MGS Mission Statement Promote the guitar in all its stylistic and cultural diversity through sponsorship of public forums, concerts, and workshops. Serve as an educational and social link between the community and amateur and professional guitarists of all ages. A Publication of the Minnesota Guitar Society • P.O. Box 14986 • Minneapolis, MN 55414 january / february 2018 VOL. 34 nO. 1 Lute-a-thon / Montenegrin Duo 2017-18 Sundin Music Hall Series Concerts The Lute-a-thon with guest vocalist Sarah Jackson Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, 8 p.m. Montenegrin Guitar Duo Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, 8 p.m. Minnesota Guitar Society ~~ Find us and like us on Facebook! Dear Guitar Community, Happy New Year! These cold winter days and long winter 2017-2018 nights are the perfect time to learn new music – and what bet- ter way to try out some new music than the ongoing music Sundin Music Hall Series garage sale at our Sundin Hall Concerts? Feel free to drop off your old treasures and find new ones on our table of unsorted — aT a GLaNCe! guitar masterpieces, mishaps, and mysteries. Our January concert features local lutenists Paul Berget, Richard Griffith, Rocky Mjos, Phillip Rukavina, and Thomas Jan. 20 Lute-a-Thon Walker, Jr., with special guest, soprano Sarah Jackson, who (with guest vocalist) will be joining Phil. Feb. 16 (Friday) – Montenegrin Duo In February the Montenegrin Guitar Duo will be visiting. We look forward to their unique mix of Bach and new pieces Mar. 17 Emanuele Buono for classical guitar. apr. 21 Petra Poláčková Stay healthy, keep practicing, and keep your fingers warm. Jun. 2 Classical Guitarathon Sincerely, Emily Youngdahl Wright Concerts held on Saturdays unless otherwise Managing Director indicated. All concerts begin at 8 p.m. [email protected] www.mnguitar.org To reserve tickets for any Sundin Music Hall concert, please call 612-677-1151 or visit the MGS web site, <www.mnguitar.org>. Minnesota Guitar Society BoarD oFFiCerS PreSiDeNT: Mark Bussey ViCe-PreSiDeNT: Joanne Backer TreaSUrer: Doug Whorton SeCreTary Chris Olson arTiSTiC DireCTor: Joe Hagedorn MaNaGiNG DireCTor: Emily Wright BoarD MeMBerS Al Norton Annett Richter Joe Haus TeCH GUrU: Mark Bussey WeBMaSTer: Amy Lytton NeWSLeTTer eDiTor: Emily Wright NeWSLeTTer ProDUCTioN: i draw the line, inc. Fox Ridge Printing Sundin Music Hall is on the Hamline University Campus at NeWSLeTTer DiSTriBUTioN: 1536 Hewitt ave. in St. Paul. Joe Haus Al Norton Directions: from I-94, head north on Chris Olson Snelling Ave. in St. Paul, past University Ave. to Hewitt Ave. Brent Weaver Turn right, Sundin Hall is on your left, a half-block east of Doug Wright Snelling. Free parking is available one block past the hall, in lots Doug Whorton off Hewitt (on your right) or off Pascal (1 block north). Sundin Music Hall is handicap accessible and there is www.mnguitar.org ample free parking available. 2 guitarist Sundin Music Hall Concerts The Minnesota Guitar Society Presents The Lute-A-Thon, January 20, 2018 — By Phillip Rukavina oming up on Saturday, January 20th, the Minnesota lute songs and solos by the English Renaissance composer Guitar Society will present an evening of music per- John Dowland (1563-1626). Berget will performing music formed on the lute on it’s Sundin Hall music series. by the great German composer Sylvius Leopold Weiss. CAffectionately known as the “Lute-A-Thon,” the event will fea- Tom Walker will present music from the early 17th century ture five local lutenists each presenting different eras of while Richard Griffith will present music for the Scottish solo music composed for the instrument. Many are not aware Renaissance lute. Rocky Mjos will offer music for medieval of the fact that the Twin Cities is home for quite a number of lute, including a few medieval lute duets with Rick Griffith. accomplished lutenists. Where most mid-sized American cit- We hope you take the opportunity to join us for this ies can boast of maybe one or two professional-level lute play- unique, variety-filled program. ers, the Twin Cities is home to from eight to ten serious lute Paul Berget received his B.F.A. degree from the University players. of Minnesota in 1972. After graduation, he continued his stud- One happy outcome of this situation has been the formation ies with the legendary Diana Poulton at the Royal College of of a concert series called The Lute Café. It is a series of casual Music in London, where he also studied with acclaimed lute- lute concerts sponsored by the Twin Cities Lute Cooperative. nist Nigel North. It is a kind of coffeehouse experience where the performance In 1973, he appeared on Broadway in a musical production of live lute music is the at center of attention rather than a of Cyrano starring Christopher Plummer. In addition to play- background experience. It’s ing early music, he has also called “Thursday