Boston GuitarFest III 2008: West Meets East “Occidente y Oriente”
Boston GuitarFest 2008 is a concentrated guitar workshop consisting of concerts, master classes, workshops, lectures, and a guitar competition, attracting aficionados and professionals from around the world.

In 2008 our efforts will be centered around the theme West Meets East (”Occidente y Oriente”) celebrating some of the great music born of the artistic currents which have flowed back and forth between east and west over the centuries. We will feature the music of Spain as a great example of the melding of contrasting cultures. Boston GuitarFest 2008 will also include music of Britten, Reich, Riley, and Takemitsu, and where appropriate, will also present the sources of this music in popular styles outside the classical music canon. Finally, we will make a special tribute to the life and work of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968).

Boston GuitarFest is the dream of visionary guitar virtuoso Eliot Fisk. While the main focus is always on the classical guitar, the festival also aims to set the instrument within a broader musical, cultural and social context.

* All information about Boston Guitarfest 2008 events are subject to change. Please check back regularly for updated information.

Congratulations to the adult, youth, and composition competition winners!

Adult and Youth Competition Winners

Composition Competition Winners

WELCOME FROM THE STATE OFFICES

Congratulations on an impressive GuitarFest 2007. I commend New England Conservatory for convening this celebration of the power and possibilities of classical guitar. I also congratulate the musicians who participated in the performances, workshops and competition. It was a tremendous success and an impressive musical experience for everyone who attended.

GuitarFest has become a wonderful summer tradition in Boston. Audiences come to learn more about different cultural traditions and to enjoy the extraordinary musical performances.

We’re all very looking forward very much to next summer and GuitarFest 2008!
-Edward M. Kennedy Massachusetts Senator

“I am thrilled that New England Conservatory and Artistic Director Eliot Fisk will be hosting Boston GuitarFest. This series of performances and workshops will highlight both the exceptional musical talent we have right here in Boston as well as host musicians from all over the world. Boston GuitarFest is a perfect example of music’s ability to traverse geographic, cultural and ethnic boundaries, and as a confirmed amateur guitarist I know it will also be a lot of fun. I encourage musicians and everyone who appreciates their work to become involved in this important cultural celebration, and I thank NEC and Eliot for making Boston GuitarFest a reality.”
- John Kerry Massachusetts Senator

“I was very pleased to learn of the plans for a third Boston GuitarFest following the great success of Boston GuitarFest 2007. Of course, GuitarFest is first and foremost an extraordinarily rewarding musical experience, but it also serves to introduce new people to New England Conservatory of Music, which is such an important part of our cultural environment in Greater Boston. We recall with pride that Coretta Scott King, was a New England Conservatory alumna and that she shared Boston educational roots with her illustrious husband, Martin Luther King Jr. I welcome Boston GuitarFest as it continues to showcase the cultural advantages of the City of Boston, and to provide us all with the opportunity to hear wonderful music, played at its best.”
- Barney Frank Massachusetts Representative

Thanks in part to assistance from the office of Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank, Boston GuitarFest was able to obtain a rare visa for the legendary Cuban Guitarist Joaquin Clerch. Clerch was a favorite protégé of Leo Brouwer, who dedicated Concierto de la Habana (1998) to him. Clerch was also the assistant of Eliot Fisk at the Mozarteum Salzburg from 1989 – 1999. This represents Clerch’s debut in the United States.