Bio
I've been playing classical guitar for over 40 years. I have degrees from York University and the University of Toronto. I was a high school music teacher for 30 years, but I am now focusing on performing. In the past, my ongoing engagements included Des Copains, The Vineyard, L'Entrecotte, Pirendello's, the Townhouse Cafe, Sundance Artisan Festival, Fall River Restaurant, Spill the Beanz, Best Western and the Cove. I have performed at venues such as C.B.C. Television and Radio, TV Ontario, York University, University of Toronto, A Space, The Music Gallery and the National Archives, I have also been the musical director for various musical theatre productions.
Of course, over the years, I have also provided the music for numerous wedding ceremonies and receptions, as well as for special events. I will travel anywhere but particularly in the area bounded by Peterborough to Ottawa, and Pembroke to Kingston.
Although
I get paid for what I do, the primary focus is my love of music. I do
not record nor do videos. I charge a simple hourly rate which is more
about the drive to the venue, than the performance.
Popular - Contemporary
Andrew Lloyd Weber
Dont Cry for Me Argentina
I Dont Know How to Love Him
Beatles
And I Love Her
Blackbird
Eleanor Rigby
Here Comes the Sun
Here There and Everywhere
Imagine
In My Life
Michelle
Norwegian Wood
When Im Sixty Four
While my Guitar Gently Weeps
Yesterday
Cat Stevens
Father and Son
Morning Has Broken
Five for Fighting
One Hundred Years
Superman
Lionel Richie
Endless Love
Hello
Simon and Garfunkel
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Scott Joplin
The Entertainer
Maple Leaf Rag
Sting
Every Breath You Take
Fields of Gold
Other Popular
All I Have To Do Is Dream - Bryant (Everly Brothers)
Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell
Brahms Lullaby
Can't Help Falling in Love - Martini (Elvis Presley)
Classical Gas - Mason Williams
Con Te Partiro – (Andrea Bocelli) Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto
El Condor Pasa - Robles
Fire and Rain - James Taylor
Halleluiah – Leonard Cohen
If it's Magic - Stevie Wonder
I Think it’s Going to Rain Today - Randy Newman
I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton
Kiss From a Rose - Seal
Lean on Me -Bill Withers
Let it Be Me - Becaud
Oh Danny Boy - Weatherly
Perfect - Ed Sheeran
Perhaps Love - John Denver
Petite Etude - Rik Emmett (Triumph)
Return to Sorento - Ernesto De Curtis and Giambattista De Curtiss
Stairway to Heaven-Robert Plant & Jimmy Page
Stand by Me - King, Leiber, Stoller
Tears in Heaven- Eric Clapton
Tennessee Waltz - Stewart/King
Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce
Unchained Melody - (Righteous Brothers) Alex North, Hy Zaret
Vincent - Don Maclean
When a Man Loves a Woman - Lewis/Wright
When you Say Nothing at All - Ronan Keating (Alison Krauss)
Whiter Shade of Pale - (Procol Harem) - Gary Brooker, K. Reid and M.Fisher
Will the Circle be Unbroken - Gabriel
You've Got a Friend - Carole King
Your Song - Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Traditional
Amazing Grace Blues - Trad.
America the Beautiful - Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel Augustus Ward
Auralee (Love me Tender) - W. W. Fosdickand and George R. Poulton
Due Guitar - Anonymous
God Save the Queen
Scarborough Fair - Anonymous
Star Spangled Banner – Keys
Event Music
i.e. Wedding Music, Happy Birthday, Christmas Carols
Jazz - Film
Always With Me - Miyazaki (Spirited Away)
Amapola - Lacalle (Once Upon a Time in America)
As Time Goes By - Hepfeld (Casablanca)
At Last - Mack Gordon (Sun Valley Serenade, Etta James)
Autumn Leaves - Johnny Mercer
Besame Mucho - Consuelo Velazquez
Blue Moon - Rodgers and Hart
Deborah’s Theme – Morricone (Once Upon a Time in America)
Dream a Little Dream of Me - Andre, Kahn, Schwandt
Georgia on my Mind - Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell
Glasgow Love Theme - Armstrong (Love Actually)
In the Mood - Glen Miller, Garland
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Felicidade - (Black Orpheus)
Solidao
Wave
James Horner
My Heart Will Go On - (Titanic)
Somewhere Out There - (An American Tail)
Les Champs-Elysees - Wilshaw/ Deighan
Manha De Carneval - Louis Bonfa (Black Orpheus)
My Funny Valentine - Rodgers and Hart (Babes in Arms)
Nino Rota
Godfather Waltz
Time for Us (Romeo and Juliet)
Speak Softly Love (The Godfather)
Godfather II Theme
O Che Sera - Chico Barque (The Foreigner)
Over the Rainbow - Harold Arlen and Edgar Harburg (Wizard of Oz)
Playing Love - Morricone (Legend of 1900)
Por Una Cabeza - Carlos Gardel (Scent of a Woman, True Lies)
Send in the Clowns - Seven Sondheim (A Little Night Music)
Someone to Watch Over Me - Gershwin (Oh Kay)
Summertime -George Gershwin and Edwin DuBose Heyward
Smile - Charlie Chaplin (Modern Times)
Smiling - Harry Gregson-Williams
Smiling Variations - Valentini
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Jerome Kern (Roberta)
Spanish Romance - Anonymous
Sunrise Sunset - Jerry Bock
Take Five - Paul Desmond
This Masquerade - Leon Russell
What a Wonderful World - George David Weiss and Bob Thiele
What’ll I Do - Irving Berlin (Great Gatsby, Butcher’s Wife)
When I Fall In Love - Victor Young and Edward Heyman
