The California International Guitar Festival (CIGF) is a sweeping three-day celebration, showcasing the beauty and history of the guitar through six performances by a cadre of international guitarmasters. Beyond the main concerts, the CIGF will also feature numerous master classes for young and up-and-coming performers conducted by giants in the field. A large luthier marketplace will also be available, bringing a selection of handcrafted guitars from around the world for purchase. Tickets are now on sale at caguitarfestival.com.
The festival is sponsored by: The City of San Luis Obispo, 920 AM KVEC, and THE2MIC.
Individual shows are sponsored by: Jed & Diane Beebe, India D’Avignon & Ignati Vakalis, Robert & Sandra Dickerson, Mitchell & Pearl Forman, Bob & Janice Kitamura
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The festival, held at Cal Poly since 2011, returns after a five-year hiatus following longtime Festival Director Russ DeAngelo’s retirement and postponement due to COVID.
The new name, California International Guitar Festival, reflects an expanded exploration of the guitar by artists from across the globe as well as new leadership. New Festival Director, award-winning guitarist Jack Cimo, will also perform in the Saturday night concert. Cimo is dedicated to bringing the beauty of classical guitar to new ears. Said Cimo, “I am honored to take the reins of this wonderful festival, and hope to continue Russ’ great work as well as add a few new ideas! I’m particularly excited about the variety of this year’s artist lineup. Legends like Pepe Romero and Ana Vidovic will represent the beautiful tradition of classical guitar and artists such as electric-and-classical guitarist JIJI and flamenco musicians in the Adam Del Monte Trio will represent the evolution of the guitarin the 21st Century.”
“It is thrilling to be able to usher in this new era of the festival with Jack Cimo at the helm as Festival Director,” said Cal Poly Arts Director Molly Clark. “His diverse experiences as an artist and presenter position him well to bring his vision for the future of the festival to life in a way that will satisfy longtime fans while also engaging new audiences in exploring all the genre has to offer.”
The Opening Night Concert at 7 PM on Friday, September 16, 2022, in Miossi Hall at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo, will feature internationally-touring Ana Vidovic followed by Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. Both artists will be playing selections from the music of prolific and legendary French guitarist-composer Roland Dyens, who passed away in 2016. Dyens appeared numerous times in San Luis Obispo at the festival and was truly a fan favorite. Russ DeAngelo, Dyens’ longtime manager, will accept the CIGF Lifetime Achievement Award at the concert on behalf of Roland, to whom this year’s Festival is dedicated.
Performers appearing in concert and teaching Master Classes throughout the three-day festival include:
ANA VIDOVIC
Ana Vidovic is an extraordinary talent with formidable gifts taking her place among the elite musicians of the world today. She is known for her beautiful tone, precise technique, well-defined phrasing, and thoughtful artistry and musicianship.
She comes from the small town of Karlovac near Zagreb, Croatia, and started playing guitar at the age of 5. At age 7, she gave her first public performance, and by the age of 11, she was performing internationally. She became the youngest student at age 13 to attend the prestigious National Musical Academy in Zagreb. Ms. Vidovic’s reputation in Europe led to an invitation to study with Manuel Barrueco at the Peabody Conservatory from which she graduated. Ms. Vidovic has won an impressive number of prizes and international competitions including first prizes in the Albert Augustine International Competition in Bath, England, the Fernando Sor competition in Rome, Italy, and the Francisco Tarrega competition in Benicasim, Spain.
A California International Guitar Festival fan-favorite, her international performance career includes frequent recitals, concerto engagements, and festival appearances in most of Europe’s cultural destinations. Ms. Vidovic has recorded 6 albums and toured throughout Australia, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Korea, and Mexico.
