remarkable solo performance from Paul Vondiziano<\/strong> \u2026\u2026.favorite works familiar to those having attended Paul\u2019s many past local performances as well as a few surprises\u2026.. The first half of the program was almost entirely given over to a\u00a0brilliant performance of an arrangement of the Bach violin partita<\/strong>. It was noted during intermission that, in addition to the\u00a0riveting interpretation of the work<\/strong>, the decision to play the movements without pausing produced a marathon-like work of over thirty minutes<\/strong>. This was humbling for the many guitarists in attendance.<\/p>\n After intermission, we were treated to three [of Paul’s ] original [movements] inspired by\u2026.three poems by contemporary Greek poets\u2026 The work carried with it a dream or trance-like quality, putting one in mind of works by Leos Janacek but wholly original in structure and temperament. We can only hope that transcriptions of this trio of works will find it\u2019s way to a publisher soon.<\/p>\n The program included other favorites works of Sor and Moreno-Torroba,\u00a0leaving the audience still hungry for more after a most generous program<\/strong>\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..Paul continued to display the kind of energy he brought to the stage in greeting well-wishers. \u2026\u2026.We can now only look forward to another occasion when Paul is brought to the stage for our pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n -Tom Roach, President, Classic Guitar Society of Michigan, in\u00a0Guitar Notes<\/strong>,<\/span><\/em> in review of a recital in Northville (Detroit area).<\/p>\n \u201cI STILL get positive comments about your performance here, so I hope to bring you back after a one-year break.\u201d<\/p>\n –Derek Emerson, Coordinator , \u201cGreat Performance Series\u201d, Hope College<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026how brilliant this Larnaca-born guitarist is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n –Sound and Vision, B.F.B.S. Magazine, Cyprus<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201c..Paul Vondiziano has contributed substantially to musical life in Cyprus.\u201d<\/p>\n –Litsa Koutalari-loannou, Director, European Conservatory of Music<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAs promised, terrific concert. Good luck in the future. \u201d<\/p>\n –California University of Pennsylvania, California, Pennsylvania<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201c..The mastery and understanding of this work (Preludios Americanos by the Uruguayan composer, Abel Carlevaro) by the performer helped to translate its many intricacies to a very appreciative audience…\u201d<\/p>\n –Classic Guitar Society of Michigan<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou presented a tremendous concert at the museum!!! It was a rare and magical event\u2026your artistry together with your delightful dialogue with the audience combined to make it a very talked about event.\u201d<\/p>\n –Melissa A. Freye, Muskegon Museum of Art, Michigan USA<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThank you very much for your wonderful performance at our campus\u2026 your explanations of the composer and the time period made the music so much more meaningful\u2026excellent performance\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n –Linda Fellows, Auburn Hills Fine Arts Committee, Oakland Community College<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI was delighted to hear you play and to find out, personally, how well and musically you are playing.\u201d<\/p>\n –Will Gay Bottje, Composer (USA)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026the sonata in D by Spanish composer Joaquin Turina brought out the most fire from the artist\u2026This reviewer was particularly impressed with the rapt attention Mr. Vondiziano drew from his audience during the second movement. The audience was greatly drawn forward to the edge of their seats during its exposition and held suspended on the slowly arpeggiated notes of the final A major chord.\u201d<\/p>\n –Charles Leonard Johnson, \u201cGuitar Notes\u201d, Classic Guitar Society of Michigan, Detroit Michigan<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe enjoyed your concert at Furman University. Your playing was sensitive and virtuosic when appropriate. Your comments from the stage were concise and added humor and interest to the program.\u201d<\/p>\n –Charlotte Smith, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThanks so much for the wonderful recital of last week. Your playing was effortless, elegant, and thoroughly absorbing.\u201d<\/p>\n –John Worst, Chairman, Calvin College Music Department, Grand Rapids, Michigan<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \n \n \u201c\u2026Vondiziano proved himself a soloist of distinction\u2026He is a knowledgeable man and a gifted lyricist\u2026.an aristocrat among guitarists.\u201d -Evert Lutz, Music Critic, Delftsche Courant, The Netherlands. \u201cI find your Bach absolutely wonderful . . . so beautiful, so lyrical, yet rhythmically true and graceful . . . what a fine player and musician you are!\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulvondiziano.com\/guitar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulvondiziano.com\/guitar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulvondiziano.com\/guitar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulvondiziano.com\/guitar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulvondiziano.com\/guitar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/paulvondiziano.com\/guitar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54,"href":"https:\/\/paulvondiziano.com\/guitar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11\/revisions\/54"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulvondiziano.com\/guitar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nperformed with impeccable technique and mastery.
\nOur audience was especially appreciative and captivated by the choice of
\nrepertoire performed with flawless technique and flare.\u00a0 You transformed
\nclassical melodies into exciting new compositions that sounded fresh and
\nbeautifully orchestrated.
\nYour performance was one that will be long remembered by a devoted,
\nappreciative and enthusiastic audience.\u00a0 It was everything we expected
\nand MORE!\u201d
\nDiane Yonker, Program Manager, Dogwood Center for Performing Arts<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
\nto the Black Box for a one hour performance and his command of the instrument he\u00a0 so graciously embraces proved to be absolutely stunning in its depth of
\ncharacter and rapier like precision. Paul does not play the guitar; he
\nembodies\u00a0 the spirit of the instrument. The sounds that were produced
\ntranscended any of\u00a0 my previous personal experiences with guitar music.<\/p>\n
\naudience into his next composition, written by himself, named Triptych.
\nExplaining its creation being a tribute to three of his favorite Greek poets,
\nSeferis, Kavafis, and Elytis, Paul eased into a blended work with distinctive
\nmovements ranging from melancholy to lilting and spirited, then
\ntransforming\u00a0 once more into a busier, more complex expression.
\nHis next selection was a Prelude-Fugue-Allegro by Bach (Bach, of course,
\nneeds no introduction) followed by Three Brazilian Pieces composed by Joao
\nGuimaraes.\u00a0 His final was a dynamic selection entitled Koyubaba Suite by Carlo
\nDomeniconi.<\/p>\n
\nVondiziano spoke, not only of the music, but of his love for the music. He is
\nobviously erudite when it comes to the study of music and though he connects
\nexceptionally well during these Chataqua-like interactions, when he begins
\nto\u00a0 perform, he is playing to the music, not the audience. The audience is
\nprivileged to bear witness to this connection but it is surely the music
\nthat\u00a0 draws the energy and passion once he engages it in this delightfully
\ncooperative\u00a0 venture involving instrument and artist. His ability to transport
\nyou to the\u00a0 places and people he describes when introducing his music reveals
\na rather\u00a0 stunning level of musical communication.<\/p>\n
\nimpact Mr. Vondiziano\u2019s performance had made on an audience that appeared
\ntransfixed by what they were experiencing throughout the concert. Many expressed how the
\nmusic had touched them while others asked about his other musical tastes and educational background.<\/p>\n
\ndraws rapt attention from an appreciative crowd provided attendees with an
\nentertaining as well as educational experience and left guitar players such as
\nmyself to later on stare at their instruments with awe and respect for what
\nlevels can be achieved by them in the hands of a master such as Mr. Vondiziano.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"