Ekachai Jearakul to Perform Solo Guitar Recital, Today

BUFFALO, NY - Another JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition finalist returns to Buffalo in 2016.

Thai guitarist Ekachai Jearakul [Ehk-uh-chai Jehr-uh-kool] will perform a solo recital at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 in the Mary Seaton Room at Kleinhans Music Hall. Jearakul is a three-time semi-finalist and a two-time finalist at the Competition, placing second in 2014 and third in 2012.

The 29-year-old Jearakul is the first person from Asia to win the Guitar Foundation of America Competition, and his prize includes a 50-city recital tour. His Buffalo performance is co-sponsored by the Castellani Andriaccio Guitar Duo and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Jearakul will perform a broad range of works, including a piece written for him by Steven Goss, a suite by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand which Jearakul has brought to international stages as well as more traditional works by Brouwer and Turina.

His Naxos recording, "Ekachai Jearakul Guitar Recital," takes listeners on a journey from the Baroque era through the nineteenth century to modern jazz-influenced works. Copies of this and his two previous discs will be available for purchase at the recital.

"Don't miss Thailand's monarch of the guitar! Audiences around the world marvel at his virtuosity and elegance and he is a favorite of our Buffalo audience," said Michael Andriaccio, co-artistic director of the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition.

His performance is part of the ramp-up to the 2016 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. Eight semi-finalists will be selected from a global talent pool to come to Buffalo. Semi-finals will take place on June 8 and 9 at the WNED Studios. Three finalists will be selected to perform on June 11 with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at Kleinhans Music Hall under the baton of JoAnn Falletta. The audience will witness the selection of the winner and will get to vote for the Audience Favorite Award. Tickets for the finals are available now at bpo.org. The Competition is presented by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and WNED | WBFO.

Tickets for Jearakul's recital are available at bpo.org or by calling (716) 885-5000, and are $10, or free with the purchase of a ticket to the Competition finals on June 11.

As Buffalo's cultural ambassador, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership of music director JoAnn Falletta presents more than 100 concerts each year. Since 1940, the orchestra's home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark with a reputation as one of the finest concert halls in the United States. During the tenure of JoAnn Falletta, the BPO has rekindled its history of radio broadcasts and recordings, including the release of 36 new recordings on the Naxos and Beau Fleuve labels. For more information about the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, visit www.bpo.org.