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Cleveland Classical Guitar Society:

An interview with Dale Kavanagh

By Mike Telin

“In everything there is beauty” Canadian born guitarist Dale Kavanagh told us by telephone from her home in Iserlohn, Germany. “A teacher once told me that you need to enjoy the most silly kitsch that some people may find atrocious, but to try and find the beauty in everything.”

On Friday, January 27 beginning at 7:30 pm at the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland, Dale Kavanagh will present a solo recital of compositions by Leo Brouwer, Joaquín Rodrigo, Carlo Domeniconi and Villa-Lobos as well as her own compositions.

Variety is also something she enjoys in her musical life ”I’m playing so many other periods, baroque, classical, renaissance with my duo, that it’s nice to have a totally modern program. And while it is a modern program it still has a lot of variety.” Ms. Kavanagh formed the Amadeus Guitar Duo with German guitarist Thomas Krichoff, twenty one years ago, and in addition to the duo, Ms. Kavanagh and Mr. Kirchoff have also run their own festival in Iserlohn for twenty-one years “It started very small, but it has become quite huge with almost thirty-five thousand euros in prize money, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut.” And yes, Ms. Kavanagh and Mr. Krichoff are also life partners, “We started the festival and the duo but the relationship came later. It just seemed like we should put it all together.”

Although Ms. Kavanagh has been writing music as long as she has been a musician, for her it is more of a hobby, “I call it a therapy. I’m an interpreter, but I do enjoy writing music. And a fair number of people are now playing my music. Again variety — do a little of this, a little of that.” Variety also extends to her feelings about sound and she says that she likes to use as many sounds as possible, including the ugly ones, and points out that a beautiful sound all the time can become boring. Although she jokingly adds, “I hope I don’t make too many ugly sounds. “

Regarding the interpretation of music, she feels there are so many rigid paths. “Let's look at the baroque; there are many ways to interpret it and everyone is arguing about which is the right way, but I think if you play a good musical line, what does it matter? I don’t think that is dilettante at all, If you understand structure, form and line, and respect the period the rest is — well, I do have great respect for it but sometimes it can get a little bit too dogmatic.”

Ms. Kavanagh is excited about the renaissance that the classical guitar has experienced over the past twenty or thirty years especially the growth in the number of societies, festivals and competitions: “For example, when I started there were not so many competitions, and so many possibilities for guitarists to get out there and practice their peak performance and go to the next one and the next one. And there is a new generation of teachers, there are more phenomenal players today, and that’s exciting.”

And with the extensive presence of the classical guitar online, guitarists around the world are better connected then ever before, although she sees advantages and disadvantages. “The advantage is that there are many more ways to connect, and as I said many more festivals. But in a way, the guitar has become a little island unto itself with the number of international clubs all over the world. Back in the days, of Julian Bream, Andres Segovia, and John Williams, they were playing in all of the big halls, but now today, yes there are all of the societies and festivals, but they’re all guitars and not mixed enough with other instrumentalists, and I think that is a bit of a pity. I wish that there would be more of a mix, but at the same time you can’t have everything. And it is incredible with the development of clubs and societies all over the planet. Even Calcutta started its first classical guitar festival last year.”

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Published on ClevelandClassical.com January 24, 2012

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