World-renowned guitarist Francesc de Paula Soler will conduct a pair of performances and lead a master class during a two-day visit to the Lawrence University campus. All events are free and open to the public.
Soler will pay tribute to the 400th anniversary of Don Quixote with a lecture and performance featuring music from 17th-century Spain Thursday, Nov. 3 at 11 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Union Coffeehouse. The performance will include participation by members of ¡VIVA!, the student organization dedicated to promoting and expanding awareness of Hispanic culture.
Also on Thursday, Soler will conduct a guitar recital at 4 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. The two-part recital will offer a panoramic view of Spanish music, from the 16th-century vihuela to the modern-day guitar as well as works by some of the most well-known composers of the Latin American guitar, including Heitor Villa-lobos and Isaias Savio.
On Friday, Nov. 4, Soler will conduct a classical guitar master class at 1 p.m. in Harper Hall of the Music-Drama Center.
Known as “the poet of the guitar,” Soler has been hailed as one of the most notable names of the guitar world for his wide international activity as a performer. The son of a well-known Spanish artistic family, Soler began piano lessons at the age of six and took up the guitar at 11. He received highest honors in the prestigious Conservatorio Superior de Música competition in Barcelona and later served as the master guitarist at the conservatory there for many years.
Soler has been widely honored for his musical artistry. He received the Medal of St. Vladimir from the Russian Orthodox Church, been named a member of the Royal Order of Christopher Columbus and been recognized on three separate occasions by U.S. House of Representatives in recognition of his artistic merits.
Soler’s appearance is supported by the Marguerite Schumann Memorial Lectureship. Established in 1986, the lectureship brings guests to campus on a variety of topics that represent the depth and diversity of Schumann’s interests, including history, music, and writing. Schumann served the college from 1945-68 as director of publicity and publications and is the author of “Creation of a Campus,” a history of the buildings of Lawrence University.
