Leo Brouwer: Guitar Orchestra

We’ve been featuring a lot of solo guitarists who are able to play multiple parts on guitar to fill things up as a soloist.

Hey, why hire someone else when you can do it all yourself?

Yea, some guitarists are even using Digital Loopers to be able to create a part and record it instantly on stage, then play it back… play yet another part over it like a lead guitar or even more rhythm.

Well how about this for a switch…

Instead of trying to do all this yourself… a real guitar orchestra.

Now I know this is somewhat impractical but what a concept.

Live playing with live musicians all in the room together.

Here’s some bio material on Leo Brouwer, the person behind this interesting concept:

“Composer, guitarist and music director, Leo Brouwer was born in Havana, Cuba in 1939. He studied with Isaac Nicola, Pujol’s pupil and specializing in composition, completed his studies at the Julliard School of Music and at Hartt College of Music.

In 1987 Brouwer was selected, along with Isaac Stern and Alan Danielou, to be honourable member of UNESCO in recognition for his music career – an honour that he shares with Menuhin, Shankar, Karajan, Sutherland and other musical luminaries. 

Brouwer has conducted orchestras around the world including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scottish National Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Mexico National Symphony Orchestra. He has been heard as both composer and classical guitarist at many major international music events and his CANCION DE GESTA (Epic Poem) has been performed by orchestras throughout the world.

His discography comprises over a hundred commercial recordings and his works have been recorded by John Williams, Julian Bream, Franz Bruggen and Harry Sparnay as well as The Toronto Festival, the London Sinfonietta and the Liège festival.

Brouwer has also written many film scores including A WALK IN THE CLOUDS and Alfonso Arau’s internationally acclaimed LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE.” read more on Leo Brouwer here