Cape Ann Symphony Will Perform Classical Favorites with Guest Artist Grisha Goryachev
Classical music enthusiasts can anticipate a rich blend of compositions at Cape Ann Symphony's upcoming concert
Cape Ann Symphony will continue Season 74 at 2:00 PM on Sunday, March 15 at 2:00 PM with MOZART, MENDELSSOHN, AND RODRIGO featuring guest artist world renowned classical and flamenco guitarist Grisha Goryachev. The Cape Ann Symphony performs at Manchester-Essex Regional High School Auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA.
The program for MOZART, MENDELSSOHN, AND RODRIGO includes Mozart's Don Giovanni Overture, Mendelssohn's Symphony No.4 "Italian" and guest artist internationally celebrated guitar virtuoso Grisha Goryachev joins the orchestra for Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra. “The orchestra looks forward to playing Mozart's Don Giovanni Overture and Mendelson's lively and energetic Italian Symphony plus we are excited for virtuoso guitarist Grisha Goryachev to join us for our March concert," says CAS Music Director and Conductor Yoichi Udagawa, "Grisha made his CAS debut in 2016 and we are thrilled that he is returning to perform with us. An incredibly versatile musician, Grisha is well known for his virtuosity in classical and flamenco guitar. In fact, he is one of a select few guitarists to continue the traditions of solo flamenco in concert. I'm sure Grisha might be persuaded to play a piece as an encore."
A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Grisha Goryachev began to play the guitar at the age of six, studying first with his father, Dmitry, an acknowledged master teacher of the instrument. Following his debut at the age of nine, Mr. Goryachev enjoyed an extensive career as a child prodigy, performing regularly before large audiences in the most prestigious concert halls of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Minsk, Riga, and other major cities in the then Soviet Union as well as appearing regularly on Soviet television and radio. In 1991, Mr. Goryachev was awarded second prize in the Danny Kaye International Children's Awards held in the Hague, Netherlands. Sponsored by UNICEF, this competition featured participants on all instruments from twenty-six countries. Later that same year, Mr. Goryachev was invited to perform at the UN headquarters in New York City followed by a tour of Scandinavia and a performance by special invitation for the Royalty of Iceland. In 1993, Mr Goryachev was chosen to represent his native city in the Days of St. Petersburg in Jerusalem Festival, and in 1994 at the invitation of Vladimir Spivakov, he performed at the Festival International de Colmar held in memory of Andres Segovia in Colmar, France.
Following a tour of Spain, Mr. Goryachev was invited to play for flamenco legend, Paco de Lucía, who soon after personally intervened in support of his application for an American visa (subsequently awarded in the year 1997 on the basis of Extraordinary Ability). He received his Bachelor, Master and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied under famous guitar virtuoso Eliot Fisk.
In May 2005 Mr. Goryachev received a special prize for the Best Performance of Spanish Music at the VI International Classical Guitar Competition "Julian Arcás" in Almería, Spain. As a winner of this prize, he performed recitals in Spain at "Festival de Música Española de Cádiz" and "Festival de Música de Jimena de la Frontera". Mr. Goryachev was one of the 30 people in 2006 to become a fellow of the prestigious Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship, recognizing him as exceptional in his chosen field.
Founded in Gloucester in 1952, the Cape Ann Symphony is a professional orchestra of over 70 players from throughout the New England area. They perform a subscription season of four concerts per year plus several Pops and youth concerts. The Symphony Board of Directors named Yoichi Udagawa the Music Director and Conductor of the Cape Ann Symphony in the summer of 2000 after a yearlong search. In addition to his leadership of Cape Ann Symphony, he is Music Director and Conductor of the Melrose Symphony Orchestra, and the Quincy Symphony Orchestra and a cover conductor at the Boston Pops Orchestra. Frequently invited to guest conduct, Maestro Udagawa has worked with many different orchestras including the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Nobeoka Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, the Indian Hill Symphony, the Garden State Philharmonic, the Brown University Orchestra, the Syracuse Society for New Music, the Boston Conservatory Orchestra, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, the Newton Symphony, the Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Mid-Texas Symphony. Maestro Udagawa is at home in popular and contemporary music as well as the standard symphonic repertoire. He is known for his relaxed manner and ability to speak from the podium which has helped new audiences as well as enthusiasts gain a greater appreciation for symphonic music. His programs often include premieres of new works – some specially commissioned for the orchestra — as well as great orchestral works across the symphonic repertoire and lively Pops programs. He is also an integral part of the Cape Ann Symphony Youth Initiative.
Yoichi Udagawa, the son of a nuclear physicist father and singer/artist mother, was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. His family immigrated to the United States soon thereafter. He began playing the violin at age four and made his conducting debut at age fifteen. After receiving a music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, he continued advanced studies in conducting with Gunther Schuller, Seiji Ozawa, Morihiro Okabe, and Henry Charles Smith. A fan of many different styles of music, Mr. Udagawa also enjoys performing gospel music in addition to his conducting activities. He is also an accomplished violinist and an avid fan of exercise and yoga.
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