Los Angeles Guitar Quartet headlines Brownsville guitar festival

Guitar students at UTB-TSC regard this year's Brownsville guitar festival as a singular opportunity to study under the guidance of an ensemble that many regard as the reigning masters of the classical guitar.

For three days beginning Thursday, the Brownsville Guitar Ensemble Festival and Competition will host the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet as artists in residence. The festival begins with registration and a concert on Wednesday by the UTB-TSC Guitar Ensemble. All events are on the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College campus.

"The opportunity to play with Bill Kanengiser and to hear him in concert and accompany him is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Leo Garcia, a senior music education major from Harlingen and a member of the UTB-TSC Guitar Ensemble.

The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet is generally regarded as the best classical guitar quartet in the world, said Michael Quantz, associate professor of music at UTB-TSC and originator of the guitar festival.

One of the strongest elements of the group's popular appeal has been the variety of style that always makes up its recordings and concerts, Quantz said.

"The world's hottest classical ensemble or its tightest pop band? However it helps you to think about the LAGQ, keep the emphasis on superlatives for its unrivaled joy, technical elan and questing spirits," the Los Angeles Times characterized the group.

Other members of the UTB-TSC Guitar Ensemble were looking forward to the festival as they took a guitar class from Quantz on Monday.

"It's a really marvelous complement to the program to have these players come here and be able to work with them," said Marcelo Aguirre, a sophomore music education major from Monterrey, Mexico.

Noe Garcia, a sophomore music education major and graduate of Brownsville's Lopez High School, said the festival is an chance to compare notes.

"This is an opportunity to see what the standard is - performing, teaching, all in combination in this festival," he said.

The festival includes instructional clinics by members of the LAGQ, ensemble competitions for elementary, middle school, high school and college guitarists, and evening concerts by the UTB-TSC Guitar Ensemble on Wednesday, LAGQ members Scott Tennant on Thursday, Kanengiser on Friday and the assembled LAGQ on Saturday.

Other members of the quartet include John Dearman and Matthew Greif. Originally from Minneapolis, Dearman is a versatile guitarist whose repertoire ranges from samba to bluegrass, and from flamenco to classical. He is considered one of the best arrangers for guitar quartets and he performs on a unique seven-string guitar with extended upper and lower registers.

He is currently the director of guitar studies at the University of California-Santa Barbara.

Greif is the newest member of the LAGQ. In addition to being a classical guitarist, he has an extensive background playing in other styles, such as jazz, rock, flamenco, and bluegrass. Greif was named outstanding graduate of the USC guitar department, where he studied with Kanengiser and Tenant.

Kanengiser is soloist, recording artist and professor at the USC Thornton School of Music. His solo recordings display his unique approach to programming, ranging from the music of the old world to the Caribbean, to exploration of jazz currents for classical guitar.

Kanengiser may be best known as the classical guitarist in the 1986 film "Crossroads."

Detroit-born Tennant has been playing concerts since age 12, and is a celebrated performer, author and teacher. He is the author of a best-selling book, teaching methods, and technical guides for guitarists. He is also on the faculty at the USC Thornton School of Music.

Guitar Festival 2008 schedule

Wednesday, March 26

Registration/check in

When: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC Student Union

UTB-TSC Guitar Orchestra concert

When: 8 p.m.

Where: SET-B Lecture Hall

Admission: $10, $5

Thursday, March 27

Registration/check in

Where: UTB-TSC Student Union

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Competition rehearsal

When: 8:30 am to 5:30 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC Student Union

Venders Fair

When: noon to 5 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC Student Union

Ensemble Competition: College & Professional Categories

When: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (These times may change depending on the number of entries).

Where: UTB-TSC SET-B Lecture Hall

Scott Tennant concert

When: 8 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC SET-B Lecture Hall

Admission: $15

Friday, March 28

Registration/check in

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC Student Union

Venders Fair

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC Student Union

Bill Kanengiser Master Class/Ensemble Coaching

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC SET-B Lecture Hall

Ensemble Competition: High School Category

When: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (These times may change depending on the number of entries).

Where: SET-B Lecture Hall

Scott Tennant Master Class/Ensemble Coaching

When: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC Eidman 1 Lecture Hall

Registration closes

When: 5 p.m.

Bill Kanengiser concert

When: 8 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC SET-B Lecture Hall

Admission: $15

Saturday, March 29

Venders Fair

When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC Student Union

Ensemble Competition: Middle School & Elementary Categories

When: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (These times may change depending on the number of entries).

Where: UTB-TSC SET-B Lecture Hall

Matthew Greif classes

When: 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for jazz for classical guitar and 11 a.m. to noon for master class/ensemble coaching

Where: UTB-TSC Student Union Gran Salon

John Dearman class

When: 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for master class/ensemble coaching

Where: UTB-TSC Student Union Gran Salon

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet concert

When: 8 p.m.

Where: UTB-TSC SET-B Lecture Hall

Admission: $25, $20, $15