LOS ANGELES GUITAR QUARTET
The Grammy Award-winning LAGQ is one of the most multifaceted groups in any genre. The LAGQ is comprised of four uniquely accomplished musicians bringing new energy to the concert stage with programs ranging from Bluegrass to Bach. They consistently play to sold-out houses worldwide. Their inventive, critically acclaimed transcriptions of concert masterworks provide a fresh look at the music of the past, while their interpretations of works from the contemporary and world-music realms continually break new ground. Their programs including Latin, African, Far East, Irish, Folk and American Classics, transport listeners around the world in a single concert experience. Their ‘Don Quixote’ collaboration with Firesign Theater veteran, actor Philip Proctor, continues to expand and delight audiences, and the work “SHIKI: Seasons of Japan,” written for the LAGQ plus guitar orchestra by composer Shingo Fujii, is connecting communities across the nation.
Winner of a 2005 Grammy Award, their Guitar Heroes CD released on Telarc is a brilliant follow-up to their Grammy-nominated LAGQ-Latin. Their newest recording of the Rodrigo “Concierto Andaluz” and Sergio Assad’s “Interchange,” written specifically for them, was released on Telarc in Spring 2010 and quickly climbed to the top spot on the Billboard charts. The live DVD of The Ingenious Gentleman: Don Quixote was released on the Mel Bay label in spring 2012. In 2015, the LAGQ released their latest album titled New Renaissance, a unique blend of renaissance originals and Renaissance-inspired compositions by Dusan Bogdanovic and Ian Krouse.
JIJI
Applauded by the Calgary Herald as “…talented, sensitive…brilliant,” JIJI is an adventurous artist known for her virtuosic performances that feature a diverse selection of music, ranging from traditional and contemporary classical to free improvisation, played on both acoustic and electric guitar. Through her impeccable musicianship, compelling stage presence and constant premieres of new musical works, JIJI’s intriguing programming solidifies her reputation as THE 21st-century guitarist.
IRINA KULIKOVA
Unanimously acclaimed for the rare beauty of her tone and her enchanting presence on stage, Irina Kulikova has established herself as one of today’s leading guitarists. Soundboard Magazine wrote, “Some of the most sheerly beautiful playing I have ever heard.” Luz Leskowitz, director of the Salzburger Schlosskonzerte in Austria proclaimed, “Wherever she performs, she plays herself into the hearts of her audience.”
Irina Kulikova tours far afield, with appearances at leading festivals in Europe, North America, and Asia; and in concert halls such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, the Musashino Hall in Tokyo, and the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai. In the USA, she has performed for major festivals and societies including Austin, Cleveland, Chicago, and Dallas. An ambassador of pure and heartfelt performing, she inspires guitar students in masterclasses all over the world with her personal motto: It’s about the touch.
Irina Kulikova combines an effortless virtuosity with a profound sensitivity when she is phrasing the voices of great composers. She gained critical acclaim for her fourth solo CD Reminiscences of Russia, introducing some highly romantic Russian compositions to an international audience, including the breathtaking “Swan Princess” that Konstantin Vassiliev dedicated to her.
BENJAMIN VERDERY
Hailed for his innovative and eclectic musical career, Benjamin Verdery tours regularly throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia, performing at venues and festivals around the world.
Ben has recorded and/or performed with such diverse artists as Andy Summers, Frederic Hand, William Coulter, Leo Kottke, Anthony Newman, Jessye Norman, Paco Peña, Hermann Prey, John Williams, hip-hop artist Billy Dean Thomas, beatbox/vocal percussionist Marc Martin, and Nano Stern.
As a recording artist, Ben has released 18 albums. His most recent, Scenes from Ellis Island, Guitar Music of Ben Verdery, was released in 2020, together with a video of the recording’s title piece, “Scenes from Ellis Island.”
A prolific, published composer in his own right, many of Ben’s compositions have been performed, recorded, and published over the years. He has been commissioned to compose works for The Assad Duo, guitarists David Russell, Scott Tennant, David Tanenbaum, John Williams, and John Etheridge, among many others.
