Four versions of Gerard Drozd’s Adagio Op. 44 [Homage to Bach]

Four versions of the Polish guitarist and composer Gerard Drozd’s beautiful piece: Adagio op. 44 (Homage to Johann Sebastian Bach). The first version (solo guitar): Irina Kulikova. This performance was recorded live at the International GLIWICE GUITAR FESTIVAL on 13 November 2011.

Irina Kulikova plays Gerard Drozd’s Adagio op. 44 (Homage to Johann Sebastian Bach)

The second version (for piano, Adagio Op. 44b): Keiko Nishizu. Recorded during a recital by the Japanese pianist in Polish Radio Gdańsk on 8th May 2013.

Keiko Nishizu plays Gerard Drozd’s Adagio op. 44 (Homage to Johann Sebastian Bach)

The third version (for guitar duo, Adagio Op. 44c): Montenegrin Guitar Duo (Goran Krivokapić and Danijel Cerović). Recorded live during the XVIth International GLIWICE GUITAR FESTIVAL in 2014.

Montenegrin Guitar Duo (Goran Krivokapić and Danijel Cerović) plays Gerard Drozd’s Adagio op. 44 (Homage to Johann Sebastian Bach)

The fourth version (for guitar and flute duo, Adagio Op. 44e): The Cavatina Duo (Spanish flutist Eugenia Moliner and the Bosnian guitarist Denis Azabagic). Recorded live during the XVth International GLIWICE GUITAR FESTIVAL in 2013.

Montenegrin Guitar Duo (Goran Krivokapić and Danijel Cerović) plays Gerard Drozd’s Adagio op. 44 (Homage to Johann Sebastian Bach)

Irina Kulikova

Irina Kulikova
Irina Kulikova

Irina Kulikova (born 30 April 1982 in Chelyabinsk) is a Russian classical guitarist. Under the guidance of Victor Kozlov and her mother, cellist Vinera Kulikova, she started developing her musicianship from the earliest age. At the age of twelve, she had already traveled around Russia and abroad for gala concerts and festivals. When she reached fourteen, she was included in the book ‘The Classical Guitar, its evolution, players, and personalities since 1800’ by Maurice Summerfield.

Kulikova has given concerts all over Europe, Russia, and in North-America, performing as a soloist, in a variety of ensembles, and with a number of orchestras. She played at leading guitar festivals all over the world and in beautiful halls like the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Academic Capella in St. Petersburg, and the Schloss Mirabel in Salzburg. She performed for various members of the royal and aristocratic families of Germany and Denmark.

The experts’ appreciation of her interpretations is underlined by numerous awards in prestigious international guitar competitions, culminating with five 1st prizes in 2008: Michele Pittaluga in Italy, Guitarra Alhambra in Spain, Forum Gitarre Wien in Austria, the International Guitar competition Iserlohn in Germany and the “Twents Gitaarfestival” in the Netherlands, 2008. In the same year, she was awarded the Young Talent, Culture, and Podium prize in the Netherlands.

Irina Kulikova graduated with distinction from the Mozarteum University in Salzburg (Austria), the Gnessins Academy in Moscow (Russia), and the Conservatoire of Maastricht (The Netherlands). She studied with outstanding musicians like Marco Tamayo, Carlo Marchione, Simone Fontanelli (modern music), Howard Penny (baroque music), and Hans Brüderl (baroque lute).

Since 2007, Irina Kulikova has lived and teaches in the Netherlands.

In 2005, Irina Kulikova recorded her first solo CD, with works of Legnani, Mertz, Barríos Mangoré, Sor, Moreno-Torroba, Aguado, and Rodrigo. In 2009, she released her second solo CD, in the Laureate Series of Naxos (as the winner of the Michele Pittaluga competition in 2008), with works by Ponce, Tansman, Brouwer, and José Maria Gallardo del Rey.

In 2011, her third solo CD, titled “Reminiscences of Russia” was released. It is the first CD in the Laureate series of Naxos for winners of the Alhambra Competition in Spain.

Irina Kulikova started winning first prizes on international competitions in Russia at the age of twelve. Since 2006:

First prizes

  • Michele Pittaluga, Alessandria, Italy, 2008
  • Guitarra Alhambra, Valencia, Spain, 2008
  • Forum Gitarre Wien, Austria, 2008
  • International Guitar competition Iserlohn, Germany, 2008
  • Twents Gitaarfestival, The Netherlands, 2008
  • International Guitar Festival of Coria, Spain, 2006

Second prizes

  • International Guitar Festival of Naxos, Greece, 2007
  • Norba Caesarina, Cáceres, Spain, 2007
  • Ivor Mairants Guitar Award, London, England, 2006

Other awards

  • Young Talent, Culture and Podium Prize, The Netherlands, 2008
  • Printemps de la Guitare, Charleroi, Belgium, 2006
  • Special Prize, Koblenz International Guitar Festival, 2006

Montenegrin Guitar Duo

Montenegrin Guitar Duo
Montenegrin Guitar Duo (Goran Krivokapić and Danijel Cerović)

Montenegrin Guitar Duo (Goran Krivokapić and Danijel Cerović) caught the attention of international audiences and critics with their historically informed performances of J. S. Bach’s English Suites in a new, fresh approach on two guitars.

