World-renowned guitarist returns to Gift of Music
In the spring of 2011 the Gift of Music committee met at St. Luke’s and decided for the first time to host a solo performer as part of our 2011 series. We had been impressed by the recordings of Tariq Harb, a young classical guitarist who was doing his doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Toronto, and were delighted when, a few months later, he was awarded first prize at the 2011 Montreal International Classical Guitar Competition. By the time Tariq arrived to perform for us in Creemore later that year, he was just a week away from flying off to Paraguay to compete in the world’s most exciting classical guitar competition, the Barrios WorldWideWeb. He not only won first prize there, but also claimed the Audience Choice Award.
His success did not surprise any of us who had heard him perform in Creemore. When playing at St. Luke’s, he made incredibly complex music look effortless, and the deep sighs of appreciation from the audience following each of his pieces, not to mention the standing ovation at the end of the concert, made it very clear how we felt about his performance. Beyond his exceptional musical ability and lovely stage presence, however, Tariq was also a charming young man who delighted everyone as he shared refreshments with us after his concert.
Join us at St. Luke’s Anglican Church this Sunday, November 25, at 3 pm, to hear this exciting young classical guitarist once again perform in Creemore. Tickets, at $15, are available at Curiosity House Books, the Creemore Echo, or at the door. Following the concert you can meet Tariq in person as everyone relaxes with friends and neighbours over complimentary refreshments.
Tariq Harb has performed at guitar series and music festivals in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and South America, and has played in prestigious halls such as the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall in Montréal, the 2000 year-old Roman Amphitheatre in Jerash, Jordan, and at the world-famous Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
This versatile young artist also performed two concerts as part of the Montreal International Jazz Festival this past June. His future engagements include performances in Tokyo, Japan next month during the 55th Tokyo International Classical Guitar Competition, as well as performances during the TED Global 2013 event held in Edinburgh, Scotland in June 2013.
Spending time at my computer on a warm and sun filled day in late November is not my idea of a good time, but one of Tariq’s recordings is playing softly in the background, and with his music filling the room I am totally content to type away. Tariq Harb is quickly becoming recognized as one of the up and coming classical guitarists of his generation and this is your chance to see him perform in a small and intimate setting – who knows how long we will be able to convince him to return to our little village!
