Upcoming events.
BKCGS 2nd Year Anniversary Party!
It’s our 2nd Year Anniversary Party! Please join us in celebrating two years of classical guitar music and community in Brooklyn. We had a blast last year and hope you can join us too! Hit the button below to get more information and to RSVP!
Rupert Boyd, Solo Classical Guitar
We are thrilled to close out our 2024 season with none other than a solo classical guitar concert by Rupert Boyd! Rupert is a phenomenal musician and internationally acclaimed artist who performs as a soloist and as one part with Boyd Meets Girl (guitar and cello). Please join us for this concert with Rupert which is also a fundraising event for the BKCGS! Get your tickets below and we’ll see you soon in Brooklyn!
New York-based Australian classical guitarist Rupert Boyd has been described by Gramophone as “a very fine musician,” by The Washington Post as “truly evocative,” and by Classical Guitar Magazine as “a player who deserves to be heard.” His performances have taken him across four continents, from New York’s Carnegie Hall, to festivals in Europe, China, India, Nepal, the Philippines, New Zealand and every state and territory in Australia.
“Remember the name Rupert Boyd. While there may never be another classical guitarist like Segovia, this young Australian left his audience with the impression that someday there may not be the likes of him again, either.”
- The Washington Post
Kevin Loh, solo classical guitar
Kevin stands as a distinguished artist, having achieved the esteemed Fellowship of the Royal Schools of Music, alongside the 2018 Goh Soon Tioe Centenary Award and the 2010 HSBC Youth Excellence Award for his musical achievements. In 2023, Kevin earned multiple accolades, including 1st prizes at the XXII Concurso Internacional de Guitarra José Tomás Villa de Petrer, the Josefina P. Tuason International Guitar Competition, and the Boston GuitarFest. Most notably, he secured 2nd place at the 2023 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition, arguably the most prestigious classical guitar competition in the world.
Program coming soon!
Saturday, October 26 6:30PM - 9:30PM
Soapbox Gallery
636 Dean Street Brooklyn, NY 11238
LuthierCon 2024
We are so excited to announce our first event of our fall series with LuthierCon 2024! LuthierCon is a new event that brings classical guitar luthiers and players together in Brooklyn to learn about, celebrate, and discuss the art of classical guitar lutherie.
On Saturday, September 14 from 11AM to 6PM you’re invited to come out to Brooklyn for the day with the Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society and four incredible and renowned classical guitar luthiers: Matt Rubendall, Garrett Lee, Lubos Naprstek, and Brian Itzkin!
Discover the ins and outs of our beloved instrument with presentations, a luthier Q&A panel, guest artists from the NY Guitar Seminar doing live demonstrations and performances, and plenty of free time to play guitars, talk with the luthiers, and more! Bring your classical guitar with you to ask luthiers questions about your instruments, and to compare and contrast with the other guitars at the event. Learn about what goes into making a guitar, how to choose a guitar that’s right for you, optimal set ups for your instrument, and much more.
Get your tickets now at the link in our bio and stay tuned for more LuthierCon news. Full schedule, guest artists, and more to be announced soon!
Here are the details:
👉9/14/2024
👉 11AM - 6PM
👉Brooklyn Army Terminal | Building B | 7th Floor
👉$20 General Public | $15 BKCGS Members
👉 Presentations, Guest Artist Demos, Luthier Panel, and free time to try guitars, meet luthiers, and hang out with our great BKCGS community.
👉 Refreshments will be served throughout the day
👉 Full schedule announced soon!
Colin Fullerton, solo classical guitar
Please join us for a farewell (for now!) concert featuring Brooklyn's own Colin Fullerton on Saturday 7/20 in Cobble Hill! Not only is Colin a cherished member of our BKCGS community but he is an award-winning and highly acclaimed musician that will no doubt treat us to a rich and virtuosic program of classical guitar repertoire. Colin is preparing to move at the end of the summer starting teaching at the prestigious Duke University’s Department of Music! Come out and join us all in saying farewell to Colin (for now)!
