Giuseppe
Ficara, Moulin d'Andé, Beppe (Giuseppe) Ficara in concert at Accademia Chigiana, Siena, august 1978 |
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biographical notes Giuseppe (Beppe) Ficara, son of the italian painter Franz Ficara, was born in 1953. He studied in Bari's National Conservatory, where he graduated in Guitar with a first-class honours degree, having studied with Linda Calsolaro, a former pupil of Andrés Segovia. During those years he was advised by Nino Rota, at the time Director of the Conservatory, and studied Composition with Francesco d'Avalos. Still a student, but already a concertist, he has been awarded in Palermo international Contest in 1973. In 1976 he won the First Prize of the international competition «Fernando Sor» in Rome. Meanwhile, he was attending Oscar Ghiglia's Mastercourses in Gargnano (since 1973) and in Siena at the «Accademia Chigiana», where he has been twice awarded a «Diploma di Merito». From 1979 to 1981 he has been living in Brussels, studying with Nicolas Alfonso in the Royal Conservatory, where he took a «First Prize Diploma» equivalence. In 1979 he conceived and organized in Bari (Giuliani's native province), with Bari Orchestra, the first «Mauro Giuliani Festival», introduced by a conference by Ruggero Chiesa, with performances of Guliani's three Guitar Concertos in Petruzzelli and Curci Theatres ( Barletta). The First concert was played by Oscar Ghiglia, the second by Hubert Käppel, and the third by Giuseppe Ficara himself; that was the first time in the world with the whole guitare and orchestra production by Giuliani performed in a single event. In May 1980 the issue of his first record, all about Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, which has been defined «A virtual trasure trove» by George Warren in the american review «Guitar and Lute Magazine». Clara Castelnuovo-Tedesco, the Author's widow, enthusiastic about the
record in her many letters to Ficara, gave him in early 1981 the manuscript
of an unpublished work by Castelnuovo-Tedesco: «Vogelweide, ein
lieder-cyclus für Baryton und Guitar»; in october 1981 Ficara gave
the first
performance of the inedit for RTBF
radio bradcast in Brussels together with the baryton Ludovic
de San. The score has been published only in 1987, without Ficara's
revision and fingering, from a copy accidentally left. His long careeer as a concertist let him play a wide repertory in important italian and foreign concert societies, such as «Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia» in Rome, «Orchestra di Bari», «Orchestra di Perugia e dell'Umbria», Brussel's «Jeunesses Musicales», Louvain-la Neuve Musicology Institut, RTBF radio and television broadcasts, «Festival de l'Eté Mosan» (Belgium), Moulin d'Andé Academy (France) and UNISA, Stellenbosch University and Classical Guitar Society in South Africa. In 2001 he has been awarded in Tunisia the Prix
Cathage for musical merits. Giuseppe Ficara has been teaching guitar since 1976 in many italian National
Conservatories; he gave Mastercourses in Italy, at Cape Town University,
South Africa and at the Moulin
d'Andé Academy, France. He has also been teaching in various
belgian music Academies. Opinions about Giuseppe Ficara: « Mr. Ficara possesses a very solid technique, a sound and mature judgement and an overall strong and poetic approach in his interpretations. Giuseppe Ficara's thorough experience adds a valuable dimension to his worth and makes him a candidate for a bright musical carreer ». Oscar Ghiglia, New York 1979 « Su técnica brillante y sensibilidad musical han hecho de este guitarrista una de las figuras mas representetivas entre los jóvenes de la generación actual. Le deseo los más profundos gozos artísticos en su noble tarea de pasear la guitarra por el mundo y recoger el fruto maravilloso de su gran talento». Nicolas
Alfonso, Royal Conservatory of Brussels 1981
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