III Encuentro de Guitarra Clásica "Norba Caesarina"

Ricardo Gallén

Ricardo Jesús Gallén García was born in Linares (Spain) in 1972. He started to learn the guitar at the age of four and made his debut with his father Manuel Gallen when he was only five. At ten he entered the Conservatorio deMúsica de Linares where he received his first official music lessons with the founder (and by then director) of the Conservatorio, composer Tomas Villajos Soler. He continued his studies in the conservatoires of Jaén, Córdoba, Madrid o Granada, under the guidance of Victor Valls, Miguel Barbera, Demetrio Ballesteros and Carmelo Martínez.

He took Master classes with such personalities as Miguel Angel Girollet, José Tomás, Manuel Abella, Jose Luis Rodrigo, Flores Chaviano, Francisco Ortiz, Joaquín Clerch, Antoni Spiri, Jurgen Hubscher and Christoph Eglhuber.

He has performed all throughout Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Santander, Oviedo, Córdoba, Sevilla, Granada, Murcia, etc as well as in Italy, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Finland, Portugal, France, Bulgaria, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Cuba, Russia, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, USA, Croatia, Romania and Israel, as a soloist, playing duo with Eliot Fisk or with an orchestra Vogtland Philharmonie Greiz-Reichenbach of Germany, Orquesta Sinfónica of Valencia, Orquesta Joven of Andalucia, Orquesta Sinfónica of Valles, Real Orquesta Sinfónica of Sevilla, Philarmonic Orchestra of Tampres (Finland), Royal French Community Orchestra (Belgium), European Symphonic Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica of Alicante, Orquesta Sinfonieta of Barcelona, Orquesta del Principado of Asturias, Junge Salzburger Philarmonie (Austria), National Radio Television Orchestra of Romania, Jerusalem Music Academy Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Matanzas (Cuba), Philarmonic Orchestra of Lublin (Poland), Philarmonic Orchestra of St Petersburg (Rusia), Orquesta Ciudad de Granada], as well as in international festivals and with conductors such as Sergiu Comissiona or Monica Hugett. He has recorded for radio and TV in Spain, Finland, Belgium, Romania, Germany, Cuba, Mexico, South Korea and Bulgaria.

He has also premiered a number of works from several composers like the works for solo guitar and guitar and orchestra by Tomas Villejos. He has also studied composition with Joaquin Clerch and Villajos himself.

His teaching activity is also remarkable, giving Master classes in Spain, Austria, Germany, Poland, Israel, Chile, Portugal, Mexico, France, USA, Russia, Greece and Romania. He usually assists Joaquín Clerch and Eliot Fisk in their Master classes. He studied Guitar and Ancient Music in the Universities of Salzburg (Mozarteum) and Munchen, with Maestros Fisk, Eglhuber, Spiri, Gilbert, Hubscher and Clerch, graduating in 1999 in Meisterklasse at Hochschule fur Musik in Munchen with Joaquín Clerch. He has recorded, together with Eliot Fisk et al, a charitable CD with music of Spanish composers. Naxos released four CD’s of him performing Giuliani, Brouwer, Takemitsu, etc as well as the guitar and orchestra concerts by Maestro Rodrigo, alongside with Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias conducted by Maximiano Valdes. His first CD was in 2001 amongst the top 50 Naxos releases, obtaining an outstanding response by the music press. In August 2000 he was in the cover of Classical Guitar Magazine, interviewed by Cecilia Rodrigo, Maestro Rodrigo’s daughter. His bio is included in the fifth edition of the book The Classical Guitar – its evolution, players and personalities since 1800 by Maurice J. Summerfield, director of Ashley Mark Publishing Company. He has been invited, as a member of the jury, to several international competitions such as those held at Coria, Volos, Krynica, Hallein, Velbert (Andres Segovia), Alcoy (Alhambra) or Miami (GFA). He currently teaches as principal teacher at I Master in Classical Guitar of the University of Extremadura and assists the Chair of Eliot Fisk at Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.

Awards won: .

First prize 'ex aequo': III Concurso Internacional de Guitarra de Cantabria 1990.
First prize at I Gran Premio Internacional de Guitarra de España 1993. Honorific mention: Fin de Carrera in 1993.
Third prize at II Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Ciudad de Linares 1995.
First prize at XXXII Internationaler Instrumentalwettbewerb Markneukirchen 1997, Germany.
First prize and Special prize at II Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Paco Marín 1997.
Special Prize to the Best Tarrega Performance at XXXI Certamen Internacional Fco. Tárrega 1997.
First prize and Special Prize to the Best Enrique Igoa Performance at XIV Certamen Internacional de Guitarra Andrés Segovia 1998, Granada.
First Prize at IV Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Alhambra 1998.
Second prize and two Special prizes to Best Jukka Tiensuu performance at I International Leo Brouwer Guitar Competition 1998 , Finland.
Second prize , Special prize and Special Prize to Best Tarrega performance at XXXII Certamen Internacional Fco. Tárrega 1998.
Second prize at VI Concurso Internacional Printemps de la Guitare 1998 en Walcourt, Belgium.
First prize and Special prize at XXXIII Certamen Internacional Fco. Tárrega 1999.
Second prize 'ex aequo' at II Certamen Internacional Julián Arcas 2001.
First prize and 5 Special prizes (Best performance of a Cuban piece, Special prize Leo Brouwer, Premio de la Asociación de Músicos de la Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba, Premio de la Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales, y Premio del Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión) at XI Concurso Internacional de Guitarra de La Habana, Cuba 2002.

Born in Lerida, Spain in 1960, Carles Trepat began his guitar studies with Jordi Montagut and took Emilio Pujol's last master class in 1976. He continued in Barcelona under Eduardo Sáinz de la Maza and later with José Tomás at the Oscar Esplá Music Conservatory of Alicante. Alberto Ponce was his tutor at the la École Normale de Musique de Paris.

At 17 he was performing as a soloist and appeared at the Teatro Real, Madrid as the winner of the National Youth Music Prize. Other awards include the Tárrega Prize from the International Competition at Benicassim, the Outstanding Award from the Jury at La Habana's International Guitar Competition and First Prize at the V International Guitar Competition in Toronto, Canada.

Involved in teaching since early on, Carles spent five years as guitar professor at the Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Vila-seca. He is often invited to give Master classes at other Conservatories and Music Colleges such as Zaragoza, A Coruña, Gijón, Badajoz, Ikasmúsica de Bilbao, Alkmaar (Holland), Volos, Salónica (Greece). He was also José Tomás' assistant teacher for ten years at the famous summer courses given at Vila-seca and Dénia.

Carles Trepat has given recitals in places as diverse as, France, Russia, Austria, United Kingdom, Chile, Australia, Canada, etc. Noteworthy concerts include those given at London's Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, Palau de la Música Catalana de Barcelona, Warsaw Philarmonia, Teatro de la Maestranza de Sevilla, Glinka Theatre, St. Petersburg and the Moscow Tchaikovsky Institute.

To mention but a few, he has participated in Festivals as revered as International Music and Dance Festival of Granada, Shell Darwin Guitar Festival, Festival de Radio France-Montpellier, Ibercámera de Barcelona, Festival de Cadaqués...

As a soloist he has collaborated with the following Orchestras: London Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. John's Smith Square and Granada City Orchestra. He has performed under the conductorship of Josep Pons, Leopold Hager, Enrique García Asensio and Friedemann Layer.

His ongoing interest in more contemporary music has brought about collaborations with numerous musicians from other spheres including Tomatito's "Homage to Piazzolla" presented at the XII Bienal de Flamenco in Seville.

Young Catalan composers have dedicated work to Carles. These include Salvador Brotons and Albert Llanas. Trepat has also published original compositions and transcribed pieces for the guitar. His work "Homage to Baden Powell" received first prize at the Carrefour Mondiale de la Guitare de Martinique 1994.

