Los Angeles Guitar Quartet

The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet ( LAGQ ) is an American guitar quartet.

On the history of the ensemble

The quartet was founded in 1980 by Anisa Angarola (under the " supervision" of Pepe Romero, a member of the famous " Los Romeros " guitar quartet ). This is often referred to by the abbreviation LAGQ ensemble currently consists of four guitarists John Dearman, William Kanengiser, Scott Tennant and Matthew Greif. The four artists play "classical" guitar, so guitar with nylon strings. The quartet is able to master the guitar to mimic a variety of other instruments or generate new sound effects.

The LAGQ plays a variety of styles, from baroque to bluegrass, flamenco to New Age, etc. The Quartet was awarded in 2005 for their CD " Guitar Heroes " with the Grammy Award. The (former) Quartet member Andrew York as well as other contemporary composers a series of compositions written for the quartet (eg Ian Krouse ), including very popular works such as " Bantu ", " Quiccan ", " Lotus Eaters " or "Pacific Coast Highway ". York left the end of 2006, the quartet continue his own artistic career.

The ensemble took on a variety of works on CD, most recordings have been released by Telarc.

Members

John Dearman

John Dearman is a founding member of the Quartet. He plays the only one of the quartet a special seven-string guitar, which down the range of a "normal " guitar - in the bass - expanded. In addition, this guitar permitted by the extended fingerboard higher pitches. Mr. Dearman teaches at El Camino College and at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

William Kanengiser

Kanengiser, also a founding member of the Quartet, has arranged a number of works for the quartet, for example, the "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 " by Franz Liszt. The work " Gongan " also arranged by him, the gamelan music imitates by using alligator clips to the strings. Kanengiser teaches at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles as a professor of guitar.

Matthew Griffin

Matthew Griffin since the beginning of 2007 a ​​permanent member of the Quartet and takes the place of Andrew York, having separated the end of 2006 by the Quartet. Matthew Greif is a former student of Kanengiser and Tennant.

Scott Tennant

Scott Tenannt is also a founding member of the Quartet. He has published some shots of Joaquin Rodrigo, Celtic music from England, Ireland and Scotland. In addition, he also teaches at the University of Southern California. Tennant has a now well-known in Europe guitar textbook written, " Pumping Nylon ".