Concerts & Events

CONCERTS | CALENDAR of LOCAL GUITAR EVENTS

Our Concerts

AGS has now relocated to meet at the Faith Lutheran Church in Canoga Park. Early in 2024, we presented two wonderful concerts as described below. We hope to resume our annual AGS Concert Series in the spring of 2025. More announcements on this will be posted here as we finalize our plans.

Reviews of our 2024 concerts are posted below.

MARCH 23, 2024 8:00pm

Arthur Dente, Guitar
Arthur is an accomplished composer and guitarist and our AGS audience witnessed an outstanding perform this past Saturday. His concert featured three traditional pieces from the classical guitar repertoire that were interspersed strategically among eight of his original compositions. He states that “his compositions are an interaction between the Iberian Peninsula, Europe, and all cultures of the World”. When his compositions were heard right next to the Bach Chaconne, a Villa-Lobos Prelude, and Asturias, the flow of one’s musical “journey of thought” made some very exciting swoops and ascents on the wings of his exotic harmonizations and phrasings.
Arthur gave a most splendid and memorable concert!
Click here to see the program.

FEBRUARY 24, 2024 8:00pm

Tavi Jinariu, Guitar
With the Covid shutdown era behind us, it was so nice to see our AGS members and the many fans of Tavi, come together at the LA Valley College Recital Hall to experience an amazingly enjoyable guitar concert that Tavi entitled “Echoes Of Segovia.” This was our first concert since February 29, 2020.
Tavi’s execution of some of the finest pieces from the Segovia repertoire was flawless in the most important of ways. His command of time and rhythm, the sonority of the tonal colors he brought forth, and his phrasing of melodic passages, especially the subtle supportive passages, all jelled together beautifully to take us on a long overdue journey of guitaristic magic. Bravo!! No hesitation to honor him with “Standing O's.” His nice encores said thank you with grace and acceptance of satisfaction that he gave us all a great performance.

EVENTS:

The AGS Centennial Celebration - September 2023

The American Guitar Society (AGS) was founded in 1923 by the guitarist Vahdah Olcott-Bickford. At 100 years, the AGS is the longest continually-running classical guitar organization in the world.

To honor our Centennial Event, the AGS held a commemorative celebration on September 24, 2023 - almost 100 years to the day of the first AGS meeting. A presentation on the life of Vahdah Olcott-Bickford was given by Kathy Acosta Zavala, our AGS Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Alice Artzt, and superb live performances were given by guitarists Connie Sheu and Laura Mazon Franqui.

Click here to see a slide show of photos from this gala event.

David Norton
AGS Chairman