Wonderfully clean technique — reminds me of how Horowitz played the piano. What a gift to the world of music!
Vladimir Gorbach, guitar
Internationally acclaimed guitarist Vladimir Gorbach and Guitar Professor at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music has captivated audiences across Europe, Australia, the United States and his native country of Russia.
His international success began when he was accepted into the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation “Live Music Now” outreach program. He then went on to win many international guitar competitions and prizes in Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Greece and most recently at the 2011 Guitar Foundation of America earning him a full season concert tour throughout North America, including at Debut Carnegie Hall, NY; Canada, Mexico, South America, and China, in addition to a publication with Mel Bay and a recording for Naxos label distributed worldwide.
He opened the season for the Boston Classical Guitar Society in 2013/14 and started his new duties as appointed guitar faculty member at California State University, Fullerton. In addition, he is the first International Artist Fellow in Music at the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music to pursue his Doctoral of Musical Arts (DMA) studies. (USC’s most elite graduate fellowship in the Arts granted annually to only one fellow in each of five arts schools at USC).
He has performed in recital and as soloist with chamber ensembles of Orchestra de Las Beiras, the Orchestra de Aveiro, the Russian Academic Chamber Orchestra Musica Viva, the Symphony Orchestra of New Russia, and Junge Philharmonie Köln , as well as appearances at the Moscow Philharmonic Concert Series, Koblenz International Guitar Festival (Germany), Guitar Art Festival Belgrade (Serbia), Vienna Guitar Forum (Austria), Nantes Summer Guitar Academy (France), Vondelpark Festival (The Netherlands), and Sydney Crows Nest Concert Cycle (Australia), in addition to giving master-classes at numerous festivals.
He began his guitar lessons at an early age in the class of Professor Yuri Kuzin at the State Music School in Novosibirsk and later with Arkady Burkhanov at the Glinka Conservatory. He continued his studies at the Music Academy in Cologne, Germany with Roberto Aussel. His recent projects include recordings and concert tours with the New Zealand Guitar Quartet and the newly formed Australian Guitar Quartet which was featured on live TV performing for Australia Day to millions of viewers.
Mr. Gorbach plays a 2005 Daniele Chiesa instrument fitted with Augustine Strings.
Australian Guitar Quartet
https://guitar.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/australian-guitar-quartet
Listen to an interview with All Strings Considered
Quotations:
“Brilliant young guitarist Vladimir Gorbach, first-prize winner of the Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition in 2011, has constructed a programme to showcase the variety and versatility of his instrument.”
- Graham Wade, Naxos.com
”Wonderfully clean technique — reminds me of how Horowitz played the piano. What a gift to the world of music!”
– Thomas Heck
”…He literally subdued the audience with his musicality and extreme virtuosity.”
– Quest, France
“His debut at the Koblenz International Guitar Festival 2008 was an absolute triumph for the music world at large, the highlight of the festival.”
– Hubert Kaeppel
“As a musician, Gorbach is the complete package. He showed himself to be a master of subtlety and delicacy, as well as the possessor of daunting technique and considerable charisma.”
– Sarah Bryan Miller, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
CD Reviews
“Brilliant young guitarist Vladimir Gorbach, first-prize winner of the Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition in 2011, has constructed a programme to showcase the variety and versatility of his instrument. Piazzolla’s Estaciones porteñas are richly evocative seasonal portraits vested with his indelible sense of verve. Scarlatti’s inexhaustible sonatas are increasingly popular in guitar transcription, the four here showing his originality and dexterity, whilst Giuliani’s Rondoletto is full of dazzling escapades for the guitar. Vicente Asencio’s Collectici íntim is drenched in vibrant Spanish colours and rhythms.”
David’s Review Corner, Naxos.com, July 2012
Astor Piazzolla’s snapshots of The Four Seasons introduces Vladimir Gorbach, the young Russian winner of the 2011 Guitar Foundation of America Competition.
Originally for a small chamber group that would have far more access to sound colours than the lone guitar, they are effective pieces beginning in spring and ending in winter. Played in effective transcriptions by Sergio Assad, they are at times of finger-twisting complexity that is easily negotiated by Gorbach’s in his open textured clarity. Unlike Vivaldi’s famous work of the same name, Piazzolla’s winter ends in peace and quiet, an exquisite moment from Gorbach. Far better to experience his technical brilliance in original music, the Rondoletto by Mauro Giuliani so full of happiness as it sends left hand fingers chasing around, though the jewel in the collection comes with Vicente Asencio’s Collectici intim (Intimate Collection). The twentieth century Spanish composer wrote in many genres, but was particularly attracted to the guitar. Its five sections carry titles that are translated to Serenity, Joy, Calm, Delight and Haste, and draw from the instrument some beautiful sounds in music of pure tonality that sit side by side with infectious exhilaration. Not the work’s first outing on Naxos, but always welcome…this is another example of superb guitar recording from Naxos’s Canadian team.”
Varaciones sobre un tema de Fernando Sor, op. 15 by Miguel Llobet
Prelude from Lute Suite #2, BWV 997 by Johann Sebastian Bach
Sonata K. 27 by Domenico Scarlatti
El Mestre by Miguel Llobet (1878–1938). Filmed in the Patio from the Castle of Vélez Blanco at The Metropolitan Museum of Art