Flutar

John E. Marlow Guitar Series

Mistresses of the guitar held the stage at the Chevy Chase Women's Club Friday evening.  The duo Flutar led the program, featuring the intense guitarist Giorgia Cavallaro accompanied by flute and wind artist Joseph Cunliffe. The duo performed traditional folk songs of the British Isles as well as Cavallaro's own works. Cunliffe's spicy flute improvisations drew on the baroque tradition of individual tonal embellishments, while Cavallaro's forte lies in the imaginative sweep of her compositions. A spirited milonga, which is a brisk antecedent to the tango originating in the barrios of Buenos Aires, completed the duo's set. - L. Peat O'Neal

La Libertad, El Salvador
Martha Buckley, Cultural Affairs Officer

How can I thank you enough for such a delightful week of Flutar concerts in El Salvador? Everyone I meet has been telling me how much they enjoyed hearing you play and how completely your music touched them.

Your concert at the Mayan ruins of San Andres was absolutely magical...it's going to stay with me as one of my favorite concerts ever. The people of Suchitoto hold you in a special place in their hearts - as you could see from the enthusiasm of the overflow crowd. Your concerts at the three universities allowed us to introduce the richness of U.S. culture to a whole new generation, and they obviously loved it.

Working with you before the events, and at the concerts themselves, was a wonderful experience for me and I look forward to cooperating with you again in the near future.


Martha Buckley
Cultural Affairs Officer - Embassy of the United States of America

Longwood Gardens
Post Office Box 501
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania 19348-0501

On behalf of Longwood Gardens, I want to thank you for participating in the 2001 Festival of fountains World Music & Jazz Series. Again this year, we at Longwood did so enjoy your concert in the Gardens.  Excellent music beautifully performed in a lovely garden setting is our goal and your concert is exactly what I want all our concerts to be.  Both of you are such good artists and together it makes for a magical musical event.  I hope that sometime we can do an indoor concert in a little longer concert time period, to enjoy more of your work. Your program was a nice combination of Latin music, world music and original works.  I particularly am partial to the wooden flute and the echoes and rapid notes you are able to produce, Joseph, you are astounding. And, the audience did like hearing about your instruments; I am glad you talked about them.  Giorgia your Odyssey was wonderful and it is interesting to me to hear about the tunings for the selection and to listen to the different sounds. It was a beautiful program.  I wish we could have gone on longer. Thank you both for gracing our stage and so royally entertaining our audience on Tuesday.  I am sorry that it was such a warm evening and I know the breeze made it difficult to play the flutes some of the time, but your audience was enthralled with your performance and you made their evening at Longwood very special.

Priscilla J. Johnson
Performing Arts Coordinator
Longwood Gardens - Priscilla J. Johnson, Performing Arts Coordinator

AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
USIA WASHDC
INFO ALCA COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
AMEMBASSY CARACAS
AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
AMEMBASSY LIMA
AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO
AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO

SUBJECT: FLUTE AND GUITAR DUO - EVALUATION

1.  SUMMARY.  POST IS DELIGHTED TO REPORT THAT WE HOSTED A WONDERFUL FLUTE AND GUITAR DUO BY THE NAME OF "FLUTAR" IN EL SALVADOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 23.  WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND FURTHER PROGRAMMING BY OTHER POSTS.  (SEE "COMMENT" SECTION FOR CONTACT INFORMATION.)  END SUMMARY.

2.  A.  DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: A TOTAL OF FIVE CONCERTS AND A WORKSHOP FOR THE GUITAR ORCHESTRA.  THEY ALSO GAVE A NEWSPAPER INTERVIEW AND TWO RADIO INTERVIEWS.

