Scott Cmiel

Scott Cmiel is Chair of the Guitar Department at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College and Continuing Education Divisions and conductor of the SFCM Guitar Youth Orchestra.

Articles By This Author

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Preview

Xuefei Yang

Scott Cmiel - November 10, 2009
Xuefei Yang

When Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang was 15, John Williams heard her play in Beijing and was so impressed that he gave her his own guitar. Yang has g

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Review

Inspired Guitar

Scott Cmiel - October 19, 2009
Pixinguinha is a name revered in Brazil but relatively unknown elsewhere. Alfredo da Rocha Vianna Filho, better known as Pixinguinha, was the first and most influential musician in Brazilian popular music.
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Review

Bach, Stewed

Scott Cmiel - October 5, 2009
The Japanese guitarist Kazuhito Yamashita performed an ambitious, all-Bach program Friday at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
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Feature

The Season Ahead: A Preview of Fall Concerts

David Bratman, Georgia Rowe, Janos Gereben, Jason Victor Serinus, Jeff Dunn, Lisa Hirsch, Michelle Dulak Thomson, Scott Cmiel - September 6, 2009

With autumn upon us, the Bay Area's classical music groups are tuning up for hundreds of intriguing events. San Francisco Classical Voice asked several of our critics and editors to comb through the performance announcements available to date and pick their favorite choices for September through December.

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Review

Twin Spirits

Scott Cmiel - March 16, 2009
The twins Peter and Zoltán Katona have created a guitar duo noted for spirited interpretations, amazing virtuosity, and an uncanny ensemble that many attribute to their shared genetic heritage. The brothers from Budapest move and breathe together, and they mark changes of mood with an exchange of glances that highlights their musical decisions.
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Review

Honoring a Pioneer

Scott Cmiel - March 3, 2009

The Spanish guitarist Margarita Escarpa offered a recital notable for finely wrought emotion, beautiful sound, and flawless technique on Saturday at the Green Room of San Francisco’s War Memorical Veterans Building.

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Review

Sweet Suite

Scott Cmiel - January 20, 2009
The young American guitarist Jason Vieaux is an exceptionally communicative artist. On Saturday he presented an interesting, well-shaped program, with expressive playing and friendly, informative spoken introductions, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concert Hall.
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Review

High-Flying Mastery

Scott Cmiel - October 14, 2008
Classical guitarist David Tanenbaum presented an excellent recital of classical guitar, featured in a variety of chamber music settings, along with one spellbinding solo work on Saturday at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concert Hall.
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Review

All About the Strings

Scott Cmiel - September 30, 2008
Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas, winner of the gold medal at the inaugural Christopher Parkening International Guitar Competition, gave an exhilarating San Francisco debut recital Saturday at the Veterans Building's Green Room.
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Review

The Strings Have It

Scott Cmiel - August 12, 2008
The Guitar Foundation of America held its annual Convention and Competition in San Francisco this year and presented a week of fascinating concerts, lectures, master classes, and showcases of the work of celebrated luthiers and publishers, as well as this year's most important international classical guitar competition.