2020-21 VIRTUAL CONCERT SEASON - St. Louis Classical Guitar

2020-21
VIRTUAL CONCERT SEASON

     MAHARAJAH FLAMENCO TRIO
  Saturday, November 21st, 7:30 PM CST

______________

    Linda Bell
May 1939 — November 2020

“Linda was a long-time supporter of the
    classical guitar and also for the
  educational outreach of the Society.
      She herself was a musician,
  playing the harpsichord and piano
   since her early days and so was so
  appreciative of musical talent that
 Classical Guitar brought to St. Louis.”
                         -Dr. Martin Bell

______________

Lynn Heidinger-Brown
 August 1946 — June 2020

“Lynn Heidinger-Brown was a supporter
 of the St. Louis Guitar Society for over
   30 years. As a world traveler, she
appreciated the variety of musical styles
  and stories shared by the musicians.
 She enjoyed experiencing each unique
   program with friends and family.”

                       -Kristen Dieterich

SPONSORS FOR
  TONIGHT

   With public support       With support from the
 from the Missouri Arts    Regional Arts Commission
 Council, a state agency

THANK YOU

Maharajah Flamenco Trio
         November 21, 2020
               7:30pm

                      Program

Gnossienne no 1*
Nueva vida (Allegrias)
Mas y mas… (Bulerias)
Vamos destino (Rumba)
Mira (Allegrias)
Hey Yidaki Nene (Rumba)

                   Intermission

Dariya (Rumba)
Astor en Granada (Granainas)
Jota de navidad (Jota)
La Farruqueria (Farruca/Bulerias)
El mar negro (Tangos/Bulerias)
Baila mi niña (Rumba)
Asturias (Leyenda)*

 * All music by Silviu Ciulei, except Asturias (I. Albeniz)
and Gnossienne no 1. (E. Satie) which are public domain
and original arrangements of the Maharajah Flamenco
                Trio in their present form

Maharajah Flamenco Trio
 Silviu Ciulei – guitar/vocals, David Cobb – bass,
  Ramin Yazdanpanah – percussion/didgeridoo

“The audience was simply taken away by the
fiery energy, human virtuosity, and authentic
musicianship of the Maharajah Flamenco
Trio.”
                   Marina Alexandra, Artistic
                   Director - Southern Guitar
                    Festival and Competition

Maharajah Flamenco Trio delivers a
moving and dynamic expression of Flamenco
Nuevo (New or "modern" Flamenco), by
blending traditional Spanish rhythms with
jazz, classical, and world music.

Founded in 2011, Maharajah Flamenco Trio is
the brainchild of Silviu Ciulei. After
successfully leading flamenco bands in
Romania and later in the US in Tennessee,
Silviu was looking to put something together in
his new home, at the time Tallahassee, Florida.
He wanted this group to be smaller than
previous endeavors, more intimate, with more
virtuosic players to fully accompany and realize
his compositions. He met David Cobb by
chance when both were hired through a mutual

friend to play a city festival. Both were
intrigued by each other's playing style. Once
Silviu met Ramin, he realized he had found the
perfect players, and brought them together to
create Maharajah Flamenco Trio. Not long
after, they began to tour, playing theatres,
universities, and music venues along the east
coast, from the Dixie Theatre in Apalachicola,
FL      to    The    Shrine     in     Harlem,
NY. They have appeared on television, as well
as NPR, college, and internet radio, and in
print around the southeast. They have been the
featured artist two years running at the
Southern Guitar Festival and were recently
featured in Florida State University's annual
Rainbow Concert, a showcase of the great
world music scene in Tallahassee.

In 2013, they released their first studio
album, Encuentro, a musical encounter that
transports the listener around the world. Rich
and finely-nuanced, the album captures
the diverse musical backgrounds and technical
virtuosity of the trio to create a singular
listening experience of unique and daring
music.

Visit the music page for more information
on Encuentro.

Silviu Ciulei, DM

Having begun his musical training at an early
age, Romanian born guitarist Silviu Ciulei was
soon winning prizes in some of the most
prestigious     national    and    international
competitions, first in Europe and more recently
in the United States. His interest in Flamenco
was first awakened while on a family holiday in
Spain. It was not long before he moved to
Cadiz, Andalusia the heartland of flamenco.
There he began several years of intense study,
which he brought with him to Tequila, a group
that gained national attention in his native
Romania. He recently graduated with his
Doctor of Music degree in classical guitar
performance where he was Teaching Assistant
to Bruce Holzman, Director of the Guitar
Program at Florida State University's College of
Music, one of the leading figures of
guitar teaching in the US. Dr. Silviu Ciulei is
currently on the faculty of the University of
Florida where he is building a rapidly growing
guitar program teaching a wide international
array of talented students.

Visit silviuciulei.com for more biographical
information on Silviu.

David Cobb, MM

Bassist David Cobb began his musical journey
in the middle school brass section but was soon
lured by the sound of strings and began
teaching himself guitar and electric bass,
expanding his classical background into the
American styles centered around these
instruments: blues, rock, jazz, and soul. A
xenophile from an early age, David has always
sought out sounds from around the world and
his compositions and playing embody that
journey. The feel of soul, a wealth of Latin
American/Caribbean rhythms and melodic
sensibilities from Africa, Western Asia, and
Eastern Europe are reflected in his style. David
recently earned his Master's degree in
musicology from Florida State University, with
an emphasis in ethnomusicology. His master's
thesis dealt with experiences of musical
ecstasy, particularly the moments of duende in
flamenco performance. He is currently an
Adjunct Professor of Humanities at Tallahassee
Community College.

Ramin Yazdanpanah, PhD

Rounding out the rhythm section, percussionist
Ramin Yazdanpanah’s sounds echo the
Outback, the Silk Road, the Caribbean and his
native Florida home. Ramin expresses the
soulful and passionate rhythms of his Cuban-
Iranian heritage on cajon, dumbek, and a
variety of percussion from around the globe.
His skill on the Australian didjeridoo (Yidaki)
has redefined the possibilities of Flamenco. He
has performed and recorded with numerous
artists in numerous musical forms, ranging
from classical, jazz and folk, to funk, Latin, and
Hip-Hop; from the east coast to the west coast
and beyond. Ramin recently received his Ph.D.
in Intercultural Multilingual Education from
Florida State University.

The unique cultural and musical backgrounds
of these three musicians coalesces to create the
high-energy and daring music of the
Maharajah Flamenco Trio.

 Find out more about Maharajah Flamenco Trio at:

                   mftrio.com

         facebook.com/maharajahtrio

             instagram.com/mftrio