Los Angeles Guitar Quartet

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The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ) is an American guitar quartet .

On the history of the ensemble

The quartet was founded in 1980 by Anisa Angarola (under the "supervision" of Pepe Romero , a member of the famous "Los Romeros" guitar quartet). The ensemble, often referred to by the abbreviation LAGQ , currently consists of the four guitarists John Dearman, William Kanengiser, Scott Tennant and Matthew Greif. The four artists play "classical" guitars , i.e. guitars with nylon strings. The quartet is able to imitate a variety of other instruments with the guitars or to create new sonic effects.

The LAGQ plays a variety of styles, from Baroque to Bluegrass , Flamenco to New Age and others. The quartet received a Grammy Award in 2005 for their CD "Guitar Heroes" . The (former) quartet member Andrew York, like other contemporary composers (e.g. Ian Krouse), wrote a number of compositions for the quartet, including very popular works such as "Bantu", "Quiccan", "Lotus Eaters" and "Pacific" Coast Highway ". York left the quartet in late 2006 to pursue his own artistic career.

The ensemble has recorded a large number of works on CD, most of which have been made by Telarc .

Members

John Dearman

John Dearman is a founding member of the quartet. He is the only one of the quartet to play a special seven-string guitar that extends the range of a "normal" guitar downwards - in the bass. In addition, this guitar allows higher pitches due to the extended fingerboard. Mr. Dearman teaches at El Camino College and the University of California, Santa Barbara .

William Kanengiser

Kanengiser, also a founding member of the quartet, has arranged a large number of works for the quartet, e.g. B. the "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" by Franz Liszt . The work "Gongan", also arranged by him, imitates gamelan music by using alligator clips on the strings. Kanengiser teaches at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles as a professor of guitar.

Matthew Griffin

Matthew Greif has been a permanent member of the quartet since the beginning of 2007 and takes the place of Andrew York, who left the quartet in late 2006. Matthew Greif is a former student of Kanengiser and Tennant.

Scott Tennant

Scott Tenannt is also a founding member of the quartet. He has released some recordings of Joaquín Rodrigo , Celtic music from England, Ireland and Scotland. He also teaches at the University of Southern California. Tennant wrote a guitar textbook, "Pumping Nylon", which is now also known in Europe.

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