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James-Rucco Guitar Duo
Pasquale Rucco Pasquale Rucco studied music at the "Domenico Cimarosa" Conservatory in Avellino with Mario Quattrocchi, and then at the International Music Academy "Lorenzo Perosi" in Biella with Angelo Gilardino. This was followed by completion of the courses on the music of the nineteenth century and the use of original instruments with Carlo Barone in Stresa. He has led an international concert career, including a 1991 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. He also played concerts and gave lectures since the early 1990’s at various universities in the U.S. including: Appalachian State University in North Carolina, University of Arizona, Radford University in Virginia, Stetson University in Florida and California State University at Los Angeles for the festival of the Guitar Foundation of America in 2007. The concert activity continued, mainly in the United States, in subsequent years. In 1995 Pasquale Rucco formed a guitar duo with the American Douglas James, with whom he has released two albums in the United States: "Early Romantic Music for Two Guitars" in 2000, including a previously unrecorded track by Francois Baron de Barco, and in 2004 "A Night at the Opera", featuring 19th century arrangements of works by Gioachino Rossini. The Rucco - James Duo has specialized exclusively in the early nineteenth century guitar literature, performed on authentic period instruments. Their repertoire includes not only many of the most famous masterpieces composed in the nineteenth century but also first modern performances of recently discovered works for two guitars. Their concert programs include works by famous composers such as Carulli, Giuliani and Sor along with other lesser known as Filippo Gragnani, Francois de Fossa, Antoine Baron de Barco, Frederic Spina, and Antoine de Lhoyer.Douglas James Douglas James (USA) has appeared as a classical guitarist throughout the United States as well as in Europe and Latin America. He has been a featured recitalist at such notable venues as Italy's L' Estate Chitarristica sul Lago Maggiore, the Great Lakes Classical Guitar Festival at Oberlin Conservatory, Charleston's Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and New York's Carnegie and Merkin Halls. Soundboard magazine has noted his performances to be filled with "...appealing intensity and obvious enthusiasm". The Arizona Daily Star described his Bach as "...warm and ornate". Of another recent engagement, Violao Intercambio (Brazil) wrote: “an impeccable performance, the sound clear and clean with beautiful interpretation from the first to the last piece”. A noted proponent of period instrument performance, Dr. James uses 19th century guitars when playing music of the Classical and Romantic periods. In 1992 he was the top prize winner in the Arturo Toscanini Solo Guitar Competition (Italy) for 19th century guitar performance. He has twice been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Fellowship, and has received touring grants from Arts International and several state arts commissions. In addition to solo concertizing, he has played in duo with the Italian guitarist Pasquale Rucco since 1995. The Rucco-James Duo is recognized world-wide for their sophisticated interpretations of the 19th century guitar duo literature. “Thinking to Presti-Lagoya duo, Abreu duo and Assad duo, we think that the inseparable Italian/American pair will be successfully on the same line as this important progeny, becoming their filological equivalent” (Musica magazine). James’ critically acclaimed CD of Italian Romantic solo guitar music was followed by the release of two duo CD’s with Italian guitarist Pasquale Rucco, “Early Romantic Music for Two Guitars” and “A Night at the Opera”. All discs are on the Cala Vista label. Gitarr och Luta (Sweden) notes that "Douglas James' playing on the record is for my taste totally splendid. His enthusiasm to explore the early guitar repertoire is obvious, and he has an ability to use the old instruments to their full capacity, with all of their timbral possibilities. He plays intensely and sensitively with flow, ease and elegance". Classical Guitar (England) states "Douglas James clearly has a great deal of sympathy for this repertoire and a carefully worked out approach to its interpretation. (…) everything is animated by concern for the life of the music on its own terms and in its own time. This is a welcome addition to the choice of 19th century repertoire played on genuine instruments of the time". Douglas James holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Arizona, where he studied with Thomas Patterson. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Guitar Foundation of America and is Professor of Guitar and the director of Appalachian GuitarFest at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. |
