News

January/February, 2013 – “Begin” Review at Minor 7th

Over the last decade, the large guitar ensemble has become a crowd favorite at guitar festivals. The shortfall of these guitar orchestras is the limitation in variety of timbre. The Pacific Guitar Ensemble which is comprised of alumni and distinguished faculty from the world-renowned San Francisco Conservatory of Music solve this problem in a delightful and rewarding way. Ensemble members, who include David Tanenbaum, Peppino D’Agostino, Lawrence Ferrara, Jon Mendle, Michael Bautista, Marc Teicholz, Paul Psarras and Antoniy Kakamakov, fill their ensemble not just with the traditional instrumentation of classical guitars, but with a varied palette which includes steel string guitars, electric bass, electric guitar, arch lute, theorbo, and baroque guitar for a truly unique tonal experience. Opening with the premiere recording of Sergio Assad’s “Wednesdays at Sugar” the listener is drawn into an intricate and elaborate musical experience. A wonderful arrangement of Fernando Sor’s “Gran Solo, Op. 14″ follows. Terry Riley’s “Y Bolanzero,” Belinda Reynolds’ “Begin,” and Peppino D’Agostino’s “Jump Rope” are wonderful musical offerings with wit and charm. The setting of J. S. Bach’s Brandenburg “Concerto No. 6″ (BWV 1051) is a treat. The varied instrumentation captures the beauty of the original orchestration while offering the listener something truly new and wonderful. (read more)

March 14, 2012 – The Pacific Guitar Ensemble at the Conservatory

The Pacific Guitar Ensemble was formed in 2010 by David Tanenbaum, Chairman of the Guitar Faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Peppino D’Agostino as a large guitar ensemble that could perform a wide variety of repertoire. It currently has eight members (including the founders), all of whom play classical guitar… (read more)