Friday, October 02, 2009

  Stephen Lyman 
  6:15 p.m.
  Venue: Marriott Lobby

There is nothing conventional about the musical career of Stephen Lyman. As a child he was a gifted prodigy in the visual arts and studied painting privately with Peter Meyer, then head of the School of Fine Arts at UNLV. His musical education began with the piano, at the insistence of his parents and under the tutelage of Guido Roetter, a truly great musician. Roetter exposed Steve to works of the great masters of the 19th and 20th centuries, but most significantly the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Roetter also introduced him to a circle of friends and artists such as the great cellist Ennio Bolognini and the guitar teacher and pedagogue Arturo Trapletti, who would later become his most important mentor. But Steve did not find his true passion until he heard by chance the recording of Andreas Segovia “Maestro” at the age of 17. He knew immediately that he wanted to study guitar and left school and home to study with Trapletti in Las Vegas . Steve was welcomed as part of the family and for the next several years Steve lived and breathed classical guitar with “Arturo” and was welcomed as part of his family. His lessons would often last several hours with no fee. “A half pack of smokes and a half bottle cognac as we studied technique and repertoire, and indulged in philosophical conversations that encompassed of the whole of life.” With Arturo, Steve first heard Bach’s “Chaconne” in recital and became obsessed with the technical and expressive challenges of adapting Bach’s repertory for unaccompanied instruments to the guitar. Steve married at the age of 21 and supported his young family by playing in nightclubs and upscale restaurants. Although he was offered a recording opportunity by the great jazz guitarist Herb Ellis while doing a radio broadcast with him from a jazz club in Atlanta , Steve instinctively hesitated. “What I wanted to produce artistically had not yet been realized. It is not enough to play great music well—you must have something to say, something that is your own to offer.” But Ellis and other artists recognized the potential that would come to fruition in its own time. During the ensuing fallow years he continued to perform as soloist, appearing with a variety of orchestras and chamber venues in Salt Lake City , Las Vegas and New York City . When he was again able to commit himself fully to the guitar he soon discovered his voice. This time it was Julian Bream’s recording, “Nocturnal,” and a chance, but deeply personal encounter with singular works by Brancusi and Picasso that led him to an artistic self-discovery. As he began to refine and express his artistic vision he was compelled to create music of his own invention and adapt other 20th century pieces to the instrument. Steve commits several hours daily to the study of J.S.Bach’s works for unaccompanied cello, lute and violin, and considers it his personal mission to perform this music on the guitar not only in recital, but in casual environments and pubs. “ I want to attempt to bring the sublime beauty and proportion of Bach’s music to as many people as possible, where they would not normally encounter it. I want it to become a part of their lives, I want it to endure.” Look for Stephen's upcoming IsoMike release "Regeneration" fall 2009.

Clarinetist Russell Harlow is one of the nation’s premiere solo and chamber clarinetists. In 1996 Mr. Harlow performed the New York Premiere of the Ramiro Cortes Trio (written for him), along with the Brahms Quintet, at Carnegie’s Weill Hall in New York City . In addition to performances in Utah with the Park City and Autumn Classics Festivals, Contemporary Music Consortium and Sonolumina Orchestra, Mr. Harlow has performed with the Sitka and Anchorage Fall Classics Festivals (Alaska), the Amsterdam Chamber Players, the Puerto Rico Clarinet Festival, the Ars Nova, Lyrica and Piatigorsky Foundation concerts in New Jersey and with the Leonore Trio and Bargemusic in NYC. He attended both UCLA and USC before joining the Utah Symphony at the age of 21. He studied with clarinetists Gary Foster, Mitchell Lurie, Harold Wright and violinist Charles Libove, and was coached in chamber music and attended the master classes by cellist Gregor Piatigorsky. Mr. Harlow is featured on recordings with flutist Laurel Ann Maurer, the Mirecourt Trio, the Park City Music Festival and the Utah Symphony. Russell Harlow has performed for International Clarinet Association events worldwide, also giving lectures on clarinetists of the past century. Mr. Harlow serves as Associate Principal Clarinet for the Utah Symphony and has recorded solos for major filmscores. He founded and directed Utah ’s Nova Series until he joined the Park City International Music Festival as Co-Director in 1986. Russell Harlow's recent IsoMike release, "Dahl, Matinu, Husa works for clarinets and strings," is available here at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.