October 3, 2011. Boyce Lancaster interviews the guitarist Sharon Isbin. Ms. Isbin is a widely recorded American guitarist and the founder of the Guitar Department at the Juilliard. She began her guitar studies at age nine. Sharon was a student of the Italian guitarist Aldo Minella, the famed Andrés Segovia, and the pianist Rosalyn Tureck, among others. Her wide repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Ms. Isbin commissioned a number of compositions for the guitar from such composers as John Corigliano, Aaron Jay Kernis, Lukas Foss, and Christopher Rouse. David Diamond, Ned Rorem, Leo Brouwer, and others wrote music for her.
You can listen to several recordings of Sharon Isbin, courtesy of Youtube: Valse Op. 8 no. 4, by the Paraguayan composer and guitarist Agustin Barrios (here), Asturias by Isaac Albéniz (here), Sentimental Melody, from Forests of the Amazon by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa Lobos (here), and Francisco Tarrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra (here). The complete interview is here, and below is Boyce’s introduction to his conversation with Ms. Isbin.
As I watch guitarist Sharon Isbin play Asturias by Isaac Albeniz, I marvel at the lightness and fluidity of her touch on the guitar.I have seen other guitarists play this piece and they almost always make it look like an extreme amount of work, as though they almost need to force the instrument to respond.With Isbin, the music is lovingly and gently coaxed from her instrument in a way that keeps the music in the foreground and the artist simply the composer’s musical conduit.
My conversation with Ms. Isbin found us covering a wide range of subjects, some artistic, some technical, but all with the focus on what allows her the greatest artistic expression.
At a time when many Classical artists and broadcasters wrinkled their noses when saying the word crossover, Isbin embraced it.She relishes the opportunity to explore new collaborations, new combinations, and new styles.One such collaboration is her recording Journey to the New World, for which she won a 2010 Grammy.John Duarte wrote the Joan Baez Suite, Op. 144 for this recording.Mark O’Connorjoined her in the world premiere recording of his Strings and Threads Suite for Violin and Guitar, and Joan Baez herself recorded two tracks with Isbin.
She was featured on Howard Shore’s soundtrack for the Academy Award winning film, The Departed, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, and Matt Damon…and she will soon release Guitar Passions: Sharon Isbin and Friends, on which she collaborates with With rock guitarists Steve Vai, Steve Morse, Nancy Wilson (Heart); jazz guitarists Stanley Jordan & Romero Lubambo; Brazilian singer/guitarist Rosa Passos, organic percussionist/composer Thiago de Mello, and saxophonist Paul Winter.
I hope you have time to listen to our brief conversation.I also hope you take the time to acquaint yourself with Sharon Isbin’s artistry and musical exploration.It’s well worth the trip!
Sharon Isbin
October 3, 2011. Boyce Lancaster interviews the guitarist Sharon Isbin. Ms. Isbin is a widely recorded American guitarist and the founder of the Guitar Department at the Juilliard
. She began her guitar studies at age nine. Sharon was a student of the Italian guitarist Aldo Minella, the famed Andrés Segovia, and the pianist Rosalyn Tureck, among others. Her wide repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Ms. Isbin commissioned a number of compositions for the guitar from such composers as John Corigliano, Aaron Jay Kernis, Lukas Foss, and Christopher Rouse. David Diamond, Ned Rorem, Leo Brouwer, and others wrote music for her.
You can listen to several recordings of Sharon Isbin, courtesy of Youtube: Valse Op. 8 no. 4, by the Paraguayan composer and guitarist Agustin Barrios (here), Asturias by Isaac Albéniz (here), Sentimental Melody, from Forests of the Amazon by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa Lobos (here), and Francisco Tarrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra (here). The complete interview is here, and below is Boyce’s introduction to his conversation with Ms. Isbin.
As I watch guitarist Sharon Isbin play Asturias by Isaac Albeniz, I marvel at the lightness and fluidity of her touch on the guitar. I have seen other guitarists play this piece and they almost always make it look like an extreme amount of work, as though they almost need to force the instrument to respond. With Isbin, the music is lovingly and gently coaxed from her instrument in a way that keeps the music in the foreground and the artist simply the composer’s musical conduit.
My conversation with Ms. Isbin found us covering a wide range of subjects, some artistic, some technical, but all with the focus on what allows her the greatest artistic expression.
At a time when many Classical artists and broadcasters wrinkled their noses when saying the word crossover, Isbin embraced it. She relishes the opportunity to explore new collaborations, new combinations, and new styles. One such collaboration is her recording Journey to the New World, for which she won a 2010 Grammy. John Duarte wrote the Joan Baez Suite, Op. 144 for this recording. Mark O’Connor joined her in the world premiere recording of his Strings and Threads Suite for Violin and Guitar, and Joan Baez herself recorded two tracks with Isbin.
She was featured on Howard Shore’s soundtrack for the Academy Award winning film, The Departed, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, and Matt Damon…and she will soon release Guitar Passions: Sharon Isbin and Friends, on which she collaborates with With rock guitarists Steve Vai, Steve Morse, Nancy Wilson (Heart); jazz guitarists Stanley Jordan & Romero Lubambo; Brazilian singer/guitarist Rosa Passos, organic percussionist/composer Thiago de Mello, and saxophonist Paul Winter.
I hope you have time to listen to our brief conversation. I also hope you take the time to acquaint yourself with Sharon Isbin’s artistry and musical exploration. It’s well worth the trip!