Music
Press
Here, Australian Guitarist/composer Anthony Garcia explores the colouristic potential of the classical guitar to the maximum with an attractive program of his own compositions. Bracketed by two substantial tone poems (the first of which gives the album its title) are a set of variations on "La Folia", the suite "Eternal Sunshine", "A Love Sonata", and "Three Ballads"; to complement each work the accompanying booklet features equally colourful illustrations by Mollie Taylor and poetry by Garcia himself. Both pictures and peotry mirror the rhapsodic quality of the music, which on the whole seems to shun real development in favour of using complex effects (the gamelan imitation in the title track being just one striking example) and changing textures to bring out the underlying emotional content. The two exceptions are Garcia's brilliant "La Folia" variations, which recall Mexican composer Manuel Ponce's own foray into the genre and the slow movement of the "Love Sonata", "Loves Reflection", the delicate counterpoint of which recalls the music of an earlier time. Garcia draws on a range of styles to fashion his attractive and highly distinctive musical language, from jazz and folk through to contemporary. And he has technique to burn.
William Yeoman - ABC LIMELIGHT MAGAZINE
"Anthony's performance was full of surprises. Innovative patterns constantly challenge the listener. The audience loved the dreaming nature of his music. Anthony's presence on stage oozes confidence."
Zoli Mauritz
Artistic Director
MUSIC BY THE SEA FESTIVAL - Zoli Mauritz
"Anthony is a world class performer who composes amazing music and performs with virtuosic grace. Our audiences have deeply appreciated his creative voice, his intimate manner, and his unique ability to take the listener on a journey."
Alex Wilkinson
Tyalgum Festival of Classical Music - Tyalgum Festival of Music
Mexican-Australian guitarist Anthony Garcia has very gamely recorded his own music for his latest disc, "Skyflyer". He is an excellent guitarist and although his compositions are an unknown quantity, this disc dispels any doubts about an innate ability to create music that draws together the many cultural threads weaving through his life. It blends formality with a colourful improvisatory flair.
"Skyflyer" is named after the final track, an evocative piece that sums up the contents on the program opening with "Tyalgum", a five movement suite inspired by the northern New South Wales township that hosts an annual music festival which featured Garcia. His music knows no geographical bounds, so the "Oceania" track might have emanated from either side of the Pacific. It is eloquent in its imagery and his stunning tremolo technique in "Mountain Tremelo" at times almost echoes an indigenous Australian mood. His whole oeuvre is a distinctive meld of diverse cultures.
Patricia Kelly
THE COURIER MAIL - The Courier Mail
American born Garcia was raised in South-East Asia and Australia and explored his Mexican ancestry in four years living in that country teaching guitar at university. All of these influences are assimilated into his style as the Brisbane-based guitarist delivers his second album of original work.
Unlike some solo classical players he has experience in rock and jazz and his love of improvisation naturally developed into a gift for writing his own compositions. Technically he is brilliant, and the 12-minute suite Eternal Sunshine shows how he uses that to emotional effect, playing with fire and grace interwoven with more traditional classical elements. Even more striking is the vivid Malili Dreaming, where Garcia draws on his childhood memories of Indonesia and, among other things, is able to echo the sound of the gamelan he heard in his youth.
This album emphasises Garcia's melodic gifts, while pieces such as Not Far From Home demonstrate his desire to keep pushing solo classical guitar in challenging - but always - entertaining - directions.
- The Courier Mail - Noel Mengel
Discography
2008 Moliendo Cafe - Zarabanda
Classical Guitar and Latin Harp
2006 Malili Dreaming - Original compositions
2004 Skyflyer - Original compositions
2002 Desde Merida - classical repertoire
Anthony's music is distributed nationally by CREATIVE VIBES and available through Itunes and all good etailers!
Anthony is a member of AIR and was a featured artist on their AIRPLAY series, track "The Turn Around".
Anthony plays on a guitar made by Australian Luthier Simon Marty.
