Newman & Oltman guitar duo to appear at the Americas Society Piazzolla at 100 and Binelli at 75 Concert

Acclaimed guitar duo Newman & Oltman will perform at Mannes Americas Society’s 21st Annual New York Guitar Seminar on July 7 at 7:00 p.m. in a concert celebrating the legacy of Hispanic and Latin American tango traditions. Argentina and Uruguay.

The duo will present works in honor of the great guitarists Astor Piazzolla and Daniel Binelli, including the Tango Suite by Piazzolla and Paris Desde Aqui and Metropólis by Binelli with the Binelli Ferman Duo. The program will also feature guitarist Adam Tully.

On July 20 at 4:00 p.m., the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo will perform the world premiere of a new work by Leo Brouwer, composed this month for Newman & Oltman, Through the Looking Glass for Two Guitars (after Louis Carroll), commissioned by Jeffrey Nissim and the New York Guitar Festival, paying homage to iconic classical guitarist Julian Bream (1933-2020) and the legacy of his famous duet with John Williams.

Hailed as a “revelation to hear” by the Washington Post, the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo are recognized for their unparalleled technique, ensemble precision and innovative programming, combined with their commitment to expanding the guitar duo’s repertoire. Widely recognized as an influential ensemble in the United States and abroad, they perform a wide range of repertoires ranging from baroque and classical works to Spanish and Latin American rhythms that showcase their diversity.

Their concert tours have taken them to cultural capitals of the world and prominent venues on five continents, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. The duo have demonstrated extraordinary stylistic breadth in their collaborations with artists as diverse as composer / conductor Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, violinist Eileen Ivers, pianist Clarice Assad, violinist Tim Fain and ETHEL, Daedalus, Calder and the Turtle Island string quartets.

Highlights of recent and upcoming performances include the world premiere of Concierto Buenos Aires composed for the Duo by Nuevo Tango master Daniel Binelli with the Reims Opera Orchestra in France. Following the success of the concerto’s French debut, the Duo “charmed Ferguson audiences with phenomenal musicality” (Gazette Journal) when they performed with the Virginia Symphony. Michael and Laura also teach and perform every summer at the Lanciano International Guitar Seminar in Abruzzo, Italy, where they are co-artistic directors.

The Duo’s discography of over 10 tracks, including their most recent, The Book of Imaginary Beings (Music Masters Classics 1001) includes the world premiere recording of The Book of Imaginary Beings commissioned by Raritan River Music, dedicated to Newman & Oltman and composed to celebrate Brouwer’s 80th birthday. The duo’s recording of this magical work has been recognized by BBC Magazine as “a quartet of mythical beasts portrayed by Brouwer with wit and imagination and performed here with aplomb”. Acoustic Guitar Magazine praised the duo saying, “Newman and Oltman haven’t lost a beat after four decades together, this audiophile vinyl LP, CD and download recording is yet another highlight for the exceptional based duo. At New York. “

In addition to their phenomenal musicality, they are dedicated to inspiring the next generation of guitarists through their many educational endeavors and are directors of the New York Guitar Seminar in Mannes. They are the founders and artistic directors of Raritan River Music, which has commissioned works for them from Lowell Liebermann, Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Moravec and Augusta Read Thomas, among others.