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Welcome to the Ritter Family Classical Guitar Program听at the听麻豆影院 College of Music!
The Ritter Family Classical Guitar Program aims to be an 补驳辞谤脿, a public space for scholars and guitarists, for students and music lovers鈥攁 place where different people and cultures meet to share ideas and foster the arts.
Through our various initiatives, campus and community听collaborations, and emphasis on chamber music, our mission is to encourage our students to interact within an international environment and to expose them to the most refined music-making. Students are stimulated to broaden their cultural and human horizons and to always look for new occasions in which to meanginfully connect with other musicians. In so doing, they build their unique artistic path.听
Every semester, different guest artists are invited to perform and teach at our College of Music鈥攖o date, we鈥檝e welcomed lutenists Paul O鈥橠ette and Nigel North;听as well as guitarists including the Assad Brothers, Roland Dyens and Paco Pe帽a, among others.听
Mike + Mikhy Ritter鈥攁nd the Ritter Family Classical Guitar Program
In October 2014, CU 麻豆影院 alumni Michael and Michele Ritter made a trailblazing gift to the classical guitar program that, combined with a commitment from the Office of the Chancellor, endowed and renamed it the Ritter Family Classical Guitar Program. 鈥淭he generosity of Mikhy and Mike nurtures our guitar students鈥� dreams, strengthens their desire to explore and to discover, and encourages their search for a unique voice in the musical world,鈥澨齭ays Ritter Family Classical Guitar Program Director Nicol貌 Spera.
Nicol貌 Spera
Italian guitarist Nicol貌 Spera brings to his teaching and performing a unique synthesis of European and American traditions. Spera is one of the few guitarists in the world to perform on both six-string and ten-string guitars, as well as on theorbo. His wide-ranging repertoire includes the extraordinary music of the Franco-Andalusian composer Maurice Ohana; he has given lecture-recitals on the music of Ohana at many institutions and festivals worldwide, and his recordings of Ohana鈥檚 works for solo guitar have won different awards including a 鈥淐hitarra d鈥檕ro鈥� at the Convegno Internazionale di Chitarra in Milan, Italy. Spera has also published recordings of new works for guitar and choir; his own transcriptions of Bach鈥檚 Cello Suites; selected works by Catalan composers Federico Mompou and Enrique Granados; a recording focused on the passacaglia form; and the complete works with guitar of Christopher Theofanidis. A primary goal of Spera鈥檚 creative work is to expand the guitar repertoire. He is committed to commissioning substantial works that explore unprecedented ways of writing for guitar. MORE
SoloDuo
Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli鈥攂etter known worldwide as SoloDuo鈥攁re permanent visiting artists听of the Ritter Family Classical Guitar Program. The duo spends up to two weeks in 麻豆影院 every semester working with individuals and ensembles on both graduate and undergraduate levels, and performing with students and faculty.听
Both SoloDuo鈥檚 residency and the CU 麻豆影院 Guitar Festival reflect our program vision and our efforts to bring the finest classical guitarists in the world to our campus and our broader community; and to expose young people directly to great artistry and music making.