Composers Mix Elements of Rock and Jazz into the Classical Music Scene
Cherry Blossom Musical Arts presents Art Music Live in the 21st Century: Part 2, featuring The Concerto for Electric Guitar and Chamber Orchestra by Eugene based composer Paul Safar, conducted by Douglas Detrick with soloist Olem Alves on electric guitar. In this piece Safar blends his classical background with his love of rock and jazz elements. The concert takes place Thursday February 10, 2011, 7:30 pm at Central Lutheran Church, 1857 Potter Street, Eugene. Tickets (at the door only) $15 adults; $10 seniors and students, all K-12 music students free.
Paul Safar grew up studying piano and listening to the classical music played often by his Viennese parents, who hosted many classical music parties in their Pittsburgh home. At the same time Safar started playing in rock bands in middle school, and played pop and jazz in clubs before he was old enough to drink. A product of his times, Safar wanted to create a concerto akin to a violin concerto but using one of the most popular instruments of his generation, the electric guitar. He makes free use of the power, sustain and bending abilities of the guitar that have been explored in rock and jazz and blends them smoothly into his classically structured work.
The featured soloist in Safar's concerto is Olem Alves, who began playing guitar and singing at the early age of 10. He studied with James Thornbury, (Eugene blues legend who later fronted the world famous blues band Canned Heat). At age 15 he started attending Rooster’s blues jam at the Good Times Café and Bar, which deepened his blues roots and helped Alves discover his soulful side. After high school, Alves attended the University of Oregon where he studied classical theory and jazz. Alves performs regularly with his jazz funk fusion group Inner Limits. Alves's background in both the theory of the classics and jazz and blues make him a perfect vehicle for Safar's compositional ideas.
The evening’s program continues with Safar’s "Fly On: Variations on a theme by Jimi Hendrix" and "A Quartet in Red, Black and Blue" Also included are the award winning "Single Petal of a Rose" for jazz orchestra by composer Douglas Detrick and "Micro-Dramatic Songs" by Portland composer and sound artist Dan Senn.
The evenings performers include Paul Safar, soprano Nancy Wood and players from the Eugene Symphony, the Oregon Mozart Players and the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, in addition to guitar soloist Olem Alves.