Larry Snitzler: Home
Hello and welcome!
Not too long ago I was playing a piece for a student. After I finished, there was a long silence before he said to me, “It’s amazing! While I was listening to you, I suddenly remembered the first time I ever heard the guitar, and then I was reliving that moment. I could see the light of the afternoon sun and feel the breeze coming through the window in front of me. It’s like I was there!”
It is precisely that ability of the guitar to evoke and even invoke other times and other places, which draws people to it. I, too, remember the first time I ever heard the guitar. As I stood before the loudspeaker, listening to a recording of Andrés Segovia, I felt I was recalling experiences I’d never had and seeing places I didn’t know existed! Filled with the beauty of the music, I was also seized by a nostalgia of great poignancy; for what, or for whom, I did not know. I felt my life had changed, and I was right! Within a few days I had purchased a guitar and I’ve been playing ever since. Yet, after all these years, I love the guitar and music more than ever.
It is my joy to share that love with others. Here at larrysnitzler.com, you'll be able to learn about my latest musical activities; upcoming performances, recent recordings, etc. I'll also be including some music samples, a bio, reviews, photos and links to the websites of friends, along with other websites I find useful or interesting. There will also be a section called “Guitar Notebook”, where I’ll jot down some ideas about the guitar that have been useful to me, or to my students. Finally, there will be a section called "La muse s'amuse", where I’ll share some ideas of a more general nature, that have come to me at various times and in various places. Eventually, there will be pages in French, Spanish and Catalan. Enjoy!
By the way, this website is a work in progress! Not all the sections mentioned above are available yet. The truth is, I’d love to have several weeks more to prepare this site before going online. However, when I played in Paris in May, the program stated larrysnitzler.com would be up and running on July 1, so here we are! Oh, and please sign in at my guestbook, I’d love to hear from you.
1 July 2006
Hit the Beach! (As in Bethany)... and some new photos.
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July 12, 2010
I hope to see you in Bethany Beach, Delaware, on July 31: Rick Whitehead & I, (aka the Eclectic Guitars), have prepared some light summer fare, including an arrangement I just made of Corcovado, by Darius Milhaud. (Check my Calendar for details). Great music, plus the beach... what's not to like?! Also take a look at the photo gallery: I've made some recent additions, including a shot of Rick and me, along with some others of Carlos Barbosa-Lima and Roland Dyens. Thanks for coming by. Larry
May, 2010 Update
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May 21, 2010
CHANGE OF DATE! Sorry, friends, but there was just no way of getting the new CD, Fantasía, to press in time for May 28. Along with some minor health problems, (not to worry, all is well!), Snowmaggedon hit the Washington, D.C. area early in the year and wiped out two recording dates, plus several days of university teaching, all of which had to be made up. Add to that a few final recitals for graduating students and the preparations for the second annual Roland Dyens Guitar Rendezvous (June 5 through June 9 at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA), and I finally had to admit that a May 28, 2010 release date for Fantasía was pure "Fantasy"! Well... Okay. Delays happen. I had managed to work out an alternative date in early December, which followed Thanksgiving and was still early enough not to interfere with Christmas shopping. And, when you think about it, What's better than a CD release date three weeks before Christmas?
So, I hit the reset button and started rescheduling recording dates, when I got a call from the Smithsonian Institution. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse: a day-long celebration of the classical guitar which would come to a close with a performance by me and my friend the wonderful lutenist, Howard Bass. When was this supposed to take place? You guessed it: the first week of December! I hesitated a total of 1.7 seconds! First of all, I loved the ideas we were bouncing back and forth; second, I've done work with the Smithsonian, on and off, for years. I've been a performer, a lecturer, a radio host and producer for them at various times and loved every minute of it. The people there are great to work with and the audiences are always wonderful. Too much fun to miss.
Once again, I reset the reset button and called my friend, Bob Schurk at the Lyceum to see what dates were available. We settled on Sunday afternoon, January 30, 2011 at 4:00pm. We liked the afternoon time best since there would still be daylight at that time of day.
I hope to see you there! It'll be fun, with some really great music: Manén, Milan, Mudarra, Turina and more!
Cincinnati, Yes!
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October 23, 2007
I’m delighted to announce that Clare Callahan, Chair of the Guitar Department of the Cincinatti Conservatory of Music, has invited me back to participate for next summer, to participate in the 24th CCM Classical Guitar Workshop. It’s too early to say exactly what I’ll be doing, but it will undoubtedly be a mix of performance, teaching and my special “Form & Analysis for Performers” presentations , that I love to offer. Check the calendar for dates and contact info.