at the Lute Lute-a-thon performed in a variety of other Cafe” because it takes place musical styles: modern classi- on the third Thursday of every “Soprano Sarah Jackson, a cal and steel string guitar, and month from September to May native of the Twin Cities, has world music. each year. The event takes been devoted to Early Music since Recently he has been per- place at Immanuel Lutheran falling in love with the music of forming as the lutenist in the Church located at 104 South Bach as a child. Since her first internationally acclaimed Snelling Avenue in St. Paul. The opportunity to collaborate with ensemble Minstrelsy!, a enterprise opened its doors in Phillip Rukavina in 2011, she has group that records on the the 2006-2007 season and con- dedicated herself wholeheartedly Lyrichord label. Other early tinues operation today, present- to the Renaissance and Baroque music collaborations include ing performances by the area’s literature for lute/theorbo and the Rose Ensemble, Ensemble best known lutenists and early voice. Her repertoire includes Spanish and English Polaris, the Minnesota Lute music performers. Renaissance songs, airs de cour, and the works of Quartet (MiLQ), and per- In recognition of the sizable Barbara Strozzi; but the music of John Dowland is among formances with the St. Paul lute and early music commu- her greatest passions. She has enjoyed the great privilege Chamber Orchestra. nity here, the Minnesota Guitar of singing with several members of the Twin Cities Lute Rick Griffith is a lutenist, Society has already featured mul- Cooperative, and is deeply grateful and honored to be guitarist and euphonium tiple local lutenists part of this region’s thriving Early Music community. player who has performed on past concert programs at Sarah is a graduate of St. Catherine University. an eclectic variety of music, Sundin Hall. However, unlike Following the completion of her degree, she studied with from Renaissance to 21st the MGS Lute Summit concert master teacher Elizabeth Mannion.” Century compositions, in ven- which featured a performance ues ranging from Renaissance of music entirely for lute ensemble, the 2018 Lute-A-Thon will festivals to libraries to concert halls. He is a founder of feature lutenists performing a variety of solo sets of music the Twin Cities Lute Cooperative and a past co-producer for the lute. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to (with Phil Rukavina) of the monthly Thursday at the Lute hear a broad range of music for medieval, Renaissance, and Cafe concert series. Career highlights include the two previ- Baroque lutes, as well as “transitional” music composed for ous Lute Summit concerts, contributions to the soundtrack lute in nouvelle accordes (new tunings) which moved the lute for Oskar Allegria’s award-winning film “The Search for from a Renaissance instrument (mainly tuned in 4ths) to the Emak Bakia”, and a live score—performed at the Walker d-minor tuned lute of the Baroque era. Art Center—for a screening of Man Ray’s 1926 experimental Lutenists on the program will include Paul Berget, Richard film “Emak Bakia.” Rick is an avid song-writer, composer, Griffith, Rocky Mjos, Phillip Rukavina, and Thomas Walker, and recordist, and is almost always working on “something Jr. Also included on the program is Twin Cities-based soprano new and weird.” Sarah Jackson, who will be joining Phil Rukavina for a set of continued on p. 4 january / february 3 An Interview Sundin Music Hall Concerts Lute-a-thon continued from p. 3 Rockford Mjos performs as an accompanist and soloist on theorbo, archlute, Baroque and modern guitars, and ukulele. He has been a regular on the Twin Cities Lute Cooperative’s season, appeared on the MGS All Strings Considered program last year, and has been a guest with many Minnesota-based ensembles including Consortium Carissimi, Musica Glorifica and Glorious Revolution Baroque. He has recently performed for the second time at the Portland (ME) Early Music Festivals and has appeared at festivals in the Twin Cities, Utrecht, Wroclaw, and San Antonio. He has also performed in England, Germany, Sweden, Poland and Italy; and been broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio and Dutch National Radio. Rocky studied historic performance at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (NL). He appears on CDs with the Chambure Vihuela Quartet and the Beggar’s Banquet. Rocky is also a member of Ukulele Drive, a ukulele band. Phillip Rukavina performs as a lute and vihuela soloist and as a continuo lutenist. He has appeared at many music festi- vals including the Utrecht Early Music Festival (2013) and the Boston Early Music Festival (2015). In 2017, Phillip was invited to perform as a soloist at the European Lute Festival in Füssen, Germany and at the Lute Society of America’s 2017 WestFest Montenegrin Guitar Duo held in Victoria, BC Canada.