Roland Dyens

Roland Dyens (October 19, 1955 – October 29, 2016) was a French[1] classical guitarist, composer, and arranger.[2]

Life and career

Dyens was born in Tunis, Tunisia. He studied guitar with the Spanish classical guitarist Alberto Ponce and analysis with Désiré Dondeyne. He won several prizes in competitions for classical guitar performance as well as for composition.

As a performer, Dyens was known for his extraordinary capacity for improvisation. Unique among classical musicians, Dyens frequently opened his concerts with an improvised piece, in order to help him get a feel for the hall and the audience. His guitar music draws on many elements of folk music and jazz, and has become popular with players. Tango en Skaï (1985), is one of his best-known pieces, but also widely played is the more extended Libra Sonatine (1986) written in three movements: "India", "Largo", "Fuoco", composed after Dyens had undergone heart surgery. Skaï is a French slang term for imitation leather, and here references the Gauchos of Argentina and Southern Brazil who are known for their distinctive leather outfits. Hence Tango en Skaï is a humorous, gaudy take on the tango. In addition to being the most prolific guitar composer of his generation, Dyens also released several volumes of arrangements. Ranging from jazz standards to Brazilian folk music, these arrangements have made their way into the repertoire of both professional and amateur guitarists. Dyens toured extensively; he performed at many music festivals and held master classes at many locations across Europe, the United States and Asia.

He taught at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where he was Professor of Guitar. Dyens died on October 29, 2016 at the age of 61.[3][4]

Selected list of works

Selected discography

References

  1. ↑ "Roland Dyens - The official biography". Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Graham Wade, A Concise History of the Classic Guitar, 2010, p. 179: "In 1982, the virtuosic French performer/composer, Roland Dyens (b. 1955), wrote Libra Sonatine, a work with an unusual story behind it: Roland Dyens was born in Tunis in 1955, but is as French as the Eifel Tower."
  3. ↑ "Le guitariste Roland Dyens est décédé". Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  4. ↑ FRENCH CLASSICAL GUITARIST DIES, 61

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.