The monthly BBC Music Magazine has a CLASSICAL GUITAR SPECIAL issue for  February 2016. Miloš Karadaglić who has just released his latest recording – Blackbird: The Beatles Album – is interviewed by Rob Ainsley:

‘ENTER THE GUITAR: Miloš Karadaglić is at the vanguard of a group of young classical guitarists giving a fresh and much-needed lease of life to their instrument.’

In the interview Miloš speaks enthusiastically about the two guitar concertos which he has commissioned from Joby Talbot and Howard Shore; he will be premièring these in 2017 – along with ‘a zillion other solo and chamber pieces!’

There is section in the Special Issue called  KINGS OF THE STRINGS – Six top guitarists to search out. The list given is:
Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream, John Williams, Ida Presti, David Russell and Roland Dyens.

The cover interview features Miloš Karadaglić, however, the cover CD features BBC New Generation Young Artist Sean Shibe performing Concerto for guitar and chamber orchestra, Op. 67 by Malcolm Arnold performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Pablo González, Concerto for guitar and small orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Seal, as well as solo works, again performed by Sean Shibe: Prelude, Fugue and Allegro, BWV 998 by J.S. Bach, Forlorn hope fancye by John Dowland, Canço i Dansa No. 13 by Frederic Mompou and Asturias by Isaac Albéniz.

Sean Shibe ©Ben Ealovega

The Special Issue also has an article about Andrés Segovia: ‘THE FATHER OF THE GUITAR’ by Andrew Green, which includes reminiscences of Segovia by Julian Bream, Paco Peña, Eliot Fisk, Christopher Parkening, his son Carlos Segovia – and by Andrew Green himself.

Andrew Green writes:

The magic of Segovia can be measured in the sold-out houses he commanded into his 90s, when the playing was a shadow of his former self. I carried bags for him on a north-of-England tour in the early 1980s and heard the famous ‘Segovia hush’…

The BBC Music Magazine is available in print and digital format.

© 2016 Thérèse Wassily Saba