“Ensconced at the center of the stage, holding his 10-string guitar, classical
guitarist Perfecto De Castro gave everyone in the theater a high (through his
playing) .....” -
The Manila Times
Hailed as one of the best Filipino guitarists by fans and critics alike,
Perfecto De Castro now takes his
career to the World Stage, enrapturing audiences with his adventurous
programming of multi-cultural music.
“An artist of quality and integrity with very refined interpretations”
-
Janet Marlow, Director 1st
International Ten String Festival
At the core of his repertoire, lies the rich and appealing
blend of Eastern and Western musical influences. From the simplistic beauty of
indigenous Ethnic melodies, challenging rhythms of Folk dances, to
Spanish-flavored Art Songs and contemporary fusion of all aforementioned
elements.
“Personally,
the second half of Perfecto’s recital was my favorite. I particularly enjoyed
the four Filipino pieces. It seems those places where many cultures meet (or
clash) often produce the most beautiful and unique music. I heard echoes of
Polynesia, Indonesia and Europe in these
beautiful pieces. This was my first introduction to Filipino music; I was
surprised at the deep and varied roots of the music. Each piece was uniquely
beautiful, and each very different from the other.”
The Laudarra, or the Ten String Classical Guitar, is
Perfecto’s instrument of choice. Its wider musical range and colorful sonority
transforms each piece and presents them in a different light. The musical
potential of compositions, transcriptions and arrangements are less hindered by
the traditional guitar’s limitations.
“I had the pleasure of watching Perfecto De Castro's live recital DVD last
night. His use of the 10 string guitar was very fluid and clean.
I've often felt that 10 string guitarists were switching from Bass to Treble
parts within a piece to the detriment of the composers intention. Whereas,
Perfecto was able to integrate the extremes of the instrument’s register to
convey the music beautifully.”
Perfecto collaborates with composers all over the world to
add to the repertoire of the Ten String Guitar. To date he has received new
works from Spain, the UK, Italy, the USA and the Philippines; most of which name
him as the dedicatee.
“Both Perfecto De Castro and Rohan Leach are to be commended for bringing such a
beautiful composition and performance (Sylph Dance) to the 10-string world!”
-
Steven Bastien,
10String Mailing List
A graduate of the PWU School of Music, Perfecto studied
with one of the Philippines’ best guitar pedagogues, Maestro Jose Valdez, and
has since augmented his guitar studies through lessons and masterclasses taught
by some of the world’s best guitarists and teachers: Angelito Agcaoili, Michael
Dadap, Paul Galbraith, Tilman
Hoppstock, Scott Kritzer,
Jonathan Leathwood, Janet Marlow, Jorge
Orozco and James Smith.
Along with solo guitar performances, Perfecto has performed
with the Metro Manila Community Orchestra and the Philippine Philharmonic
Orchestra, both as a concerto soloist and texture accompanist. He is a founding
member of the Kasilag Guitar
Quartet, whose 2004 debut CD has received critical acclaim from Japan’s
Gendai Guitar Magazine and the Guitar Foundation of America’s Soundboard
Magazine.
Perfecto De Castro’s new solo 10 String Guitar CD,
“A Journey
through Ten Strings", features pieces from his programmes; from Baroque Lute
Music to Philippine Art Songs and Contemporary Ethnic Music. The CD also
includes the world premiere recording of
Rohan Leach’s “Sylph
Dance”, a suite written for 10 String Guitar and dedicated to Perfecto De
Castro.
Hi, and thanks for the friendship! The Danish composer Per Nørgård's music has been much on my mind the past few years. Arguably the most important now living Scandinavian composer also has a remarkable output for the guitar. I spent a couple of years working with the composer on this repertoire, spanning from 1973 to 2000, in order to embrace the emerging performance practice associated with his work.
I have just uploaded 10 new tracks, all taken from "Tales From the North", my double CD box with the complete guitar works of Danish composer Per Nørgård. Also, in my latest blog you will find recent reviews of this release.
For further reading about the composer, this is an excellent website, with articles by a series of scholars and performers that have dedicated much study to his work:
I wish you the best with the new CD. I'm sure it will be a great success. You are, in my book, still one of the best players out there. Keep up the great work my friend.
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