When You Wish Upon a Star - Washington and Harline
Brazilian - Spanish - Cuban
Albeniz - Asturias (Leyenda)
Brower - Une Dia de Noviembre
Lauro - Venezuelan Waltz #2
Morel - Danza Brazilera
Baden Powell
Alcantara
Canto De Ossanha
Retrato Braziliero
Rodrigo - Concerto Aranjuez (Solo Transcription)
Spanish Medley Improvisation (Various)
Tarrega
Capricho Arabe
Receurdos D’Alhambra
Prelude VI
Turina - Homage a Tarrega - Solearas
Choros Typicos #1
Concerto 1st Movement Excerpt
Concerto 2nd Movement - A
Concerto 2nd Movement - B
Prelude 1
Prelude 2
Prelude 3
Prelude 4
Prelude 5
Violeta Parra - Gracias a la Vida
(See above for more Brazilian - Spanish - Cuban included in 'Film'
Classical - Baroque - Romantic
Albinoni - Adagio
Beethoven
Fur Elise
Joyful Joyful
Pathetique
Brahms
Lullaby
Waltz Op39
Carulli - Slur Study
Debussy - Clair de Lune
Delibes - Flower Duet
Faure - Pavane
Guiliani - Alegretto
Handel - Sarabande
Mozart
Minuet - KV525
Piano Sonata In A
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition Promenade
Pachelbel - Canon
Purcell - Requiem
Satie - Gymnopedies #1
Franz Schubert
Ave Maria
Ferdinand Sor
Etude - A minor
Etude - A minor 2
Andantino
Etude - B minor
Etude - B minor (Prol)
Etude - D major
Etude - E minor
Etude - E minor 2
Stanley - Invenzione
Vivaldi
Four Seasons - Autumn
Four Seasons - Spring
D+ Concerto
Rennaissance -Anonymous - Traditional
Auld Lang Syne
Coventry Carol
Greensleeves
House of the Rising Sun
Huron Carol
Pezzo Tedesco
Rennaissance Pavane 1
Rennaissance Pavane 2
Rennaissance Pavane 3
Russian Etude
Saltarello
Scarborough Fair - Anonymous
Skye Boat Song - Traditional Celtic
Wild Mountain Thyme - Traditional Scottish
Milan
Pavanne
Pavanne 2
Pavanne 3
Bach
Air on a G String
Cello Suite 1
Allemande
Courante
Gigue
Minuet 1
Minuet 2
Prelude
Sarabande
Cello Suite 6
Gavotte I
Gavotte II
Sarabande
Chaconne - Excerpt
Chorales
O Sacred Head Now Wounded
Be Thou with Me
God the Father Dwell with Us
Now All the Forest Are At Rest
May God Be Merciful To Us
Goldberg Variations
Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring
Lute Suite 1
Allemande
Bouree
Minuet in G minor
Sheep May Safely Graze
Sleepers Awake
Violin Suite 3 Gavotte and Rondo
Valentini
Claudio,
Just a note
to tell you how absolutely amazing your playing was at our wedding! Not only
was the quality of your playing superb, but your repertoire is so extensive
that you took it upon yourself to entertain and enthrall our guests during
the unanticipated delays in our ceremony. I don’t have the words to describe how much
your performance added to our special
day, except that you made it even more special. Thank you! Kudos!
AW
I was a guest at ... 50th wedding anniversary gathering this afternoon. I just wanted to tell you that your contribution to this very special gathering was exquisite! I loved every minute of your performance. I meant to tell you in person but kept getting distracted by chats with dear friends. And then you were gone. But I couldn’t let the day pass without letting you know how much I appreciated the honour of listening to your performance. My 2 personal favourites were A Day in the Life of a Fool but for the life of me I cannot recall who made that song famous. The other was Don McLean’s Vincent. But everything you performed was delicious.
Thank you so much for making a very special day so “classy”!
GR
For those of you not familiar with the Classical Guitar, this is a brief description.
The classical guitar is a hollow body, figure eight shaped instrument, with nylon-like strings, and a wide neck, usually unamplified, played with the right hand fingernails. Classical guitarists read standard musical notation like other classical musicians. Playing with the fingernails makes possible a varied tone, block chords, and special effects. There is no singing involved, (although it can be used as accompaniment), and is usually played solo.
The music played on a classical guitar can be grouped into 3 categories:
1. Music written specifically for the classical guitar. Many composers have specialized in creating music for this instrument. i.e. Villa Lobos
2. Music transcribed or adapted from another instrument such as piano, cello or violin. Sometimes this results in a compromise, but sometimes the result is even better on the classical guitar. i.e. Leyenda
3. Pop and Jazz. This music must consist of the melody, (what one would sing), the harmony (the chords a rhythm guitarist would play), and the riffs in the piece, (those bits that make the song immediately recognizable).
The guitarist will then add his
or her own individual approach
to each of these categories. This
can
consist of everything from a unique interpretation of the piece, to
playing a
piece in a totally different style than it was originally written in. YouTube is an excellent resource for listening to
many classical guitarists, (playing many of the pieces above).
Rates
Sometimes unfortunately I get requests to play at locations which are hours away. Although I'm quite willing to do this, it may not be cost effective for you, especially for a short performance.
Please
contact me to book directly, or you may book through GigSalad with the
form below.
Last Updated 08/17/24