This spring, Valencia College hosts three master guitar acts in a series of free concerts held the week of Feb. 26.
All concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. on scheduled evenings, and will be held in the Performing Arts Center at Valencia’s East Campus, located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail.
The Master Guitar Series begins on Monday, Feb. 24 with classical guitarist Rene Izquierdo, whose performances have been described as “second to none” and “dazzling”. The award-winning guitarist has shared the stage with prestigious guitarists such as Eliot Fisk, Benjamin Verdery and Jorge Morel throughout his career that has spanned nearly three decades. Izquierdo is also currently a professor of classical guitar at Wisconsin State University in Milwaukee.
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the “young genius of the guitar”, Celil Refik Kaya, takes the stage for his classical music arrangement. A native of Turkey, and influenced by classical music since early childhood, he has gone on to perform some of the most prestigious concert halls and festivals in the United States, including Carnegie Hall and the NYC Summer Artists Series. In addition to being a concert soloist, Kaya is also an avid composer, creating more than 100 works in his career that have been performed around the world.
Local guitar legend Bobby Koelble, an adjunct professor of guitar at Rollins College and the University of Central Florida, will round out the week with his performance on Thursday, Feb. 27. During his performance, Koelble will be presenting an ensemble show called “When Jimi met Miles”, an exploration of what a possible collaboration between Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis might have sounded like, were their musical journeys to ever cross.
Although the concerts are free, tickets are required for admission. To reserve a free ticket, please visit http://events.valenciacollege.edu/event/master_guitar_seriesor call the box office at (407) 582-2900.