The Georgia Guitar Quartet has emerged as an exciting new voice in today's chamber music scene. These four young men from the American South deliver a high-energy blend of breathtaking virtuosity and imaginative programming while taking an adventurous approach to classical music. Borrowing from both the past and present, the GGQ draws inspiration from the ever-evolving palette of music that has influenced them: classical masters such as Bach and Brahms, experimentalists in the vein of Cage, Bartók, and Stockhausen, and contemporary rock icons like Radiohead and Led Zeppelin. Audiences at a GGQ concert experience an exciting musical journey through an expansive array of genres, continents, and time periods. Rousing Irish folk music and late Impressionistic masterpieces share the stage, while the sublime beauty of Chopin rubs shoulders with groundbreaking contemporary works. Accomplished composers themselves, the Quartet members frequently incorporate their own unique works into their dynamic concert programs. The incredible range and interactive spontaneity of a performance by the GGQ continually leaves audiences with something to remember, resulting in a thrilling new way to experience chamber music in the 21st century.

Formed in 1996 and hailing from Athens, Georgia, the Quartet performs throughout the nation in venues ranging from concert halls to popular music clubs. Recent concert highlights include performances in New York, Los Angeles, and an appearance at the Deer Valley Music Festival in Park City, Utah where they performed Rodrigo's "Concerto Andaluz" with the Utah Symphony Orchestra. The GGQ has been featured on American Public Media's "Performance Today" and has released four critically acclaimed recordings, the most recent consisting exclusively of music composed by the Quartet. In addition to receiving praise for its members' original compositions and inventive arrangements of preexisting works, the Georgia Guitar Quartet has also been recognized for its novel interpretation of guitar quartet staples. Several notable composers have dedicated new works to the GGQ, including Russian composer Nikita Koshkin. The group has collaborated with modern dance groups and visual artists to produce multimedia performances and has recently embarked on a new collaboration with lyric baritone Robert Sims. In 2001, the Quartet was invited by Christopher Parkening to perform as the guest artists at his twenty-seventh annual Masterclass in Bozeman, Montana. A review of their Piccolo Spoleto Festival performance in Charleston, South Carolina, described the concert as "a dazzling display of technical prowess, versatile programming, and audience rapport." The town of Athens, which boasts a rich musical heritage, has honored the ensemble by awarding them "Best Classical Artist" in Athens five years in a row at the Athens Flagpole Music Awards. All four members being highly experienced instructors, the Quartet frequently gives masterclasses and workshops and recently has instituted a Classical and Commercial Guitar Camp to occur every summer in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina.

 

"These four young musicians exhibit nearly flawless technique and interpretational finesse."

--Flagpole Magazine

 

"The Georgia Guitar Quartet is a quite extraordinary group.... Quite a display of wide-ranging talent."

--Soundboard Magazine

"If only more classical releases were as imaginative and satisfying!"

--Copper Press Magazine

"Classical guitar at its very best..."

--ABC 4's Good Things Utah

 

"color texture and rhythm embued with a sense of humor "

--Deseret Morning News

 

"...highly disciplined musicianship...seriously excellent."

--Cerritos Community News

 

"The Quartet performs with good energy and technique, applies careful attention to detail, and maintains a diverse repertoire."

--Christopher Parkening

 

"They are one of the finest groups of young talent I have seen in my thirty years of teaching."

--John Sutherland, Head of Guitar Studies University of Georgia

 

"My kind of guys--good players and musicians who have a sense of humor. I very much like the Georgia Guitar Quartet and the spirit they play with."

--John Duarte, late guitar scholar