Monday, 2008 August 11^th, 7PM

Dzintari Chamber Music Hall

His Majesty Soloist

Alexander-Sergei Ramírez (classical guitar, Peru)

Since winning the first Prize at the Alhambra International Guitar Competition in Spain, Alexander-Sergei Ramírez has established himself as one of the leading concert guitarist of his generation.

Alexander-Sergei Ramírez was born in Lima, Perú, and studied the guitar with Prof. Maritta Kersting in Germany, with José-Luis González in Alcoy, Spain and with Pepe Romero in both Spain and the USA. 

Ramírez has appeared throughout the world in recitals, chamber concerts (with partners including mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, violinists like Renaud Capucon or Daniel Hope, guitarist Pepe Romero, the Amati or Rosamunde String-Quartet) and as soloist in orchestral concerts which have often entailed radio or television recordings.

Some of the most significant milestones in his career to date have been appearances at the Salzburg Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Rheingau Music Festival, Semanas Interamericanas (Washington, DC), as well as at the main halls of the Salzburg Mozarteum and Zurich Tonhalle and at Lima’s Teatro Municipal.

His first four albums on DENON were received with critical acclaim by the music press. His recording dedicated to the works of the Paraguayan composer Agustín Barrios-Mangoré was released on DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON in 2002. His latest DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON recording, Odyssey, a musical voyage around the world with compositions from Spain, Russia, Japan, Australia, Puerto Rico, Perú and Cameroon, was released in April 2004. Odyssey was selected  „CD of the month“ by Ecos-Magazine. 

2007 DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON released the CD „Masters of the Guitar“, with recordings by Andrés Segovia, Pepe Romero, Narciso Yepes, Paco Pena and Alexander-Sergei Ramirez.

Since several years his interest also focuses on the “Romantic Guitar”, performing in the unusual Duo-combination of guitar and fortepiano with Sheila Arnold.

In 1997 Ramirez was included in Maurice Summerfield´s dictionary “The Classical Guitar – it´s evolution, players and personalities since 1800”.

Ramirez, Professor at the Robert-Schumann Hochschule, Düsseldorf, is frequently invited to guitarfestivals, is giving worldwide masterclasses and is jurymember of different international guitar competitions.

…He is a wizard of the guitar…

The New Vision

…Again and again the artist takes advantage of the instrument’s ability to imitate other sounds – the harp, the balalaika and the cymbals – at times even producing a spectrum of shimmering tones…