Paul Galbraith (guitar)
Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
200 Jennens Road, B4 7XR
Free - booking required
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Paul Galbraith guitar
Weiss Passacaglia
Ravel Prelude
Berkeley Sonatina
Schumann Seven Pieces
Granados Valses poéticos
Albéniz Preludio and Sevilla
Paul Galbraith is internationally-renowned as one of the foremost guitarists of our time. His revolutionary approach to guitar has made him an instantly recognisable figure in classical music, but it is ultimately his interpretative breadth which has captivated audiences the world over.
Paul plays a unique eight-string guitar, which he developed in 1993 together with legendary luthier, David Rubio. Rubio named it the ʻBrahms Guitarʼ, due to its richness of sound and wide range, and to differentiate it from the traditional eight-string guitar.
On this instrument, Paul has recorded a series of highly acclaimed albums, most famously Bach's complete Solo-violin Sonatas & Partitas, which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998.
Paulʼs individual approach to guitar technique stems from a breakthrough at the age of 20, when he discovered a playing posture which allowed equal freedom of movement for both arms. Within three years, this developed into the cellist's posture he is associated with today.
Paul began playing in concerts in his late teens, having come to public attention in Great Britain through a series of televised competition successes. Asked by a member of the press after the 1981 Leeds Castle Segovia competition what he thought of Paul, who was awarded silver medal, ʻSegovia raised his hand, and exclaimed: "Paul is magnificent. He will be a great artist"'.
Since the early nineties, Paul has toured the USA annually, and performed throughout the UK and the European Union, as well as in China, South America, Russia, Norway, Australia, Canada and India.
He also has appeared with several of the major orchestras and ensembles in Britain and Europe, such as: the BBC Orchestras, the Royal Philharmonic, the St Petersburg Quartet, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Hallé, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the European Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, and the Shanghai Quartet.