Photos
Bio
Guitarist composer Anthony Garcia is a soulful artist who touches audiences with his unique ability to blend formality with colourful improvisatory flair. A highly trained classical musician well versed in styles such as jazz, Latin folk and popular music Anthony manages to bring together the threads of these genres to create an original and communicative soundscape of universal appeal.
Continually composing new and exciting music for solo guitar alongside an ever increasing output of ensemble music, this year has seen the premier of several new works by Anthony including; City Scapes for Guitar, Piano, Soprano Saxophone and Cello performed at the opening concert of the Queensland Ballet’s Soiree Classique series and Ulysses Blue for Guitar Orchestra and Didgeridoo premiered in Townsville with The Townsville Guitar Orchestra and Didgeridoo legend William Barton.
In February 2009 Anthony successfully toured Japan for the first time, performing his evocative music for solo guitar in Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, and Kobe. Anthony worked with renowned Shakuhachi Master Mr Kifu Mitsuhashi, performing Anthony’s composition Three Sketches for Guitar and Shakuhachi a work premiered in 2007 with Shakuhachi Master Riley Lee.
The 2008 release of the CD Moliendo Café received a five star rating from the ABC’s Limelight magazine. This collaboration with Latin Harp virtuoso Sandra Real included an innovative blend of Baroque and Spanish romantic arrangements, Latin inspired improvisation and Spring Nocturne an original work by Garcia premiered at the Tyalgum Classical Music Festival in 2007.
Born in Houston, Texas, Anthony spent some years traveling with his family throughout South East Asia before moving to Brisbane, Australia where he began to study the classical guitar. During his teenage years Anthony developed a love for rock and jazz that saw him play in a number of Brisbane rock groups and jazz ensembles. Jazz offered Anthony the perfect outlet to further his innate desire to improvise. Being exposed to these different styles of music have helped shape Anthony’s unique ability to compose and perform on the classical guitar.
In 1999, after 10 years of formal study, culminating in a Masters Degree in Music Performance Anthony returned to Mexico, basing himself in Merida, Yucatan. During his four years as artist / teacher at La Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan he established and directed a university guitar orchestra, a yearly guitar festival and a monthly recital series. The vibrancy of the Mexican people and their intrinsic love for music in day to day life further ignited his love for improvisation and composition and in 2003 Anthony returned to Australia dedicated to forging his own creative path.
The release in 2004 of his debut CD of original compositions Skyflyer led to highly successful tours throughout regional and metropolitan Australia. The title track Skyflyer reaching the Final 5 of the OZ Music Awards in the classical category. The subsequent release of his second CD in October 2006 Malili Dreaming, saw an evolution in style and expression that has held audiences spellbound. The incorporation of new guitar techniques and effects inspired by diverse cultures and genres imbues this CD with a vibrant and unique quality reflecting the diverse background of Anthony’s life living in Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and Mexico.
A dedicated educator Anthony continues to offer a broad range of workshops and lectures at universities, secondary schools and for the general public. His current workshop series One World One Music incorporates an open philosophy of music making utilising techniques and approaches from various traditions to inspire freedom and creativity in his students. Anthony is a instrumental teacher of guitar at QUT, Creative Industries Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, Australia.
Anthony currently resides in Brisbane, Australia with his wife Jennifer and two sons Gabriel and Ruben.
Formal Studies:
Master in Music Performance 2000 University of Queensland
Bachelor of Music – First Class Honours 1996
University of Queensland
Studied with Isolde Schuapp
Diploma of Music 1994
Queensland Conservatorium of Music Griffith University
Studied with Julian Byzantine
Bachelor of Arts 1994
Griffith University
Diploma in Guitar Performance 1994
Escuela de Arte Guitarristico
Mexico City, Mexico
Studied with maestros Juan Reyes,
Guillermo Gonzales and Manuel Lopez Ramos
Brisbane School of Guitar 1984 - 1991
Studying with Jim Lloyd
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