B.  DATE/FISCAL YEAR/QUARTER: MARCH 23-28, 1998 / FY98 / Q2

C.  JUSTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVE: AS IS THE CASE IN ANY BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP, SALVADORANS HAVE BEEN IRRITATED BY SOME ASPECTS OF U.S. POLICY.  THE PASSAGE OF THE A NEW IMMIGRATION LAW IN 1996 RUBBED A RAW NERVE HERE THAT THE SUBSEQUENT "GRANDFATHERING" IN OF SALVADORANS, GUATEMALANS, AND NICARAGUANS BARELY ASSUAGED. FEARS OF "MASSIVE" DEPORTATIONS AND FALSE REPORTS OF "GHOST" FLIGHTS OF CRIMINAL DEPORTEES (I.E., WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOES) CREATED SOME ADVERSE PUBLICITY AND GENERAL GRUMPINESS WITH THE U.S. AMONG THE SALVADORAN PUBLIC AND EVEN SOME OF OUR CLOSEST CONTACTS.  IT WAS AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO HIGHLIGHT WAYS IN WHICH U.S. SOCIETY CONTINUALLY EMBRACES AND INCORPORATES CULTURAL HERITAGES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE INTO THE FABRIC OF NATIONAL LIFE.  IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL U.S. PIECES, FLUTAR PERFORMED WORKS SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN BY THE GUITARRIST, GIORGIA CAVALLARO, FOR THE VISIT TO EL SALVADOR, AS WELL AS COMPOSITIONS OF BRAZILIAN, VENEZUELAN AND SOUTHERN CONE ORIGIN.  

D.  CP UMBRELLA THEME AND AUDIENCE REACHED: FOUNDATION OF TRUST/KEY DRS, ESPECIALLY CULTURAL CONTACTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.  TOTAL AUDIENCE WAS WELL OVER 1,000 WITH A  MAXIMUM OF 400 AT ANY ONE CONCERT.  THE MAYOR OF EL SALVADOR ATTENDED ONE OF THE PERFORMANCES.  FLUTAR PERFORMED AT THE AMPHITHEATER OF THE SAN ANDRES RUINS, THE PERMANENT ARTS FESTIVAL OF SUCHITOTO, AND AT THREE UNIVERSITIES.

E.  RESULT/IMPACT:  

E1) FLUTIST JOSEPH CUNLIFFE AND GUITARIST GIORGIA CAVALLARO ARE IDEAL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HIGH CALIBER OF U.S. MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.  CLASSICALLY TRAINED, THEY PERFORM TRADITIONAL AMERICAN AND ENGLISH FOLK MUSIC, SOME CURRENT LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC, AND THEIR OWN COMPOSITIONS.  THEIR TALENTS AND STAGE PRESENCE IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED A CLOSE RAPPORT WITH THEIR AUDIENCES, WHO REFUSED TO LET THEM LEAVE WITHOUT SEVERAL ENCORES.  THEY EXUDED WARMTH, THUS, INTERACTION WITH AUDIENCES CONTINUED WELL AFTER THE PERFORMANCES AS THEY TOOK THE TIME TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS (USUALLY INCLUDING A PERSONALIZED MESSAGE).  THEY DID THIS FOR EVERYONE WHO REQUESTED ONE (WHICH OFTEN SEEMED LIKE MOST OF THE AUDIENCE) AND TOOK TIME TO CHAT WITH ALL WHO APPROACHED THEM.(

E2) THE AMPHITHEATER AT THE SAN ANDRES RUINS IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD AND THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A PERFORMANCE THERE AT NIGHT.  THE CO-SPONSORS OF THE CONCERT, THE NGO THAT RUNS THE SAN ANDRES COMPLEX, WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT OVER 300 PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE MAYOR OF SAN SALVADOR, MADE THE FORTY-FIVE MINUTE DRIVE FROM THE CITY TO SAN ANDRES.  THE PERFORMANCE WAS MAGICAL - A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT, EXQUISITE MUSIC, AND A GORGEOUS SETTING.  THE CONCERT WAS INTERRUPTED AT ONE POINT BECAUSE OUR WIRELESS SOUND SYSTEM PICKED UP A CELLULAR PHONE CALL.  WHILE OUR TECHNICIAN WORKED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, MR. CUNLIFFE, IN AN AMUSING DISPLAY OF QUICK THINKING, DID A FEW MINUTES OF STAND UP COMEDY ABOUT THE MAYAN SPIRITS OF THE RUINS JOINING US THAT NIGHT.  THE AUDIENCE LOVED IT.  

