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Boston Guitar Project plans concerts for Myanmar Cyclone victims

Boston Guitar Project will be committing its last two concerts of the season to aid cyclone victims in Myanmar. Belgian guitarist Jérôme Mouffe and the Boston-based flute-guitar duo with Erik Puslys and Ona Jonaitytė will appear at Third Life Studio at 33 Union Square at 8:00 pm on May 30 and June 6, respectively. A portion of both evening’s proceeds will be donated to disaster relief funds.

Director of the Project Steve Lin said, “As I watched the news unfold, I had the same gut feeling as when I watched the Hurricane Katrina coverage three years ago. BGP needed to do something, so I called Mouffe and Puslys, who immediately agreed to lend their talents to the effort.”

“I understand that some may feel indifferent to Myanmar because of the political situation, but I believe this crisis speaks to humans on a much more fundamental level—the need for water, food, shelter, basic medical supplies, etc,” says Scott Borg, assistant director of the Project. “It is tantamount as to what individuals can do through organizations that will be allowed to help.”

Mouffe recently won second prize in the 2007 Boston GuitarFest Competition and will be performing a program of virtuoso Italian compositions. Puslys and Jonaitytė are an established flute-guitar duo and will offer a diverse program of works from the Baroque to 20^th century Eastern European.

The Project was founded in 2005 as a way for guitar students at New England Conservatory of Music to make guitar music more relevant to the Greater Boston communities through concerts and outreach. Tickets for both upcoming concerts are available online for $12.00 or at the door on the evening of the concert for $15.00. For more information, please call (617) 628-0916 or visit http://www.linguitar.com/bostonguitarproject.

Thibault Cauvin – Concert in Boston

Boston Guitar Project presented this incredible talent for the second time in Boston.

The concert took place at Third Life Studio in Somerville’s Union Square. An intimate space, it was like playing in a living room and the audience seemed to really appreciate being able to be close to the artist.

The concert was very well received and the young virtuoso received a standing ovation joined by the whole audience at the end of the concert. His program included Scarlatti, Dyens (jazz arrangements), Philippe Cauvin (Thibault’s father), and Domeniconi. Every piece captured a fantastic atmosphere.

Again, it was a great honor and pleasure to present Thibault.

Interview with Thibault Cauvin

SL: What are your ideas about classical guitar and where do you think classical guitar is going?
TC: The classical guitar is a relatively young instrument, especially compared to the piano or the violin. That means that our instrument and our “world” is growing really fast and every one of us contributes to this evolution. I think it would be a mistake to stop this evolution, which is not over, in playing the same repertory in the same way. We really have to try new things, to take risks in order to make the guitar world more and more interesting and rich.
As a young Parisian of 23 years, I’m personally trying to play the guitar in a modern, dynamic and young way. I would like to attract a younger and larger audience, especially those coming from different musical worlds: jazz, world music, rock, etc. My wish would be to touch, in the same concert, the Bach fanatics and the Hendrix lovers.

SL: After touring so much, what are some of your most memorable experiences?
TC: Every concert and meeting is a good memory, and it’s fantastic to tour around the world, discover new countries, new cultures, and people. It’s great to have a very important discussion about music with incredible musicians but it’s also magical to have a discussion, for example, with an Algerian fisherman about his boat. I like the contrasts and the differences, I like to enter in a “world” for some days and travel to another and another…

SL: You are young and energetic — how does this reflect the music you play?
TC: I play like I am, and I play the music I like and which fits well with me and my ideas. I’m trying to play new music, written by contemporary composers influenced by different musical styles. I try to make the public discover new pieces, more powerful and fresh, and I try to make them enjoy the entire experience as much as I do the guitar!
That’s what I did in my last CD, recorded last year in San Francisco for GSP, which will be out in September. This will be my 4th CD and will be an accurate representation of what I think and what I claim today.

SL: What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?
TC: I would love to play more and more concerts, in bigger and bigger halls, and to record new CDs for big labels. I would like to attract a larger audience to classical guitar concerts, to assist in the discovery in our great instrument to more people. And I want to keep having as much fun as I have touring around our planet!

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Many thanks to Thibault Cauvin for taking the time out of his busy schedule for this interview. To learn more about Mr. Cauvin, please visit his website: www.thibaultcauvin.com.