Young French guitarist Gabriel Bianco has won first prize at international competitions in Austria (Vienna), Germany (Koblenz), France (Ile de Ré and Barbezieux), Poland (Tychy) and Portugal (Sernancelhe). His 2008 win at the highly prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Competition in San Francisco earned him a coveted 50-concert tour of the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with additional concerts in China, Colombia and Brazil. Gabriel Bianco is no stranger to the concert stage. He has already performed in over thirty music festivals around the world, including events in France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Portugal, Slovakia and Thailand. At the age of twelve he performed for French television (Mezzo) and later appeared on Romanian television (TVR Cultura). Born into a family of musicians, Gabriel received an early start on the guitar with lessons from his father at the age of five. A few years later he began formal studies in Paris with Ramon de Herrera at the Conservatoire National de Région. He went on to study at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris and later with Olivier Chassain at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where he received the highest performance distinction. Since 2005 Gabriel has also studied with French virtuoso Judicael Perroy. Bianco's first major recording was released in 2009 by the Naxos label. He plays on Savarez Strings.

"One of the most brilliant guitarists of the new generation."

- GUITARE CLASSIQUE n°41, May-July 2008 - FRANCE

PROGRAMME

Variations on a Theme of Mozart, Op. 9	Fernando Sor (1778-1839)
Hommage à Tarrega	Joaquín Turina (1882-1949)
Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 1003 I. Grave II. Fuga III. Andante IV. Allegro	Johann Sebastian Bach(1685-1750)
Intermission
Drei Tentos (from Kammermusik) I. Tranquillamente II. Allegro rubato III. Cantabile	Hans Werner Henze (b. 1926)
Julia Florida La Catedral I. Preludio saudade II. Andante religioso III. Allegro solemne	Agustin Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944)
Lob der Tränen (Praise of Tears), D.711 (arr. J.K. Mertz)	Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Introduction and Caprice, Op. 23	Giulio Regondi (1822-1872)

CONTACT

For more information on concert and masterclass please get in touch with David Grainger Brown (president of the Edmonton Classical Guitar Society) at (780) 489-9580 or Ernst Birss (vice-president) at (780) 482-3741.

Information on the society can be found on the internet at www.edmontonclassicalguitarsociety.org.

More information on Gabriel Bianco is available at on his website at http://gabrielbianco.online.fr and on the Guitar Foundation of America website at www.guitarfoundation.org. If you would like to interview Gabriel Bianco, please get in touch with Ernst Birss at (780) 482-3741 or ebirss@telusplanet.net. Gabriel Bianco's Guitar Foundation of America tour is sponsored by ~ Mel Bay Publications ~ Acoustic Guitar Magazine ~ The D'Addario Foundation ~ La Bella Strings ~ Savarez Strings

Gabriel Bianco Website