We are also thrilled to present Colin in a new venue for us - the beautiful Christ Church in Cobble Hill! This venue is big, yet intimate, and the classical guitar sounds absolutely amazing in there! Don't miss this evening of classical guitar with Colin as we break in a new space for us - reception to follow 🎸
Here are the details:
👉7/20/2024
👉Doors open at 6:30 pm
👉Music at 7:00 pm
👉Christ Church, Cobble Hill - 326 Clinton St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, USA
🍾🍿 BYOB and BYOSnacks!
Follow the Artists:
@colin.fullertone
@thebkcgs
https://www.bkcgs.org/
Colin Fullerton is an award-winning guitarist from Winston-Salem, NC whose work as a classical soloist has taken him across the US and Europe. Over the eight years since completing his master’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin, he has established himself as one of the leading young guitarists in NYC, collaborating extensively across a variety of genres. Highlights
have included solo recitals on the “Plucked Horizons,” “Odeon,” and “El” concert series’, as well as solo and chamber appearances in a diversity of settings including Mezzrow, Theater for the New City, Merkin Hall, The Owl Music Parlor, Spectrum, National Sawdust, and over 50 house concerts through the Groupmuse organization. A proponent of contemporary music, he
was a founding member of the “Blue Morpho” ensemble at his alma mater, Columbus State University, and he has premiered and recorded multiple new chamber works during his time in New York.
As a teacher, Colin operates a private studio from his home in Brooklyn and provides online guitar lessons to students around the globe, in addition to former positions held at the Music Conservatory of Westchester and the Diller-Quaile School of Music. In the Fall of 2024 he will be relocating to North Carolina, where he looks forward to starting a new chapter as the guitar
instructor at Duke University’s Department of Music.
His primary teachers include Patrick Lui, Joseph Pecoraro, Andrew Zohn, and Adam Holzman. Colin is honored to perform for the BKCGS, which has been a wonderful haven and resource to the Brooklyn guitar community since its inception in 2022.
Sebastián Molina, solo guitar recital
In alliance with the Fundación Guitarra Viva Ernesto Quezada, the BKCGS is thrilled to present Chilean guitarist Sebastián Molina in concert! Sebastián will be performing on June 17 at St. John’s in the Village.
Sebastián has performed worldwide. He earned his Master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music under the guidance of célebre guitarist David Leisner, who describes Sebastián as a “powerfully expressive player, who delights and enchants his audiences.”
Sebastián recently earned the Andrés Segovia/Rose Augustine Award from Manhattan School of Music in recognition of excellence in classical guitar performance, as well as the Honorable Mention award at the 2024 Buffalo International Guitar Festival and Competition in Buffalo, NY.
Sebastián will present a varied program that includes works from Silvius Leopold Weiss, Sergei Rudnev, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and more. Tickets and details are at the link in our bio.
BKCGS Members Concert
This year we are going to throw our very first Members' Concert! This concert will be held on May 18th feature the members of the Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society with solo and ensemble performances at A4 Collective.
The event is free, BYOB, BYOSnacks, although we will have refreshments available.
Please fill out this form below perform or to RSVP to attend and watch the concert!
BKCGS Presents: Tal Hurwitz
Please join us in welcoming classical guitarist Tal Hurwitz to perform for our 2024 Concert Series! Tal has prepared a beautiful and virtuosic program to share in an intimate setting. Don't miss this concert!
Here are the details:
👉4/13/2024
👉Doors open at 6:30 pm
👉Music at 7:00 pm
👉Aikido of South Brooklyn, 205 Columbia St, Brooklyn
👞 This is a shoe-free space! Kindly leave them near the entrance
🍾🍿 BYOB and BYOSnacks. See you there 🎸
About the Artist
Classical guitarist, Tal Hurwitz has garnered international acclaim in concerts and masterclasses around the world, showcasing his reputation for technical mastery and artistic clarity.
