Morgan Szymanski
featuring special guests Phuong Nguyen and Lizzie Ball
The multi-award winning virtuoso Mexican guitarist performs a programme of great guitar music from Latin America.
“The whole of this programme is very much influenced by folk music from Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. Yes, some of the works are written or arranged by ´classical´ composers but I have chosen the pieces because they clearly show a perfect marriage/crossover of styles between academic and folk idioms.” Morgan Szymanski
The programme includes pieces by Mexican composers Julio César Oliva and Manuel M. Ponce; Leo Brouwer from Cuba; Agustín Barrios Mangoré from Paraguay; Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos; and the Argentinian composer Jorge Cardoso.
In recent years Morgan has given recitals at major UK venues and festivals including the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, King’s Place, The Sage Gateshead, Royal Opera House, and London International Guitar Festival. He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, and the Cervantes Choir and the Coro de Madrigalistas de Bellas Artes in Mexico’s Palacio de Bellas Artes.
He is an alumnus of Live Music Now!, the scheme started by Lord Yehudi Menuhin to reach audiences that would otherwise have no access to live music. In 2016 he founded PRISMA, an artistic outreach programme aimed at taking workshops in music and the performing arts to socially disadvantaged and remote areas in Mexico.
‘A superb classical guitarist.’ Ivan Hewett, The Daily Telegraph
‘…The density of sound was as near to symphonic as the unamplified guitar gets….We will hear more of him.’ Evening Standard
‘This young virtuoso is that rare thing among guitarists: a fine chamber player.’ Gramophone Magazine
Joining Morgan as special guests are Phuong Nguyen on classical accordion and Lizzie Ball on violin.
Presented with SOAS and Iberian & Latin American Music Society, in celebration of ILAMS 25th anniversary.