Their repertoire includes the transcriptions of Renaissance and baroque music and original compositions dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, with a special emphasis on the contemporary music originally written for two guitars as well as improvisation. Polish contemporary composer Gerard Drozd dedicated his concerto for two guitars and string quartet to the duo, as well as his “Homage to Bach” suite Op. 150. Other composers who wrote for the duo include Gustav Eichelberger and Krstyun Wrtoszlavsky. Montenegrin Guitar Duo’s ultimate goal is to broaden the guitar repertoire and further integrate guitar in the big family of classical instruments.

The duo is frequently invited to prestigious international events (e.g. Festival Internacional de Musica y Danza de Granada, Kotor Art Festival, Koblenz Guitar Festival, a Tempo music festival) for recitals and concerts with orchestras as well as for masterclasses, lectures about transcribing Bach’s music and adjudicating competitions. Their performances in Montenegro, Germany, Spain, Poland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegowina, and Albania, have been highly acclaimed by both critics and audiences.

Their debut CD with works by Domeniconi, Piazzolla, and Bogdanovic was published in 2013 by the Montenegrin Music Centre. In 2015 Naxos Records is publishing the first of two CDs of Bach’s English Suites, transcribed and performed by the Montenegrin Guitar Duo, making a world premiere recording of this unique project.

Goran Krivokapić

Goran Krivokapić, born in 1979, is one of the leading guitarists of the young international scene. Besides his technical virtuosity, the reason for this is his characteristical interpretation of old and new repertoire. Apart from winning eighteen international competitions, he received several awards at the annual “International Guitar Convention in Alessandria”, Italy: 2005 as the best Young Guitarist of the Year and 2006 for his debut CD “Best CD of the Year”. His breakthrough came in 2004 as the winner of the two most prestigious competitions in North and South America (Canada and Chile).

Since then he has performed in the most prestigious halls all over the world. As a soloist, Goran has performed accompanied by orchestras from Montenegro, Serbia, Germany, Italy, Chile, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia and Romania. As an artist, lecturer, and adjudicator, he is a frequent guest at many international festivals and universities. Several television documentaries were made about him (TV Montenegro, TV Arte) and he performed for and gave interviews to TV and radio stations such as FOX7, Fine Music Radio, Hessische Rundfunk, WGBH Radio Boston, WDR.

Various newspapers and music magazines wrote about him: Classical Guitar Magazine (UK), Akustik Gitarre (Germany), GendaiGuitar Magazine (Japan), Les Cahiers de la Guitare (France), Musica (Italy), Seicorde (Italy), MobilArt (Montenegro), Stampa (Italy).

Goran Krivokapic’s focus is on the development of new works for classical guitar, mainly through transcribing Baroque and Classical works, but also collaborating with contemporary composers. Since 2010 he lectures a class of post-graduate students at the Koblenz International Guitar Academy.

Danijel Cerović

Danijel Cerović graduated from the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade in the class of Professor Vera Ogrizovic and completed his master’s studies in guitar at the Conservatory in Maastricht (The Netherlands) in the class of Carlo Marchione. At the Music Academy in Cetinje, he obtained a master’s degree. He attended master courses with renowned foreign performers and educators. Cerovic won numerous awards in competitions for guitar here and abroad. Cerovic regularly performs as a soloist and member of chamber ensembles at domestic and international festivals (Montenegro. Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Greece, Germany, The Netherlands, and Spain).

As a soloist, he has performed with the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Montenegrin Radio and Television, Mossani Strings (The Netherlands), Rubicon Quartet, as well as with prominent national and international artists such as Amanda Stojovic, Goran Krivokapic, B. Martinovic, M. Gjuro, O. Dukic, and others.

Danijel Cerovic is co-founder and artistic director of the Niksic Guitar Festival. Since 2003 he has been hired as an expert teacher at the Music Academy in Cetinje. He is a member of the Board for Music at CANU and was a professor of guitar at the Music Academy of Eastern Sarajevo. As a soloist, he has recorded CDs with music by Scarlatti, Sor, and Giuliani. As a member of Duo Amarilli, he has recorded a CD with music for voice and guitar. Cerovic is regularly recording for radio and television broadcasts (RTCG, RTS, RTVNK, BNT).