(E4) THE PERFORMANCES AT THE UNIVERSITIES ENABLED THE POST TO INTRODUCE A NEW GENERATION TO THE RICHNESS OF U.S. CULTURE.  THERE WERE PERFORMANCES AT THE UNIVERSIDAD MATIAS DELGADO (A PRESTIGIOUS PRIVATE UNIVERSITY); THE UNIVERSIDAD CENTROAMERICANA (THAT SAW THE MURDER OF SIX JESUIT PRIESTS ON ITS CAMPUS DURING THE CIVIL WAR); AND THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (THAT WAS CLOSED DURING THE WAR FOR LEFTIST ACTIVITY AND STILL BEARS THE SCARS OF GRAFFITI, BULLET HOLES, AND BROKEN WINDOWS).

(E5) FLUTAR'S CONCERT AT SUCHITOTO'S PERMANENT FESTIVAL FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS WAS AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE FOR THEM.  THEY HAD PERFORMED THERE ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO WHILE THE CIVIL WAR WAS STILL ON (AND SUCHITOTO WAS TECHNICALLY OFF LIMITS) AND THE ARTS FESTIVAL WAS BRAND NEW.  MEMORIES OF THEIR COURAGE AT THAT TIME WAS REWARDED DURING THIS TRIP WITH THE LARGEST <br>AUDIENCE OF THE WEEK (PEOPLE BEGAN ARRIVING ONE AND A HALF HOURS BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE WAS DUE TO START). MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN TO THAT FIRST CONCERT SIX YEARS BEFORE RETURNED TO GIVE FLUTAR AN EXTREMELY WARM WELCOME.

(E6) BOTH MS. CAVALLARO AND MR. CUNLIFFE PARTICIPATED IN A THREE-HOUR WORKSHOP WITH EL SALVADOR'S GUITAR ORCHESTRA, WHICH POST HOPES WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF A CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLUTAR AND THE GUITAR ORCHESTRA.

(E7) PUBLICITY WAS EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD.  THERE WERE TWO FULL PAGE ARTICLES ABOUT THEM IN LEADING DAILY "EL DIARIO DE HOY," IN ADDITION TO MENTIONS ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCES IN SEVERAL OTHER ARTICLES IN VARIOUS PAPERS.  THEY DID AN HOUR-LONG INTERVIEW ON "RADIO CLASICA" AND RADIO 102.9 FM DID A TWO-HOUR LONG PROGRAM FEATURING THEIR MUSIC AND AN INTERVIEW.

(E8) MANY SALVADORANS ATTENDED MORE THAN ONE OF THE CONCERTS; AT LEAST ONE FAN ADMITTED TO HAVING ATTENDED THREE OF THE FIVE EVENTS.

(E9) IN A COUNTRY LIKE EL SALVADOR THAT HAS LESS THAN A TWO PER CENT FOREST COVER AND WHERE NINETY PER CENT OF THE WATER IS POLLUTED, AUDIENCES IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED TO THE SONGS THAT FLUTAR DEDICATED TO ENDANGERED SPECIES AND RECEIVED THEM WARMLY.