His devotion for music, desire for beauty and aesthetics in interpretation, and his constant search to combine the old with the new have led to an extensive performance career, including notable venues such as the Moscow House of Music, the Großer Saal of the Stiftung Mozarteum and the Sala de Espectáculos in Mexico.
Since graduating from the Mozarteum University, Tal has performed and given master classes at festivals around the globe, including;the Festival Hispanoamerica de guitarra (Mexico), Guitar Foundation of America (USA), Petrer Guitar Festival (Spain), Forum Guitar Wien (Austria), Guitar Art Festival (Serbia), International Guitar Festival J.K Mertz (Slovakia) and Essonne Guitar Festival (France).
He has performed with such orchestras as the New Russian Symphony Orchestra and the Camerata Salzburg.
In addition he was awarded top prizes as both a performer and composer in numerous international competitions including; the Boston Guitar Composition Competition for his solo guitar sonata, Michele Pittaluga International Competition for Composers for his Sonata for Two Guitars “Omaggio a Olivier Messiaen” , Sinaia International Guitar Competition (Romania), the Internationaler Gitarrenwettbewerb Nürtingen (Germany), the Norba Caesarina International Guitar Competition, Caceres, (Spain).
Tal Hurwitz holds two bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in music, obtained while studying under some of the world’s most renowned pedagogues, first in Israel with Joseph Urshalmi and then in Europe with Costas Cotsiolis, Marco Tamayo, and Carlo Marchione. In addition, he studied composition with Adam Stratyevsky.
World class composers have dedicated works for him, such as; Nikita Koshkin, Daniel Akiva, Wulfin Lieske and Ariel Man.
Alongside performing, Tal is a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher, who has worked with countless students, guitar teachers and guitar lovers from around the globe.
Tal's debut recording 'GuitarRecital' was published in 2023 by Emmaya Records.
BKCGS Presents: Masterclass with Gohar Vardanyan
We are thrilled to present our first masterclass with the amazing Gohar Vardanyan! Ms. Vardanyan will be conducting the class on Friday, March 22, at Aikido of South Brooklyn in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Ms. Vardanyan is a world-renowned performer, and an avid teacher. She maintains a private studio in New York City and frequently teaches masterclasses and guitar technique workshops during her concert travels. Gohar is the author of four books from Mel Bay Publications and has an extensive list of instructional guitar videos on both her own and the Strings by Mail channels on YouTube.
If you’d like to perform in the masterclass, please click here to complete the application. The performance fee is $50.
Click here for auditors’ tickets. This is a super opportunity to see, hear, and learn from a master in an up close and personal venue.
BKCGS and MABC Presents: Gohar Vardanyan
The Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society and the Madison Avenue Baptist Church Presents:
Gohar Vardanyan, classical guitar recital
Thursday, March 21 2024
A Brooklyn Classical Guitar Fundraising Event!
We are so excited to announce an evening of music with Gohar Vardanyan at the beautiful Madison Avenue Baptist Church in Manhattan. Ms. Vardanyan is an internationally acclaimed, virtuosic artist, and she has prepared a wide-ranging program for the evening featuring composers like Manuel Ponce, Isaac Albéniz, Niccoló Paganini and more.
We are thrilled to be presenting this concert in partnership with the historic Madison Avenue Baptist Church as part of their Madison Sounds 2024 Concert series and community partnership program, and hope to see you there for a very special night of classical guitar music in the city.
All proceeds from this event will support the mission of the Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society! We are so grateful for the support from our community. If you cannot attend, please consider leaving us a donation below to help achieve our fundraising goals!
Ms. Vardanyan holds a Master of Music Degree from The Juilliard School where she studied with Sharon Isbin and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music where she studied with Manuel Barrueco. She is also an alumna of the Aspen Music Festival and School. Ms. Vardanyan is sponsored by Strings by Mail.
