Philippe Villa: Rêverie

7.00pm, Wednesday 28th February 2024
Richard Gill Auditorium, WA Academy of Performing Arts (2 Bradford St Mt Lawley)

French virtuoso Philippe Villa performs this very special concert on nineteenth-century and modern instruments (one night only), in a program encompassing Coste, Legnani, Regondi, Giuliani, Tesar, Rudniev, and Merlin.

Philippe VILLA is considered one of the most brilliant French guitarists of his generation. He is a specialist of the Romantic repertory and plays Historic or modern instruments. He builds on new experiences such as combining the guitar with traditional instruments, improvisations, or Chamber Music. He founded the “Cantiga guitar Duo” in 2014 with Anastasia Maximkina.Together they created various chamber groups ,including strings,voice,bandoneon and dance. He has appeared as a guest in various international festivals (Vienna, Milan,Fiuggi,Cremona London,Bath, Esztergom,Petersburg Voronezh, Istanbul, Bangkok, Bienne, Debrecen, Bratislava,Brno,Hersbruck,Stuttgart), and his recordings and concerts are recognized by critics as being “an original talent,” “a musical jubilation,” and “of a rare elegance.” He is the first guitarist to record Napoléon Coste “Lacôte Guitar” and Berlioz “Grobert” guitar. Well appreciated as teacher, he has been invited in prestigious academies: “Chopin” in Warsaw, Voronezh, the Vienna Forum, Krakow Academy, Moscow Institute, Columbia University (NY)… He served as member of the jury for international competitions (Parma, Vienna, Rust, Fiuggi,Trossingen,Essen…) and founded the International Guitar Festival of the Island of Ré in 1998. In 2006 he also founded the St-Michel en l’Herm guitar Festival. In 2014 he founded the First International Academy:”Guitar and Strings” in Bitche. He won the Paganini – Taranto – Pujol - Milan international competitions, and obtained the “Yehudi Menuhin” Foundation Award. In addition he received the Gold Medal from city of Paris, he is also Gold winner of International Bordeaux Festival.In 2022 he was awarded from the Concert artist prize from the Fiuggi international guitar festival. He studied with Betho Davezac and Jiri Jirmal at the Musikhochschule of Sarrebruck where he obtained the “Concert Diplom” with high distinction. Currently, he is teacher at Reims Conservatory (France). He plays exclusively on “Savarez” Cantiga Strings.