Guitarist Rupert Boyd '08AD releases new album
Classical guitarist Rupert Boyd ’08AD has released a new solo CD, Fantasías, on the Little Mystery Records label. The album was first released in Boyd’s native Australia and was released in the United States in June. Guitar Salon International uploaded three videos featuring tracks from the recording, including Astor Piazzolla’s Otono Porteno, the album’s opening track.
Boyd’s playing has received overwhelmingly positive reviews both in the United States and in Australia. In the words of The Canberra Times, “Boyd handles shifts in style and period with aplomb … this whole disc is a high-quality achievement by one of Canberra’s impressive talents.” The guitar review site Minor 7th also heaped praise on the album, writing that “the recording took place in an English church and one can almost see the smile of satisfaction and approval on God’s face as if in validation of Boyd’s flawless technique and expressive interpretation. Fantasías is a 'must hear' experience for the avid classical guitar audience … You won’t be disappointed.”
More about Rupert Boyd
New York-based Australian classical guitarist Rupert Boyd is acclaimed as one of the most talented guitarists of his generation. He has been described by The Washington Post as “truly evocative,” and by Classical Guitar Magazine as “a player who deserves to be heard.” His performances have taken him across four continents, from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Barcelona Guitar Festival in Spain, Strings-139 Festival in China, Gharana Music Festival in Nepal, and every state and territory in mainland Australia.
In addition to his Carnegie Hall debut as part of the D’Addario Music Foundation’s International Competition Winners in Concert Series, Boyd’s recent performance highlights include the Newport Music Festival, Music in the Strathmore Mansion, Marlow Guitar Series, Grand Canyon Guitar Society, Boston Guitar Society, University of Denver, and the University of Hawaii.
In New York, Boyd has performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York City Classical Guitar Society, Merkin Concert Hall, Trinity Wall Street, Bargemusic, SubCulture, and with a diversity of groups such as New York Festival of Song and Moving Theater Dance Company.
Boyd’s debut recording, Valses Poéticos, received the following review in the UK magazine Classical Guitar: “The performances that Boyd gives here are first-rate ... Even the Bach is one of the best of its kind.” Soundboard, the Guitar Foundation of America’s quarterly publication, gave the CD the following review: “Boyd’s playing is beautifully refined, with gorgeous tone … musically and technically flawless … the album is first-rate.” Soundboard also described the eponymous work by Granados as “one of the best recorded performances of this work on guitar.”
Active as both a soloist and chamber musician, Boyd regularly performs throughout the world as half of the Australian Guitar Duo with guitarist Jacob Cordover. The duo has performed throughout the world, including appearances in the United States, France, Spain, China, the Philippines, and throughout Australia. The duo was a prizewinner of the Chamber Music section of the Australian Guitar Competition, and their debut CD, Songs from the Forest, was released in March 2012 and was described as “wonderfully entertaining” by Classical Guitar Magazine, and as “very impressive” by Soundboard.
Boyd holds a Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours) from the Australian National University School of Music, a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, and an Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music. His major teachers have been Timothy Kain, David Leisner, and Benjamin Verdery. In addition to winning the Andrés Segovia award from the Manhattan School of Music, Rupert Boyd was a winner of the Lillian Fuchs Chamber Music Competition and winner of the Eisenberg-Fried Concerto Competition.