Here are the concert details:
👉Thursday 3/21/2024
👉Time: Doors at 7:00 pm; Music at 7:30 pm
👉 Madison Avenue Baptist Church, 129 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Refreshments will be provided! See you there. 🎸
Dúo Copla and Dúo Kaplan Mansilla
Please join us back at the dojo for a fun evening of classical guitar duos! We are featuring Dúo Copla (José Maldonado & Ernesto Ramos) and Dúo Kaplan Mansilla (Matt Kaplan & Pierre Ferreyra-Mansilla) for an evening of Puerto Rican music, Cuban music, and much more!
Here are the details:
👉3/9/2024
👉Doors open at 6:30 pm
👉Music at 7:00 pm
👉 Aikido of South Brooklyn 205 Columbia St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
BYOB and BYOSnacks! See you there 🎸
Andrea Roberto
Please join us in welcoming classical guitarist Andrea Roberto to the A4 Collective in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn to perform for our 2024 Winter Concert Series! Andrea is in town from Italy and has prepared beautiful, wide ranging, and virtuosic program to share in an intimate setting. Don't miss this concert!
Here are the details:
👉2/25/2024
👉Doors open at 6:00 pm
👉Music at 6:30 pm
👉A4 Collective, 636 Dean St #2F, Brooklyn, NY 11238
BYOB and BYOSnacks! See you there 🎸
About the Artist
Italian Guitarist, Andrea Roberto's triumph in the 2019 Parkening International Guitar Competition, the world's preeminent competition of its kind, has moved him into the forefront of the classical guitar world.
Andrea distinguished himself at the Giordano Conservatory under Maestro Sandro Torlontano where he obtained the Bachelor degree at the age of 14. Subsequently, He began to display his prodigious talent and refined his artistry under the guidance of Maestro Aniello Desiderio in Koblenz (Germany) and Carlo Marchione in Maastricht (Netherlands).
Read more at: https://www.andrearobertoguitar.com/
Octávio Deluchi
We are so excited to welcome Octávio Deluchi to Aikido of South Brooklyn to perform for our 2024 Winter Concert Series. Octávio is an award-winning guitarist and incredible musician. This is a concert you won't want to miss! Octávio also has just released his new EP that you can enjoy on all streaming platforms now ahead of the show.
His program, Saudade: Brazilian Soirée, will include works by Villa-Lobos, Barrios, D. Reis, and other composers that address the feeling of “saudade.”
Here are the details:
👉2/2/2024
👉Doors open at 7:00 pm
👉Music at 7:30 pm
👉Aikido of South Brooklyn, 205 Columbia St, Brooklyn
Bret Williams Recital
We are super excited to announce our first concert of 2024: An intimate recital with Bret Williams!🍾 Bret will be performing on Saturday, January 20, at the A4 Collective. His program will include original works, as well as music by Domenico Scarlatti, Roland Dyens, and Dale Kavanagh. It’ll be a wonderful way to kick off the New Year, and we hope you can join us. Refreshments provided but BYOB and BOYSnacks, too.
12/16 Asterión - Classical Guitar Concert by Matías Inzunza
We are so excited to close out the year with our 5th Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society concert featuring Chilean guitarist Matías Inzunza! He will be in town from Barcelona and will present his program, "Asterión" for solo classical guitar. Asterión is based on the book by Jorge Luis Borges and Matías has selected evocative pieces that represent that characters and themes of the story. Music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Frédéric Chopin, Joaquín Clerch, and more! We hope you can join us at the Aikido of South Brooklyn for an intimate classical guitar concert exploring storytelling through music. BYOB and BYOSnacks but we will also have refreshments available for our guests!
Pencil the date: 12/16/2023, 6:00PM doors, 6:30PM music, reception to follow!
11/1 Mateusz Kowalski - Live Recording Concert
Pop-up concert alert! We are so excited to welcome Mateusz Kowalski to Brooklyn to record pieces from his 2nd U.S. Tour! This is a surprise stop in the Brooklyn and his last stop in the U.S. before returning back to Poland so don’t miss out on seeing this unique concert experience with us!
"A true musician. Technically perfect with the ability to make the audience feel attentive and drawn to every note he played, he also showed that he was a musician of the highest calibre with gifts of communication and beauty of sound."
- Nigel North
One Year Anniversary Party
Let's celebrate our BKCGS birthday! Join us for our BKCGS birthday party on Saturday, October 21st at 7:00PM at Rullo's in Brooklyn. The BKCGS would not be where we are today without all of you so this will be a fun get together to celebrate a year of classical guitar in Brooklyn! The first couple of rounds are on us, feel free to bring food or order at the bar.
Be there or be square🎸
Alexander Technique Workshop with Ulysses Chuang
POSTPONED!
During last week’s torrential rains, Aikido of South Brooklyn’s basement flooded. Unfortunately, we have to postpone this workshop while they dry out, clean, and make repairs. Thanks for understanding!
The Alexander Technique is a method of reprogramming the mind via the neuromuscular system, and vice versa. In an Alexander lesson, the teacher uses gentle touch and verbal instructions to guide a student through simple movements like standing and sitting. AT is applicable to all aspects of life, including classical guitar!
Join us for a special AT workshop with Ulysses Chuang on October 7. BKCGS members and non-members, guitarists, other musicians, artists…everybody is welcome!
$15 for BKCGS members. $30 for non-members.
An Evening of Classical Guitar and Piano Duos at A4 Collective
Join us for a evening of classical guitar and piano duos! We are excited to present Weiwei Zhai, José Maldonado, Isidora Vladic, and Matt Kaplan at A4 Collective. José Maldonado and Weiwei Zhai will perform compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ferdinando Carulli, and Mauro Giuliani. Matt Kaplan and Isidora Vladic will perform duets by Steve Goss, Radamés Gnattali, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Click below for the full program, event details, and to reserve your spot for the concert!
Nicoletta Todesco - The Cockroach Diaries, guitar & voice
We are so excited to be throwing our second BKCGS concert featuring Nicoletta Todesco! Niki will treat us to her unique program called "The Cockroach Diaries," featuring what she calls duets for the guitar and voice. We are in for a treat with this one! Her program features original music about identity, blending her love and passion for the classical guitar with outside interests.
Open Mic & Social
Open mics take place the second Thursday of every month at A4 Collective (636 Dean St, 2F, Brooklyn.) Our open mics are a safe-space and welcome classical guitar players of any level. We will stay to socialize after the performances. Come to play or to listen and BYOB! Sign up here.
Artemis Guitar Duo
Please join us for an afternoon of music with Artemis Guitar Duo at the Carroll Gardens branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Doors open at 2:30.
Artemis Guitar Duo combines Latin American rhythmic vibes with Italian lyricism. Classical guitarists Katty Mayorga and Isabella Abbonizio founded the ensemble in 2019. Together, they perform a varied repertoire from the past to the present, with particular attention to new music written by female and emerging composers.
The program will include music by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Ida Presti, Paulo Bellinati, Egberto Gismonti, Moira Lo Bianco, Jean Lopes Baiano, and Enrique Granados.
Open Mic & Social
Open mics take place the second Thursday of every month at A4 Collective (636 Dean St, 2F, Brooklyn.) Our open mics are a safe-space and welcome classical guitar players of any level. We will stay to socialize after the performances. Come to play or to listen and BYOB! Sign up below.
Open Mic & Social
Open mics take place the second Thursday of every month at A4 Collective (636 Dean St, 2F, Brooklyn.) Our open mics are a safe-space and welcome classical guitar players of any level. We will stay to socialize after the performances. Come to play or to listen and BYOB! Sign up below.