Guitar group opens third season with free concert

Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 | 9:48 a.m.

Who would have thought classical guitar players would find a home in a city that has been described as a cultural desert?

The Las Vegas Classical Guitar Ensemble has not only survived, but begins its third season Tuesday with a free concert at the Charleston Heights Arts Center Theatre.

Special guests will be music instructor Oscar Carrescia, who will play guitar, and his student Leah Marimo, who will play the violin.

Carrescia and Marimo will perform classical selections by Bach and Pagannini.

Director Glenn Cooper notes that the ensemble's repertoire spans the ages, from pre-Baroque to contemporary.

"We play music from the 14th century forward," said Cooper, who also heads the Clark County School District's magnet school program. "We offer a palate of music designed for the classical guitar."

Although a violinist will perform at the concert, Cooper said the six-member ensemble consists solely of classical guitarists.

"Our group explores the rich tonal history and heritage of the guitar," he said.

Before joining the administration, Cooper taught orchestra in the School District.

Cooper said the ensemble was created primarily as a "fraternal organization ... after we found out there were a lot of guitarists in the area who were trained to be soloists. Then we started doing concerts. Now we do a four-concert series every year."

Cooper said there is a small but enthusiastic base of fans for classic guitar, whose most famous practitioner may have been the late Andres Segovia. Segovia, who is considered the father of the modern classical-guitar movement, died in 1987.

"The ensemble fills a niche that can be found nowhere else in the valley," Cooper said. "We usually have a turnout of 70 to 80 at the concerts, mostly guitar aficionados. But we also get a fair amount of people who just enjoy guitar music."

The ensemble meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

"Everybody is welcome," Cooper said. "We have a lot of different programs, something for everyone. Sometimes the meeting features classical music, sometimes rock 'n' roll. We even had a slide guitarist, once."

Cooper said anyone may perform at the meetings.

"Normally, someone will give a talk, then a performance and then we have an open mike," he said.

Cooper said the Las Vegas Classical Guitar Ensemble's primary goal is to "assist in the promotion and appreciation of the classical guitar."