The Art of Spanish Guitar Galina Vale
Event details
Internationally acclaimed guitar virtuoso Galina Vale returns to St Helen’s Church with a new programme of classical, flamenco and folk guitar music from Spain, Latin America, Eastern Europe and beyond.
Praised in reviews for her deep fiery performance’ and exuberant style, critics have styled her ‘La Diva de la Guitarra’. Never afraid of controversy, Galina has become a unique personality of the international guitar world. She has developed a dramatic guitar technique that owes more to contemporary flamenco and earlier styles, yet she continues to experiment in crossing of boundaries and musical styles, including electric guitar. Very few female guitarists have even attempted both classical and flamenco genres.
This is the charismatic performer’s sixth appearance in the Festival programme. Early arrival is advised as previous visits have attracted a full house.
About the performer
A child prodigy raised in a family of musicians, Galina Vale’s performing career began at the age of eight with an appearance on Ukrainian State Television and she became soloist of Kharkov State Philharmonic at age 15. Galina Vale, born Galina Vernigora in Kharkiv, Ukraine, is a classically trained virtuoso guitarist. Her individualistic solo performances combine a charismatic stage presence and dynamic powerful playing style with an unusually wide-ranging and technically-demanding repertoire; including classical music, flamenco, arrangements of Latin American and East European folk music.
Gendai Guitar Foundation of Japan under Masaru Kohno sponsored her first CD The Legend. This recording was heard on US FM radio for the first time in the network programme edition of Great Women Guitarists produced by Classical Guitar Alive and later on Maltese National Radio with the programme Cantabile. By 1997 Galina was domiciled in the UK. In 2007 and in recognition of her work, she became an Ambassador of the EuroWirral International Guitar Festival - alongside W Mann and J Williams. Galina’s early influences included the female guitarists Maria Luisa Anido and Ida Presti. She has developed a dramatic guitar technique that owes more to contemporary flamenco and earlier styles rather than current fashions of classical guitar playing.
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