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SoloDuo. Courtesy photo.

Inaugural event struck听a global chord听in 2013

In just over three years,听Nicol貌 Spera听has put CU-Boulder on the map as a true global mecca for classical-guitar teaching, performance and competition.

When he arrived in 2011 to launch the College of Music鈥檚 classical-guitar program, the renowned Italian performer defied conventional wisdom on easing into a new job and launched plans to host a guitar festival and competition on campus.

鈥淚t was one of my biggest dreams,鈥� says Spera, assistant professor in the Ritter Family Classical Guitar program, 鈥渂ut I knew it would take a long time. Often when you launch something new it doesn鈥檛 work. You hope it does more or less well and hope to have a second one.鈥�

听As it turns out, there was no need to fret.听The CU International Guitar Festival听debuted in February 2013, attracting 41 top performers from around the world, including China, Serbia and Latin America. The winners took home thousands of dollars in prizes and returned to Boulder in 2014 to teach and perform.

The second bi-annual festival will take place Feb. 19-21, featuring competition among 40 to 50 of the world鈥檚 most talented guitarists, as well as master classes and performances by Brazil鈥檚听听鈥� 鈥�(T)he best two-guitar team in existence, maybe even in history,鈥� according to the Washington Post 鈥� the Italian听听补苍诲听, hailed as 鈥渢he greatest lute player of all time鈥� by England鈥檚 Birmingham Post.

鈥淏asically, we have the two greatest classical guitar duos in the world, the Assad Brothers, the greatest of the 20th century, and SoloDuo, representing the future,鈥� Spera says. 鈥淚 am so grateful and ecstatic for the fantastic collaboration with the Artist Series and Macky Auditorium, which bring to baby直播app the greatest artists in the world.鈥�

All events are free except for the Artist Series performance by the Assad Brothers and Brazilian jazz virtuoso Romero Lubambo at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 in Macky Auditorium. For tickets, go to cupresents.org or call 303-492-8008.

The guitar festival is supported by grants from the Roser Visiting Artist Program and the CU President鈥檚 Fund for the Humanities as well as private donations. Spera鈥檚 success recently inspired CU-Boulder alumni Michele 鈥淢ikhy鈥� and Mike Ritter to endow the classical-guitar program.

Events

罢丑别听听presents the听

7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19

Macky Auditorium

Tickets start at $20; go to听听or call 303-492-8008

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, Renaissance lute

7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20

Grusin Music Hall

Admission is free and open to the public

听

SoloDuo (Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli), classical guitars

7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20

Grusin Music Hall

Admission is free and open to the public听

听

Finals of the Second International Guitar Competition

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21

Grusin Music Hall

Admission is free and open to the public听

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For a full schedule of festival events, go to cuguitarfestival.com.