The Sonora Bach Festival concludes its 50th Anniversary year on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m., with a House Concert at the Indigeny Reserve Event House, 14679 Summers Lane, Sonora. The afternoon will feature DuoSonik: classical guitarists Travis Silvers and Guy Powell. Light appetizers, prepared by local Chef, Dave Ingram, along with Indigeny Reserve Cider, will also be included as part of the ticket price. Tickets are $40 and are available at The Mountain Bookshop, Sonora; the festival website: Sonorabach.org; or by calling (209) 536-6330.
Classical guitarists Silvers and Powell have been playing guitar together for many years. They have been featured throughout the Central Valley as soloists and as a duo including past appearances locally at The Sonora Bach Festival and The Red Church Concert Series. Silvers and Powell both have Masters degrees in Guitar Performance and are have had years of teaching privately and in colleges including Tuolumne County’s own Columbia Community College. The two will be performing a wide variety of music including classical; samba; bossa nova; Spanish dance/flamenco; and English folk. They will be alternating throughout the afternoon between duets and solos.
The musical program in the first half will be Petit Duo, op. 34 no. 2 by Fernandino Carulli; Prelude and Fugue (BWV 997) by Johann Sebastian Bach; Prelude from Suite no. 2 by Leo Bouwer; Cancion y danza by Antonio Ruiz-Pipo; “Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland” Chorale Prelude no. 3 (BWV 659) by Johann Sebastian Bach. Following the first intermission will be Torija (from Castillos de España) by Federico Moreno Torroba; Zapateado by Regino Sainz de la Maza; Two Pieces by Luis Bonfa: Perdido en Amor (arr. M. N. Jee); Manha de Carnival (arr. Travis Silvers); and Prelude & Fugue IV in E major by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco; Felicidades (arr. R. Dyens) by Antônio Carlos Joabim; Jongo from Valseana by Sergio Assad; and Two English Folk Songs (arr. E. Flower): Lass of Patie’s Mill and The Death of Queen Jane.
“We wanted to pick a program that would demonstrate much of the diversity of the acoustic guitar for our audience,” Travis Silvers said. “Guy and I have chosen the selections so there will be a variety of styles, tempos and colors throughout the concert. While there will be a printed program, we plan to ‘chat some’ as intros to some of what we will play. We think the audience will love it.”
The afternoon concert will be held at the Indigeny Reserve Estate House – a large, formerly-private home now used by Indigeny for special events and overlooking the grounds.
Janet Telford, Bach Board member, said, “We thought we would move this year’s House Concert to this location for the first time – partly to celebrate our 50th year but also to try something new. The setting at Indigeny is so beautiful. The interior space in the house will allow close interaction and observation of the performers; and it will allow for food and drink service. We really think this will work out wonderfully for our festival.”
In addition to the concert, light appetizers prepared by Chef David Ingram, Indigeny’s own cider, and other beverages will be provided.
Silvers completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at the Western Washington University and at the University of Idaho. He has participated and performed in master classes for artists including Ricardo Cobo, Ana Vidovic, Paul O’Dette, David Starobin and George Crumb. He has concertized in Europe, Canada and the United States as a soloist, as a member of Collegium Musicum, an early music ensemble, and as a member of ¡Tritarra!
He is currently full-time music faculty of World Music & Guitar at Modesto Junior College, where he also is a member of the First Year Experience College Skills teaching cohort.
Powell took his undergraduate and graduate work at San Francisco State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Richard Savino, David Tannenbaum and Marc Teicholz. He has performed all over the United States as soloist, ensemble, opera and musical theatre performing, and participated in many guitar events and organizations in the US and abroad. In addition to solo performances, he plays in several chamber ensembles. In 2022, he was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda for excellence in teaching.
Powell is currently an Adjunct Professor of Music at University of the Pacific, San Joaquin Delta College and Modesto Junior College.
“This concert should be a fantastic experience for our audience and a wonderful way to end this festival year. We have had great support from the community in so many ways – generous financial support; excellent attendance; and enthusiastic participation by performers,” said Diane Wright, Festival Executive Director. “We have a great Board that gets a huge amount of things done and loves doing them. The Central Mother Lode is really fortunate to have the annual Sonora Bach Festival which brings so many people together in good will.”
This year’s House Concert is supported by generous contributions from Donna Elias and anonymous donors.