Recently he has recorded two albums dedicated to the music of Federico Mompou and Manuel Quiroga. Also, his CD of M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco's adaptation of Lorca's Romancero Gitano, in collaboration with the Palau the la Música Chamber Choir has just been released.

Thomas Müller-Pering was born in Cologne in 1958 and received his first training on the guitar at the age of twelve. He studied at the Music Academy of Aachen under the tutelage of Prof. Tadashi Sasaki and graduated in 1980 with an Honours Certificate of the Arts.

During this time he also participated in numerous international masterclasses with such luminaries as Siegfried Behrend, José Tomas, Oscar Ghiglia and John Williams.

Awards (his many prizes including prizes from):

- 1982 'International Music Competition of the ARD' in Munich
- 1983 first prize 'Concurso Internacional de Música' 1983 in Viña del Mar, Chile
- 1983 'Young Artist's Award 1983' from Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany.

Thomas Müller-Pering has toured as a soloist in numerous countries throughout Europe, North and South America. In Japan he released two solo-CDs and in 1988 became one of the first classical guitarist to produce a 60-minute video recital.

He is actively involved in various chamber ensembles with the flutists Wally Hase, Rebecca Montoya and Michael Faust, violinist Alexis Vincent, percussionist Ansgar Buchholz (vibraphone & marimba) and the mandolinist Caterina Lichtenberg.

In 1991 he recorded a DUO CD with MANUEL BARRUECO the 'Danzas Españolas' by Enrique Granados for EMI label.

Mr. Müller-Pering has been teaching at the Aachen Academy of Music since 1980 and in 1997 was appointed as professor at the guitar faculty of the 'Franz Liszt' Academy in Weimar, Germany.

He is frequently invited as a guest lecturer to courses, seminars, congresses and as jury member for competitions in and outside of Germany.

The Press:

Gendai Guitar (Tokio): Die C-Dur Sonate von Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 1005) zählte in ihrer Klarheit und strukturellen Durchsichtigkeit ebenso zu den einmaligen Highlights seines Recitals wie die drei Capricci aus op. 1 von Niccolò Paganini, dargeboten mit geradezu diabolischer Spielfreude und Brillanz - ein Gitarrist mit außergewöhnlichen Qualitäten.

The Indianapolis Star: Nur ein großer Künstler verfügt über die Fähigkeit bei derart diszipliniertem Spiel noch Raum für Spontaneität zu schaffen... was denn auch jene Würze und Flair für die Werke von Agustín Barrios oder Müller-Perings eigene Bearbeitungen der ‘Piezas Características‘ op. 92 von Isaac Albeníz beisteuerte...

Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung: Fragiler Klangzauber begeistert Publikum - Thomas Müller-Pering, einer der glaubwürdigsten Künstler auf internationalem Parkett ..., zeigte sich als technischer Perfektionist mit einer äußerst kultivierten Spielweise.

Joaquin Clerch was born in 1965 in Havana and from childhood studied the guitar with Leopoldina Nuñez. He continued his study at the National School of Arts and then at the Instituto Superior de Arte. His teachers were Marta Cuervo, Antonio Rodriguez, Rey Guerra, Costas Cotsiolis, Leo Brouwer and for composition Carlos Farrinas among others. In 1990 he began his training in Salzburg with a Mozarteum scholarship, where he studied the guitar with Eliot Fisk, early music with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Anthony Spiri and contemporary music with Oswald Salaberger. He completed his studies with the highest award in 1991, receiving the prize which the CulturalMinistry of Austria grants to the best graduates. Joaquin Clerch has appeared in concerts in Paris, Tokyo, Munich,Frankfurt, Brussels, Athens, Toronto, Havana, Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Belgrade, Istanbul and Salzburg, among other places. He has collaborated as a soloist with such well-known orchestras as the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the Slovak Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg. With the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria under Adrian Leaper, he made the first recording of two guitar concertos dedicated to him by Leo Brouwer (Concierto de la Habana, 1998) and Carlos Fariñas (Concierto, 1996). Since 1999, Joaquín Clerch has been professor of guitar at the Robert Schumann University in Düsseldorf.