ABOUT ME

BETWEEN CLASSICAL MUSIC, JAZZ AND WORLDMUSIC

the guitar - an instrument not easy to teach

Walter Abt, born in Memmingen/Germany, is an exceptionally versatile composer and artist, with a special talent for improvisation, influenced by his friendship with gipsy jazz musicians. At the age of 17 he was playing a whole number of different instruments in various ensembles: electric and acoustic guitars, piano, trumpet, flugelhorn, double-bass, accordion and trombone. He acquired technical polish and precision in different styles as a soloist at the Graz College of Music, at the Verona State Conservatoire and in master classes at the Salzburg Mozarteum.   Recordings, Festivals and Competitions As director of the Munich Guitar Orchestra he was awarded first prize at both the Bavarian Orchestra Competition and at the German Orchestra Competition held by the German Music Council, both in 1992; he also received a special prize for outstanding interpretation of contemporary music.   In 1989 Walter Abt established the international Summer Seminar for Guitar, which has since taken place under his direction at the Bavarian Academy of Music in Marktoberdorf. The aim of this biennial summer school is to present innovative themes in a wide variety of different areas – Classical, Jazz, Flamenco- with artists of international standing. Abt´s educational concept was adapted also for other instruments and copied by many other festivals and workshops. In the last few years, Walter Abt has collaborated closely with his friend Leo Brouwer.   Contemporary Lute His extensive repertoire includes Renaissance and Baroque works for lute and vihuela, Classical works and his own jazz and flamenco compositions. Since his childhood, Walter Abt has been infatuated by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Consequently, it is hardly surprising that when he came to record his first CD, he chose his own transcription from Partita d-minor for violin solo BWV 1004 including the famous Ciaconna (AVA Records).   In 2008 he edited Bach’s Goldberg-Variations for 2 guitars ( Berben / Italy). Walter Abt has already built up a sizeable discography under the labels KOCH-classics, Pläne-records, CALIG, Weltbild, Bavarian Radio, guitart and VMS.   His recordings have been enthusiastically received by both the public and the press and have also received numerous awards. As a sought-after soloist, composer and arranger, Abt works together with many well-known musicians.His chamber music partners include Giora Feidman, Leo Brouwer, Joe Pass, Philippe Catherine, Giudo Schieffen, Annegret Siedel, Paul O´dette, Paulo Bellinati, Jürgen Seefelder, Hakim Ludin, Rafael Riqueni and the Hugo Wolff Quartet. Walter Abt maintains a wide-ranging interest in contemporary music.   Guitar & Orchestra Examples have included his recording of music by the Cuban composer Leo Brouwer, together with himself as conductor at Brouwer's Fiftth Concerto de Helsinki for the 1st recording called “Spaces”. The Italian composer Gianfranco Grisi dedicated to him the “3 preludes after poems of Federico García-Lorca” and the “Concerto d´Arcadia”, conducted by Leo Brouwer. His many other recordings include several of Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" to his own “CONCERTO DEL BENACO” with solo guitar, percussion, 9 wind-instruments and string orchestra. Own compositions for guitar and orchestra The "CONCERTO DEL BENACO" is a tribute to the region of Lake Garda in Italy, its landscape and its people, its wind and water. “Lacus benacus” was its Venetian name, inspired by the wild beauty of its water, its light and its rugged shores. After works of Ennio Morricone and Michael Nyman ordered by the APT Trentino´s “Suoni delle Dolomiti”, they commissioned Walter Abt in 1999 to compose water music for them. The “Concerto del Benaco”, which has been recorded in two different versions (VMS 147; CAL51023), has become a symphonic poem with episodes complete in themselves and scenes with totally different stylistic elements.   Awards In 1997 he was selected together with Giora Feidman at the ECHO-award and the Bavarian Movie award. In 2009/10 he was commissioned by the Goethe-Institute for concerts and workshops in Portugal, Cape Verde and Senegal. He likes to surprise his audience with musical crests between classical music, jazz and worldmusic -as well as with ancient instruments like lute or vihuela. He is always welcome and well-received at numerous international festivals.   Walter Abt currently lives in his home town of Munich. In his leisure time he is a keen sailor, mountain- and motorbiker, jogger and mountain trek skier. He speaks 6 languages fluently - among them Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, English and a little bit of German. Compositions by Walter Abt CONCERTO DEL BENACO (1999) For guitar, percussion and orchestra (9 winds, min. 24 strings) CD CAL51023, CD VMS147 Score available by walter-abt@web.de PRELUDIO MATINAL (1996) For solo instrument & guitar, or 2 guitars CD Los Tangueros VMS . . Edited by BERBEN  E 4196 CREPUSCULO PLUVIAL (1996) For 2 guitars Edited by BERBEN E.4192 B. EDITH (1996) For 2 guitars Edited by Berben E.4193 B. SONATA FLAMENCA Rumba Soleá por Bulerías Tangos For guitar solo, opt. 2 guitars, bass, perc., opt. 8 guitars CD “Out of Flamenco” Walter Abt & Sol y Sombra LA GOMAVERA (2001) For solo instrument & guitar, opt. 2 guitars, opt. ss, b, perc. CD “Out of Flamenco” Walter Abt & Sol y Sombra CHOQUERO (2001) Fandangos For solo instrument & guitar, opt. 2 guitars, opt. ss, b, perc. CD “Out of Flamenco” Walter Abt & Sol y Sombra BARACUBA (2003) Rumba For solo instrument & guitar, opt. 2 guitars, opt. ss, b, perc. CD “Out of Flamenco” Walter Abt & Sol y Sombra HASTA LA VICTORIA PARA SIEMPRE (2008) Fandangos por Bulerias For solo instrument & guitar, opt. 2 guitars, opt. ss, b, perc. CD “Out of Flamenco” Walter Abt & Sol y Sombra SEABROAD 4 to 5 (2008) For solo instrument & guitar, opt. 2 guitars, opt. ss, b, perc. CD “Out of Flamenco” Walter Abt & Sol y Sombra LA SILLA DEL MORO (2009) Seguiriya For solo instrument & guitar, opt. 2 guitars, opt. ss, b, perc. CD “Out of Flamenco” Walter Abt & Sol y Sombra Works for ensemble : KHARA KHOTO (2009) Contemporary, free-tonal Improvisation for 8 guitars BETWEEN STRINGS & MATCHES (2009) Contemporary, free-tonal For 8 guitars, opt. 1 Bass Strings prepared with matches Featured by the Bavarian Ministry of Culture, 2009 Arrangements by Walter Abt GOLDBERG VARIATIONS BWV 998 (2007) J. S. Bach, arr. for 2 guitars Edited by BERBEN E.5527 B. Instruments and equipment I play 6 different classical and flamenco guitars, all of them constructed by Antonio Marin Montero and José Plazuelo Marin, Granada. My current favourite is an Antonio Marin flamenco guitar, completely cypress (prototype, unique!). For several recordings I liked to use also an Antonio Marin 8-string guitar (spruce/maple), Fender-Strato, Gibson Les Paul, Buchsteiner acoustic steel strings in different tunings.   Two very special instruments are my renaissance lute with 7 choirs built by Hermann Hauser, Munich, 1921; and a baroque lute, 13 choirs by Hermann Hauser, 1920   I also appreciate my Spanish vihuela by the German constructor Dieter Hense, 1972. Amplification: HK LUKAS Smart Mics: Akg C451 B Mixer: Behringer ASA adaptable microphone system AER classic amp Strings: SAVAREZ Corum Alliance red dated: december 2010