American guitarist Adam Holzman has been chosen to begin a new classical guitar program at Brevard Music Center in Summer 2017. The program is tailored for high school and college age students from 14-29. Admission will be by audition, and the course of study will include private lessons, chamber music, and ensembles in addition to masterclasses on solo performance, technique, teaching, and stagecraft.
The storied summer orchestra festival flirted with adding classical guitar to the roster of instrumental coaching over 15 years ago. This latest initiative comes just over 30 years after the June 2, 1987, death of Andrés Segovia, who spent a lifetime tirelessly advancing the classical guitar to academe and the world’s leading composers.
Holzman, who was twice chosen to perform in the historic master classes of Segovia, said, “As a young guitarist and musician, I was fortunate to attend some of the great music festivals. Those experiences have enriched my entire career. Exposure to world’s finest artists helped shaped my musical thought and created a vision of who I wanted to be as I matured…. Getting to know and study with other instrumentalists and singers was an invaluable part of my own training. My intention is to foster the new generation of young guitarists within a similar opportunity as I had and hopefully continue to do so at Brevard for a long time to come.”
According to the BMC website, “Advanced students will have the opportunity for chamber music (study and performance), drawing on the wealth of talent from the other festival participants. Concert opportunities, both on and off campus, will be offered to those ready for performance, and the course will culminate in a class recital.” Holzman will have an assistant, “to teach a morning technique workshop and aid in scheduling and guitar ensemble (coaching) with some of the younger students.”
Holzman’s artistic credentials make him a good fit at the Brevard Music Center. His background is substantial. Winner of five major international competitions; solo and chamber performances at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Kaufman Hall, the 92nd St. Y, Merkin Hall, and Carnegie Recital Hall in New York; and engagements at music festivals and series worldwide including Europe, Canada, Mexico, and Central and Latin America.
There are several recordings on the Naxos label, and Mr. Holzman‘s debut effort for HRH Records as well as the recordings for Naxos are widely referenced for precision and artistic expression.
As a teacher, he founded the Guitar Program at the University of Texas in 1989. He also founded the Austin Guitar Society, which has grown into one of the premier guitar societies in the world. His students have won a vast array of international and national prizes and perform and teach around the world. He has been named Parker C. Fielder Regents Fellow in Music at the University of Texas at Austin where he commands a thriving guitar studio consisting of many award-winning emerging artists.
He held the title of “Maestro Extraordinario” from the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico, where he served as artist-in-residence. He was awarded the Ernst von Dohnanyi Prize for Outstanding Achievement from Florida State University,
The study period is June 22 – July 15, 2017. An outline for the program can be found here: https://www.brevardmusic.org/institute/highschool/classicalguitar/.
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With thanks to former editor Roger A. Cope and Maestro Holzman for their contributions to this blog post.
