Barcelona, October 3. Prestigious guitarist Manuel González will present a concert titled "The Guitar and the Mediterranean" on October 20. González will join the celebration of the Year of Gaudí, performing works composed by contemporaries of the architect. Gaudí was a total artist. Following his example, González has prepared the concert as a fusion of music, images and marine aromas, which will submerge the audience in a sea of sensations.

The guitarist will perform works by composers who were able to combine Modernisme (Catalan Arte Nouveau) with the essence of the Mediterranean, applying new sounds and techniques to the popular forms of dance and song. Some of the works that appear to be simple actually require a finely crafted and detailed technique with the guitar, bordering on virtuosity. González handles these problems with exceptional skill.

AIn addition to the musical performance, the program also includes the projection of images of the Mediterranean and nature in general, Gaudí's favorite source of inspiration. A play of lights that creates different ambiences for each musical mood, accompanied by maritime sounds and smells, helps to immerse the audience in a world of imagination that is powerfully reminiscent of Gaudí's style. The audience, in turn, can learn more about Gaudí through several pieces, including furniture, drawings and plans, which will be exhibited at the entrances to the Auditori Winterthur, where the concert will take place.

Commemorative concert

The concert is also intended to pay homage to guitarist Francesc Tàrrega -born, like Gaudí, in 1852 - fully dedicating the entire first portion of the program to some of the most celebrated works of this musician. Tàrrega's contributions to the world of classical guitar helped to consolidate this instrument in the world of highbrow music. Tàrrega, a renowned performer and composer, became one of the most important Catalan musicians of all time.

The second segment of the concert adopts the liveliness and proximity of the Mediterranean, presenting dances and songs from such renowned musicians as Mompou, Rodrigo and Albéniz, among others.

Manuel González, born in Barcelona, has studied with E. Sainz de la Maza and José Tomás, and graduated from New York's Manhattan School of Music with Manuel Barrueco.

He has made recordings for different television and radio broadcasters. His concert tours have attracted listeners across many European countries and throughout the Americas. González has performed most frequently in the United States. He has also performed at prestigious international music festivals, and has received awards at national and international events.

Highlights among his performances include appearances at New York's Lincoln Center, the Teatro Real in Madrid. González was also invited to participate in two events dedicated to Joaquín Rodrigo: first at the UN Auditorium in New York in 1991; and recently, at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, celebrating the Centennial anniversary of the composer's birth. Coincidentally, the latter also took place 50 years since any Catalan guitarist had performed solo at the Palau.

González often performs as a soloist with various European orchestras, including the Freiburg Chamber Orchestra, W.A. Mozart Philharmonic, European Symphony, Prague Chamber Orchestra, etc.

González has been a professor at the Escuela Luthier of Barcelona throughout the school's history. His students have won numerous awards and achieved professional success both in Spain and abroad, in different countries throughout Europe, Asia and America. The chamber groups he tutors have achieved similar success. He has also completed courses and master's classes in various locations in Europe and the United States (New York).

About the "Associació Gaudí i Barcelona Club d'Internet"

The Associació Gaudí i Barcelona Club d'Internet (Gaudí i Barcelona Club Internet Association) is a non-profit organization created to disseminate information about the life and works of Antoni Gaudí. The starting point of this association came in 1997, with the creation of the Club on the www.gaudiclub.com website. More than 9,000 members of many different nationalities have joined the club to date. Membership is free of charge, and members are kept informed of all developments related to Gaudí. The Gaudí i Barcelona Club website is the most complete Gaudí website in existence. It features an on-line store, offering all types of products related to Gaudí's aesthetic style, and an active forum where the architect's admirers maintain fluid correspondence. Through its effort to promote knowledge of Gaudí and his works throughout the world, the Club is in contact with many people who are passionate about Gaudí's art, and collaborates with universities, art centers, institutions and cultural associations from different countries, offering the Club's collaboration and sharing its experience. For more information, just visit www.gaudiclub.com.



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