JACK CIMO
Jack Cimo is known for his powerful stage presence, beautiful tone, and exciting renditions. “I have heard many fine guitarists in concert which I have found to be beautiful. This was beyond beautiful. One was totally unaware of Cimo’s stellar technique because his music cut immediately to the soul. I was breathless.” (John Howard, DMA)
Jack frequently plays with orchestra, most recently playing the “Concierto de Aranjuez” with the Santa Maria Philharmonic. He was recently one of two Americans to be invited to the prestigious Joann Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition in Buffalo, NY. Conductor Jane Brown has said of his playing, “Mr. Cimo plays with expressive depth, great feeling, and brilliant virtuosity. His performance of the Rodrigo ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ was a season favorite that our audience and musicians are still discussing in appreciation and awe.”
Jack has embraced bringing the guitar to new audiences around the globe. He has done multiple tours along historic Route 66 and played everywhere from art galleries to concert halls such as the Harris Theater in Chicago or UNM’s Keller Hall. He recently organized and performed in a major benefit concert for the community of Paradise, California, and has done performances to aid the Standing Rock protesters and cardiac care patients in Chicago. His recent album Jack Cimo Plays Bach, Bogdanovic, Walton, and Arnold has earned accolades. Composer Dusan Bogdanovic said of the recording of his piece, “It’s terrific! It’s definitely the best recording of the piece, very inspired, precise, and expressive.”
BEIJING GUITAR DUO
Praised by the distinguished Classical Guitar Magazine as “having the star potential to serve as inspiration for new generations of guitarists to come,” Beijing Guitar Duo made their New York debut in Carnegie Hall in 2010, launching their international concert career.
Their debut CD Maracaípe received a Latin Grammy nomination for the title piece, which was dedicated to them by renowned guitarist/composer Sergio Assad.
The Beijing Guitar Duo has performed around the world in halls such as the Concertgebouw, Palau de Musica, Tchaikovsky Hall, and the National Theatre in Beijing. This season will take them on a 12-city concert tour in the United States in February as well as other performances in Europe and China. The duo regularly collaborates with orchestras, in ensemble with flutist Marina Piccinini, guitarists Grigoryan Brothers, and with their mentor Manuel Barrueco, touring in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
In addition to concertizing, the duo shares a love for teaching, which brings them to major conservatories all over the world for masterclasses.
DANIEL HO
Daniel Ho is a six-time Grammy Award winner, eleven-time Grammy Award nominee, six-time Taiwanese Golden Melody Award winner, and recipient of multiple Hawaiian Music awards. He is an ‘ukulele virtuoso, slack key guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, singer-songwriter, producer, audio engineer, and record company owner. Daniel’s collaborations transcend genres – from Hawaiian Regional Roots to World Music with Mongolian nomads, to duets with Pepe Romero the maestro of classical guitar, to jazz and rock with Tak Matsumoto of the Japanese supergroup, B’z.
Always on the move, Daniel is an American Cultural Ambassador, with tours completed to Japan, Thailand, Brunei, and Australia. In infinite pursuit of new musical adventures, he is also the designer of the Romero Creations Tiny Tenor ‘ukulele, and Ohana Bongolele and Shakerlele. His custom-designed six-string ‘ukulele is on exhibit at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
PEPE ROMERO
There are very few true living legends in the world of classical music, few who have sustained greatness and grown throughout their lives. Pepe Romero is such an artist. He has been honored by kings, heads of state, and major institutions—the encomiums continue to pour in. But to Romero, his most important contribution has been reaching the common man. He has communicated the richness and beauty of the classical guitar to millions of people throughout the world. He has, indeed, become an ambassador of classical music and, correspondingly, of the classical guitar.
ABOUT CAL POLY ARTS
Cal Poly Arts serves the Central Coast and Cal Poly communities as a presenter of public performing arts events geared for a diverse constituency. As a presenter, Cal Poly Arts provides a broad program of high-quality professional touring performances, exhibitions and speaking engagements, while also assisting with the educational needs of students through various artist-in-residency activities and off-campus school outreach events. Cal Poly Arts is a department within the College of Liberal Arts at Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo.