NJGO and NJMEA Guitar Ensemble in Concert - Jayson Martinez

NJGO and NJMEA Guitar Ensemble In Concert

Jayson Martinez NJMEA Chair for Guitar Education jmarti37[at]webmail.essex.edu

Arguably the greatest classical guitarist of all time, Andres Segovia, once stated: “The guitar is a small orchestra. It is polyphonic. Every string is a different color, a different voice.” Now, imagine the exponential possibilities of colors and polyphonic textures created by a guitar orchestra performing live! Better still, how about TWO! Well, 2022 will bring us just that!

The 2021-22 NJMEA High School Honors Guitar Ensemble will be performing with the New Jersey Guitar Orchestra in several collaborations and events this year.

First, the NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble and NJGO are pleased to announce that they will record a joint video performance of Mark Houghton’s Sailing Home. Now, for the first time ever, both of New Jersey’s most beloved guitar ensembles will join forces for another historic video collaboration.

This collaboration is made possible by the generous sponsorship by the Augustine Foundation and the VGO Virtual Guitar Orchestra team. You may recall that last year, the NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble was featured in a groundbreaking VGO project, along with twelve other MEA Guitar Ensembles across the country. You can check out all of these state MEA videos on social media and YouTube.

Next, the NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble and NJGO will perform at William Paterson University’s GuitarFest. WPU’s GuitarFest is a one-day guitar festival that occurs each spring. This annual celebration of the classical guitar is a focal point for guitar students at the university and a showcase to the community for world-class artists of the classical guitar. Each year, the festival presents one featured artist whose performance in concert forms the centerpiece of the festival. The students of the WPU’s Guitar Department also present a concert of solo and ensemble music. Seminars, master classes and other performances take place, creating an atmosphere of guitaristic and musical excellence. Check out https://www.wpunj.edu/guitarfest for all info.

Also slated for Spring 2022 is our performance at 30th The Long Island Guitar Festival. The LIGF is an annual international festival presented by the Department of Music of the School of Performing Arts at the LIU Post Campus of Long Island University. The festival represents the continuing commitment of Long Island University to reach out to the artistic community and continue an established tradition of excellence in guitar performance and pedagogy.

The Long Island Guitar Festival presents master classes, concerts and workshops by the world's most outstanding guitarists and teachers. Workshops have included Computer Music Notation for Guitarists, Composers and Arrangers, High School Guitar Ensemble Workshops, Fingerboard Harmony and Chamber Music Workshops. Special concerts have included the "Legacy of Segovia" with Segovia protegé Michael Lorimer, the U.S. debut of renowned guitarist composer Carlo Domeniconi, LIU Post alumni concerts and new music concerts including world premieres. The festival has established partnerships with high schools including Greenwich High School and the United Nations International School, as well as local community colleges.

As you can see, the NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble and New Jersey Guitar Orchestra are going to be very active as we perform in the spotlight. Come support us! We look forward to seeing you all!