The Modesto Junior College Friends of Music series will present renowned classical guitarist Rovshan Mamedkuliev in concert on Monday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the MJC Music Recital Hall on East Campus, 435 College Avenue, Modesto.
As the 2012 winner of the Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition, Mamedkuliev has embarked on a tour playing concerts in over 50 cities in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico in the 2013-2014 season. As part of the competition prize he also recorded a new CD with the Naxos label.
Mamedkuliev was born in Baku, Azerbaijan in 1986 and a couple years later his family moved to Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. He showed exceptional musical talent at a very early age and began guitar lessons when he was 11 years old. In 2004, he was accepted into the prestigious Nizhny Novgorod Conservatoire where he studied with nationally renowned guitarist Aleksey Petropavlovsky, graduated with honors, and was invited to join the faculty upon his graduation. Now pursuing his graduate studies at the Nizhniy Novgorod Conservatoire, he teaches in its Department of Folk Instruments, as well as in the Arzamas Music College.
In 2006, Rovshan received a special grant from Russian President Vladimir Putin for high achievements in the arts. Since then, Rovshan has performed in major cities in France, Russia, Germany, Spain and in the United States, where he performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2012. He has also performed with a variety of ensembles and orchestras including l’Ensemble orchestral de Valencia (Spain), Orchestre du Conservatoire National de Musique Superiur de Paris (France), Azerbaydzhanian State Chamber Orchestra.
As a competitor, Rovshan has been a laureate of over 23 competitions, earning the praise of judges and audiences. Notably, he has won first prizes and the special interpretive awards in three competitions based on performances of obligatory works of particular composers: the 41st International Guitar Competition “Francisco Tárrega” (Spain), the 10th International Guitar Competition “Hommage à Leo Brouwer” (France), and the1st International Guitar Competition “Heitor Villa-Lobos” (Spain). Being an advocate of new music, Rovshan has premiered many new works for guitar including the Concerto №3 “Antony” for guitar and orchestra composed by Philippe Lemaigre and the Concerto “Famalicao” by Elena Lebedeva for guitar with chamber orchestra.
The concert program will include performances of Folia (Variations on a Theme of Sor, op.15) by Miguel Llobet; Homage to Tárrega by Štepán Rak; Sonata and An Idea (Passacaglia por Eli) by Leo Brouwer; Six Miniatures by Fikret Amirov; The Old Lime Tree by Sergey Rudnev; Just How Funky Are You by Andrew York; Sevillana (Fantasía) by Joaquín Turina, and Gran Jota by Francisco Tárrega
Concert tickets are $12 general admission and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at the MJC Auditorium Box Office which opens February 4 or by calling 575-6776 during Box Office hours: Tuesday through Friday, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Tickets will also be available at the door 90 minutes prior to the concert in the Music Recital Hall.
Proceeds from Friends of Music Concerts are used to support the programs of the MJC Music Department and provide music student scholarships.
