Santa Cruz Guitar Orchestra: "Scenes from Guitar Island"

The Santa Cruz Guitar Orchestra presents the 2011-12 season finale with an exciting program of music from Baroque and traditional South American to ragtime and swing jazz styles played by a symphony of guitars! Directed by guitarist/composer Mesut Özgen, the SCGO is comprised of professional players, teachers, and students from the local community. The concert program includes a wide range of works. Among the highlights are Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos's beautiful Aria from the Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, Mark Houghton's "Twangology" inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt, Benjamin Verdery's "Scenes from Ellis Island" featuring surprise guest musicians in the exciting finale with a special rhythmic pattern from traditional East Indian music, and the swing jazz master Dorado Schmitt's "Tchavolo Swing" from the famous movie about Gypsy musicians: "Latcho Drom." Among the guest musicians are soprano Sheila Willey Hannon, guitarist Kenny Hill, violinist Aimee Hamel, and Paul Mehling, the lead guitarist and founder of the legendary swing jazz band "Hot Club of San Francisco".

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