Cavatino Duo

Cavatina Duo plays Bach BWV 1035
Cavatina Duo

The Cavatina Duo – Eugenia Moliner, flute (Spain), and Denis Azabagic, guitar (Bosnia)—has become one of the most impressive combinations of its kind in the world. Critics are raving:

“Style, sympathy, and technical aplomb . . . it’s doubtful that the Cavatina’s sophisticated and artistic playing could be surpassed.” -Fanfare

Dedicated soloists and chamber musicians, the Cavatina Duo breaks convention with their combination of instruments. Add to that their daring choices of varied and versatile repertoire, and the result is new sounds, colors, and musical phrasings, which in return awakens a high level of emotion and audience response. A Cavatina Duo concert is a musical experience you don’t want to miss.

The Cavatina Duo has captivated audiences with their electrifying performances in such major venues and festivals as Ravinia’s Raising Stars series (Chicago), Da Camera Society (Los Angeles), Aix-en-Provence Summer Festival (France), the National Concert Hall of Taipei (Taiwan), National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing (China), National Flute Convention Gala Concert (USA), the Harris Theater (Chicago), Kolkata International Guitar Festival (India), Foundation Principe Felipe and Palau de la Musica (Spain), among many others.

Radio and television stations in Europe and North America such as WFMT and NPR have broadcast the duo’s performances. They have been the subjects of interviews in international magazines such as Chamber Music America, TodoFlauta (Spain), FluteTalk (USA), Classical Guitar (UK), Guitarra Magazine (web), Soundboard (USA) and Flute—the British Flute Society. They are the first guitar and flute duo to be featured on the covers of both Classical Guitar Magazine (UK) and the cover of FluteTalk (USA)

Cavatina Duo has performed with orchestras and string quartets in Europe, the USA, India, South Korea, and Mexico including the Chicago Sinfonietta, Traverse Symphony, Sarajevo Philharmonic, Daejeon Philharmonic and the Youth Orchestra of Monterrey, Mexico. In 2010 Cavatina Duo gave the world premiere of another work commissioned by them from Alan Thomas, “Concerto for Flute, Guitar and Orchestra,” with the Camerata Serbica at the Guitar Art Festival in Belgrade.

Eugenia Moliner has been acclaimed as “brilliant” by the British Flute Society magazine. She has performed with principal musicians from the Chicago Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and Toronto Symphony orchestras as well as with many chamber ensembles, including the Chicago Chamber Musicians, Civitas Ensemble, and Chinese Fine Arts Musicians. This season she will collaborate with the Aspen String Trio. Her discography includes seven CDs.

A prize-winner in twenty-four international competitions, Denis Azabagic has been described as a “virtuoso with flawless technique” by Soundboard Magazine. He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Chicago and Madrid Symphonies, among many others. Azabagic has collaborated with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, the Civitas Ensemble, and the Cuarteto Casals. His discography includes twelve CDs, two DVDs, and a manual.

Denis Azabagic and Eugenia Moliner are Artists of Faculty at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

The duo has compiled a substantial number of recordings on the Spanish and North American labels Opera Tres, Cedille, Bridge, and Orobroy Records.

For “The Balkan Project” (Cedille 2010) Cavatina Duo commissioned new works for flute and guitar; they selected nine composers and chose music from the Balkans, reflecting Azabagic’s heritage.

Their following release was “Cavatina Duo Plays Astor Piazzolla” (Bridge 2010). This time they commissioned Grammy winner Sérgio Assad and his daughter Clarice, a rising star in the music world, to arrange/compose many works originally written for other combinations of instruments or, as in the case of the Flute Etudes, creating the guitar part as well. Mr. Assad, having worked with Piazzolla himself, was the perfect match for this project.

For their recently released CD “Cavatina at the Opera” (Bridge 2015), Eugenia and Denis commissioned long-time friend, composer, and collaborator Alan Thomas to arrange/recompose for their combination some of the most beautiful and best-known fantasies and variations written for flute and ones written for guitar, making this an important addition to the flute and guitar repertoire.

Denis and Eugenia are constantly researching new musical ideas and projects, and this has brought them to their new endeavor, Sephardic Journey, which consists of new commissions of works based on Sephardic melodies from five leading composers. The world premiere will be held at the Ravinia Festival with the renowned Avalon Quartet in March 2016 and the CD will be released on Cedille Records.

(as of December 2015 – source)

Sources

M. Özgür Nevres

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