Group takes guitar music to classic proportions

WHAT:

Las Vegas Classical Guitar Ensemble's spring concert

WHERE:

West Charleston Library and Lecture Hall

WHEN:

7 p.m. Wednesday

COST: Free

The Las Vegas Classical Guitar Ensemble has been practicing.

After a standing-room-only performance at Borders bookstore last fall, the six-member group moved its winter concert to a larger venue -- the West Charleston Library, where they played for about 90 people.

"We feel there's an interest from the community," Glenn Cooper, director of the ensemble, said. "We're getting a good start,"

On Wednesday the ensemble, which formed a year ago, will perform its third concert, again at the West Charleston Library.

Judging by turnouts at the previous concerts, the Las Vegas Valley may have an audience for the sounds of the delicate, yet vigorously plucked, instrument.

"This is a good time for the guitar," Cooper said. "People are open to different timbres -- more so now than before. But they still want the familiarity. We can bring ancient and new sounds with that familiarity."

Although many in the audience who came to the winter concert were "aficionados of the guitar," some were newcomers who weren't used to hearing a guitar as a classical instrument.

"At the last concert, there were people who had never heard solo classical guitar, let alone an ensemble," member Bob Stewart said.

Bringing the sounds of the classical guitar to a larger audience is part of the group's mission. Those used to acoustic guitar as accompaniment will hear a more diverse range of sounds Wednesday with the nylon-stringed classical guitar.

The group will perform a variety of pieces by composers such as Robert Schumann and Georges Bizet.

"The difference between a steel guitar and a classical guitar is a wider timbre," Cooper said. "A classical guitar can produce a sweet dolce sound when played over the sound hole and a more metallic sound when played near the bridge."

"It's kind of like an orchestra in a box," member Kay Belangia said. "There are different possibilities you can do on a guitar. You can do harmony, melody and bass all at the same time."

The richness could be heard at Monday's rehearsal as the group practiced a variety of pieces from the Renaissance through the early 20th century.

"If one classical guitar is wonderful, then six are better," Cooper said.

The ensemble also includes Sue Geiles, Bob Morris and Tom Hudak. It formed from a larger group that met informally once a month for the past two years as the Millennium Classical Guitar Circle to play ensemble pieces.

"We wanted to meet on a regular basis and bring our ability to a higher level," Cooper said.

The players come from a variety of backgrounds: Cooper heads up the Clark County School District's magnet program. Belangia performs at restaurants and weddings. Geiles, who refers to herself as the only "nonmusician in the group," has been playing for 35 years, but never performed until she joined the ensemble.

Stewart studied music therapy in college and works for a graphics design company. Hudak, who graduated from UNLV as a classical guitar major, works for UNLV in administration.

Bob Morris, whose background is mainly rock 'n' roll, heads up a Becker Middle School guitar program that teaches the instrument to 260 students. The program gained national attention this month when Morris took 40 students to the Music Educators National Conference in Washington. The conference is sponsored by the National Association for Music Education.

Morris' program at Becker was also featured recently in a national publication, "B & O: Band and Orchestra Product News."

Las Vegas is fortunate to have guitar programs and guitar teachers in the school, Cooper said. There are 28 schools in Clark County with guitar programs.

Not all students are drawn to the traditional band and orchestra programs. This gives students a chance to see what the guitar can do, Cooper said.

"It's always been my favorite instrument," Stewart, who also studied the cello, said.

Kristen Peterson covers community news for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-2317 or by e-mail at [email protected].

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