Contact: Karie Patton
A classical guitarist opens Mississippi State University's Guest Artist Series Jan 18.
Tupelo-native Michael Boyd performs in the Bettersworth Auditorium of Giles Hall at 7:30 p.m. Available at the door, general admission tickets are $5; $3 for staff and students.
The program is the first of several guest recitals planned this semester by the music education department.
Boyd's solo presentation will feature selections by a variety of 19th- and 20th-century composers, including Fernando Sor, Joaquin Turina, Manuel de Falla, and Isaac Albeniz. He also will perform "Andecy" by American composer Andrew York and "Verano Porteno," a composition by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla.
Boyd is a member of the Mississippi Guitar Quartet, formed in 1998 with John DeChiaro, Mitch Brantley and Michael Yates. The group recently was named to the Mississippi Arts Commission touring Artist and Education Roster.
At 2 p.m. the following day [Jan. 19], the quartet will give a free public concert in the Bettersworth Auditorium.
Boyd received bachelor's and master's degrees in music education from the University of Southern Mississippi. At USM, he was the first student awarded the Elmo and Mary Glenn Harrison Guitar Scholarship. He also held the Earl Marsh Scholarship for Music Performance.
In 1997, Boyd garnered top honors in the Music Teachers National Association's regional convention in Tallahassee, Fla. He continued studies with master classes under Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Marc Regnier, Randy Pile, Pat Kerber, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.
Boyd maintains an active performing schedule in the region while teaching guitar at a number of Mississippi institutions, including Southwest Mississippi Community College, Jones County Junior College and Belhaven College. He also is an adjunct professor at USM, where he served as assistant director of the Summer Guitar Institute in 1998 and 1999.
Boyd is featured as concert master on the Southern Arts Guitar Consort recording, "Reflections." He also was included in the debut recording of Samuel Adler's oratorio "Choose Life" and was involved in the premiere of the same work at Lincoln Center's Avery Fischer Hall.
His solo recording, "Recuerdos de la Guitar," is available locally through Bebop Record Stores, as well as through Amazon.com and other on-line music outlets.
Future events in the 1999-2000 Guest Artist Series include saxophonist Paul Bro on March 28 and ragtime pianist Jack Oliva on May 1. Oliva is a former MSU music education department head.
For further information, telephone (662) 325-3070.