F.  NON-USG FUNDING SOURCES: N/A

G.  QUALITY OF U.S. SUPPORT AND AGENCY OFFICE: N/A

3.  COMMENT: FLUTAR DID US PROUD AND WE STRONGLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECOMMEND FURTHER PROGRAMMING BY OTHER POSTS.  MANY OF THEIR COMPOSITIONS, WHILE STANDING ON THEIR OWN MUSICAL MERITS, ARE DEDICATED TO ENDANGERED SPECIES, MAKING FLUTAR APPROPRIATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMING, AS WELL AS PURELY CULTURAL EVENTS.  WE PROVIDED A TABLE FOR MR. CUNLIFFE'S WIND INSTRUMENTS (FLUTE, BASS FLUTE, AMERICAN INDIAN FLUTE, VARIOUS RECORDERS, AND PENNY WHISTLE), A CHAIR FOR MS. CAVALLARO, TWO MICROPHONES WITH STANDS, A STURDY MUSIC STAND, AND WATER.  FLUTAR BROUGHT ONE MICROPHONE, STAND AND WIRES, A CD PLAYER, AND DAT RECORDER.  MR. CUNLIFFE DOES NOT SPEAK SPANISH.  MS. CAVALLARO SPEAKS SPANISH ON A CONVERSATIONAL LEVEL, BUT IS NOT COMFORTABLE GIVING INTERVIEWS IF NOT IN ENGLISH.  (NOTE: CAO BUCKLEY SERVED AS THE DUO'S INTERPRETER FOR ALL PUBLIC PERFORMANCES. EXPLANATIONS ARE GIVEN BY EITHER OR SOMETIMES BOTH ARTISTS BEFORE EACH NUMBER IS PERFORMED.  THIS WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THE PERFORMERS ESTABLISHED SUCH A GOOD RAPPORT WITH THEIR AUDIENCES.) FLUTAR CAN PROVIDE INTERESTED POSTS WITH A PUBLICITY KIT AND SAMPLE CD.  THEY CAN BE REACHED VIA EMAIL AT "GLLAVA754'ATSIGN'AOL.COM" (MS. CAVALLARO) OR "FLUTAR'ATSIGN'AOL.COM (MR. CUNLIFFE).  AS UNIVERSITY MUSIC PROFESSORS, JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST ARE BETTER PROGRAM TIMES FOR THEM, BUT OTHER DATES CAN BE ARRANGED.  IN ADDITION TO BEING FIRST-CLASS MUSICIANS, THEY ARE FIRST CLASS PEOPLE AND WERE A JOY TO PROGRAM. END COMMENT.

4.  BEST REGARDS.  JOHNSON**********************************
Martha Buckley Cultural Affairs Officer USIS San Salvador Ph:   (503)-278-4444  x 2466 Fax: (503)-278-6015 Inet:  mbuckley@usia.gov ********************************** - UNCLASIFIED, USIS 3/31/98, PAO:CFJOHNSON, CAO:MBUCKLEY

Longwood Gardens
Post Office Box 501
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania 19348-0501

On behalf of Longwood Gardens, I want to thank Flutar for performing for the World Music Series and the Festival of Fountains

Your concert last Tuesday was a great success and the almost 600 people on the Terrace expressed their thanks to me for having you perform for them. I was sure as soon as I heard your CD a year ago that you two were perfect candidates for our outdoor or (indoor) series. Both of your CD's have been enjoyed, and there is a very special quality about your Latin American selections. I would encourage you to continue to expand that repertoire. The Celtic tunes were a fun addition to your program, and I really liked the song about the Bend in the River. But, all your music was very well performed and enjoyable.

Your wide use of a number of instruments catches the attention of the audience and gives the opportunity to hear the differences in timbre etc. Your introductions to the numbers also add to the listeners interest.

Thanks so much for bringing your music and remarks to share with the Longwood visitors. We will definitely have you back. Usually, we do not have artists back two years in a row, but we will look for future dates.

Come and enjoy the Gardens again, I know Magda saw you later in the week. Hope this can be a refreshing spot for you.

Priscilla J. Johnson
Performing Arts Coordinator
Longwood Gardens
- Priscilla J. Johnson, Performing Arts Coordinator