Recital: Gerard Cousins – guitar

The Programme

Gerard Cousins – guitar

Improvisation
One Step Away

Piano Etude No 1
Metamorphosis 1
(arranged Gerard Cousins)

White Cloud Blue Sky
Fantasia on ‘Ar Lan y Mor’

Ricercar

The Artist

Gerard Cousins was the first guitarist to successfully create guitar versions of Philip Glass’s piano music and was invited to release his recording on Glass’s own record label – Orange Mountain Music. The album was featured on the front page of Apple Music and has currently been streamed well over a million times. Gerard followed that by working with composer Eric Whitacre on an EP of choral transcriptions – this was playlisted on Classic FM and has been streamed over five million times. Gerard’s latest album ‘The Poet Acts’ was released in July.

A graduate of the University of Leeds and Enschede Conservatorium (Netherlands), he has performed in many festivals and concert halls around the world, from the Purcell Room and Milton Court in London to Europe, South America and the Middle East. He has released seven albums, each one focusing on a different area of music from traditional Spanish repertoire to his original compositions and re-imaginings of traditional Welsh music.

Gerard was chosen to be the first Composer in Residence at the 2019 Cardiff Guitar Festival and his compositions have featured in films and are often heard on TV. His arrangements of choral works by Eric Whitacre are published by Hal Leonard.

“An unexpected rediscovery of a universe…We can only salute Gerard Cousins’ prowess for having been able to intensify Glass’s music with a new flame”. Classica (France)

“Brings the music to life”. BBC Music

“Gerard Cousins is a rare beast, a classical player who has broken free from the bounds of his training to make new music. He is technically remarkable… His nylon strings are played with precision and verve…the beauty of the tune and the playing are all that matters”. HiFI+

“Gerard Cousins displays his acute artistic and technical prowess…passionate, profound…with a great range of tone from his instrument”. Classical Guitar UK