Idabel, OK (May 22, 2018)—Flamenco guitarist Ronald Radford will perform at the Museum of the Red River on June 21 at 7:00 pm. Radford, a former Fulbright Scholar and U.S. State Department Musical Ambassador, is widely seen as one of the leading contemporary flamenco guitarists. The concert is free and open to the public. Radford will also be available for a short meet and greet after the concert ends at 8:00 pm. The concert is sponsored by the Idabel Regional Arts Council. It is also supported in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Oklahoma and the National Endowment for the Arts
In the strictest sense, flamenco refers to the musical traditions of Southern Spain. Its closest musical cousin is jazz or the blues. Like its American counterparts, flamenco is, at its heart, the music of outcasts. It is often described as emotional and spontaneous. The pace of a single song often changes from vibrant and rhythmically-intense to somber and slow, depending on the artist’s mood. That spontaneity all but ensures that no two performances are the same.
Radford, a Tulsa-native, has performed in 15 different countries, including the United States’ Carnegie Hall and the University of the Americas in Mexico. His performance in Mexico was lauded as “equal to those on any flamenco stage in Madrid, Seville or Andalusia”. Classical guitarist Oscar Ghiglia was amazed that an American could “capture the sounds of the real Flamenco” and counted him “among the few who have given me this artistic experience.” That sentiment was shared by the infamous Spanish guitarist Pepe Romero who was “deeply impressed with Ronald Radford”. More information about Radford, including samples of his work, can be found on his website, http://www.ronaldradford.com/bio_html.html.
[Press release posted on behalf of the Idabel Regional Arts Council, Inc. Photo courtesy of the artist.]
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The Oklahoma Arts Council is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts. The agency’s mission is to lead in the advancement of Oklahoma’s thriving arts industry. The Oklahoma Arts Council provides more than 400 grants to nearly 225 organizations in communities statewide each year, organizes professional development opportunities for the state’s arts and cultural industry and manages works of art in the Oklahoma Public Art Collection and the public spaces of the state Capitol. Additional information is available at arts.ok.gov.