8 Cuerdas, (8 Strings), the guitar and voice duo formed by 5th generation Vermonter Sarah Cullins and Colombian guitarist Daniel Gaviria, presents “Americas” at the Hardwick Town House on Saturday, March 12 at 7:30pm.
The program will feature composers from New York to Buenos Aires, and will include songs written or arranged for guitar and voice as well as for solo classical guitar. Tango aficionados will recognize the inventive rhythms and harmonies of Astor Piazzolla, 20th century music enthusiasts will get a taste of the rich compositional style of American composer David Leisner, guitar lovers will have the opportunity to hear Mangore’s famous “La Catedral” in person, and classical music fans will be transported by one of the duo’s signature pieces, Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras.
“In South American schools, children are taught that North and South America are one continent, not two, and that is in part what inspired this program,” explains soprano Sarah Cullins. “For centuries the Americas have been an incredible musical melting pot, looking east, west, north and south for inspiration.” 8 Cuerdas performs almost exclusively classical compositions, but the duo’s focus is to bring out the non-classical elements of each piece, such as tango, flamenco, or the many folk rhythms of Latin America.
Cullins and Gaviria met in Bogota, Colombia, and moved to Cullins’ native Burlington in 2013 with their son Tomas. Cullins lived in Bogota for 10 years, performing as a soloist with the major orchestras of Bogota and Medellin and directing an opera training program that she founded in a local university. Gaviria won several classical guitar and chamber music competitions in Colombia and now combines his love for classical repertoire, 20th century works and Latin American jazz in his frequent concertizing in Vermont. As 8 Cuerdas, Cullins and Gaviria have performed Latin American and Spanish repertoire in venues such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, First Night Burlington, the Fisk Farm Pro Artist Series, Stowe Performing Arts and the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center. They have also joined forces with husband and wife duo Annemieke and Jeremiah McLane to create The Piazzolla Project, a program that explores Astor Piazzolla’s Tango Nuevo with a variety of instrumental and vocal combinations.
Tickets for the Hardwick performance are $10 for adults, $5 for students, and free for children under 12. They can be purchased at the door.