Australian Guitar Quartet

Slava, Leonard, Vladimir and Andrew are renowned nationally and internationally as leading soloists and passionate advocates for  their distinctive instrument. They are also recognised for their formidable and diverse repertoire. For UKARIA, they present a  beautifully balanced program showcasing intimate delicacy and extravagant flair. The concert opens with Bach’s sixth Brandenburg  Concerto, here arranged by James Smith for guitar quartet.

The program bounds lightly from the eighteenth century into the twenty-first, to the world premiere of Nigel Westlake’s The Book of Fish. A legendary twenty-time GRAMMY Award-winning jazz guitarist and composer, Pat Metheny is striking for the versatility of his musical talents and compositional interests: here, the Australian Guitar Quartet performs his 2021 six-movement composition Road to the Sun. To close their program, the group  turns to Brazilian guitarist-composer Paulo Bellinati. Bellinati is an important global ambassador for the long and rich traditions of Brazilian guitar, and the colourful Un Amor de Valsa and A Furiosa are among some of his most beloved works.

Australian Guitar Quartet
   Slava Grigoryan
   Leonard Grigoryan
   Vladimir Gorbach
   Andrew Blanch

Broadcast Partner

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B flat, BWV 1051 [17']

I. Alla breve
II. Adagio ma non tanto
III. Allegro

Nigel Westlake (b. 1958)
The Book of Fish (World Premiere) [22’]

I. Maugean Skate
II. Swan Galaxis
III. Spiny Pipehorse
IV. Pot Bellied Seahorse
V. Red Handfish
VI. Threefin Blenny

Commissioned by the Australian Guitar Quartet

INTERVAL

Pat Metheny (b. 1954)
Road to the Sun [27']

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Paulo Bellinati (b. 1950)
Un Amor de Valsa [3']
A Furiosa [4']