VIAF 2014

Guitarist Simon Schembri in concert this evening …

What promises to be a high-profile concert will take place this evening, with leading guitarist Simon Schembri giving a solo recital of works by Tárrega, Bach, Albéniz, Villa-Lobos, Brouwer and, last but not least, Piazzolla. A concert of Spanish and South American set pieces cannot not entice and enthrall!

Simon Schembri, Maltese by birth, hails from a musical family. Starting his guitar studies at the young age of six, he was giving concerts by the time he was nine. Early success led him to London and Paris where he was awarded the coveted Concert Artist’s degree from the Royal College of Music and the Premiere Prix d’interprétation at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique, Paris. He is the only Maltese to date to have been admitted to the prestigious Paris Conservatoire. He has also been awarded gold medals from the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation and is a laureate of the Guitar Foundation of America. He has performed extensively all over Europe and South America, and his recitals have taken him to the world’s most prestigious venues. Critics recognise the exceptional quality of sound, technical perfection, and refined sensitivity in Simon’s interpretations. The legendary Lagoya has this to say of him: “Simon Schembri has always known how to use technical prowess to serve an intense musical spirituality”, while eminent French conductor Frédéric Lodéon comments: “I had the great pleasure to listen to Schembri a year ago and I was immediately struck by the clarity of his playing and the quality of musical expression….  [He] avoids all banality and breathes new life into the works he interprets”. Having a natural aptitude at establishing a direct emotional contact with his audience, every moment of Simon’s playing is pure magic. He is Professor of Guitar at the École supérieure de musique schola cantorum, Paris.

The concert, which this evening will be held at St Augustine Church in Victoria, starts at 8pm.

See you there!