Herewith are a few photos and scattershot reflections from my time at La Guitarra 2017. Because photography is forbidden at the concerts, I had to catch the artists when and where I could. You’ll have to imagine them all with guitars!\u00a0 And perhaps some other photos will pop up (though I never saw a photographer at any concert, which is too bad.)<\/p>\n
The Friday evening event took place at the fabulous 1,200-seat Harman Hall and was focused primarily on Parkening, who was given the festival’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his incredible career achievements dating back to the 1960s, when he began is meteoric ascent to become the most popular and influential classical guitarist America has ever produced. I won’t recount the details of his impressive career here, but would urge you read this fascinating interview<\/a> which appeared in Classical Guitar<\/em> in the summer 2015 issue.<\/p>\n The award presentation included a wonderful short film about the guitarist’s life and career, covering everything from his master class with Segovia when Parkening was just 15, to playing in a packed baseball stadium during a Christian religious event. Though he is retired from regular performing, Parkening still teaches and, of course, he is the man behind the triennial guitar competition that bears his name at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. On the occasion of this award, he took the stage with the amazing baritone singer Jubilant Sykes<\/strong><\/a>, with whom he recorded an album in 2007 called Jubilation<\/a>. Their four-song mini-set opened with a haunting version of “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” then offered a passionate Spanish piece that gave each a chance to show some flamenco flair and fire, followed by a solo number from each\u2014Sykes drawing from Negro spirituals and Parkening playing the 19th century tune “America” (often called “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”) in an arrangement by Philip Lester.\u00a0 Very moving, as was every second the two were onstage.<\/p>\n Below, listen to the album version of Parkening and Sykes performing <\/em>Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child:\u00a0<\/em>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/2017-09-23-18.52.28-1-1024x768.jpg?resize=1024%2C768\")
La Guitarra California’s Lifetime Achievement Award was given to the legendary Christopher Parkening<\/strong><\/a>, pictured here at right on Day Two of the festival with Swedish guitarist and composer Johannes M\u00f6ller<\/strong><\/a>, who closed the festival on Sunday along with his duo partner, Laura Fraticelli<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Both M\u00f6ller and Parkening also gave master classes.<\/p>\n
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