11/16: Shriver Hall Concert Series Presents Guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre in Baltimore Debut

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mallory McFarland | Morahan Arts and Media
mallory@morahanartsandmedia.com | 646.241.0899

SHRIVER HALL CONCERT SERIES OPENS
2024-25 DISCOVERY SERIES WITH GUITARIST
RAPHAËL FEUILLÂTRE IN HIS BALTIMORE DEBUT

Saturday, November 16 at 3:00pm at the Baltimore Museum of Art

"A tremendously versatile and sensitive player." —Classical Guitar

www.shriverconcerts.org

Baltimore, MD (October 8, 2024) — Shriver Hall Concert Series (SHCS) — Baltimore’s premier presenter of chamber music ensembles and solo recitalists — kicks off its 2024-25 free Discovery Series with the Baltimore debut of guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 3:00pm at the Baltimore Museum of Art. In this recital, Feuillâtre shares his passion for Baroque music with works by J.S. Bach and his French contemporaries and shines in selections by South American composers spanning the centuries.

Hailed as “one of the most exciting classical guitarists of his generation” by Guitar Salon International, Feuillâtre is originally from Djibouti, on the northeastern coast of Africa, and is now based in Paris. He made his international breakthrough in 2018 as the winner of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Concert Artist Competition. He had already been tipped as a rising star in Europe following his victory at the 2017 José Tomás Villa de Petrer International Guitar Competition in Valencia and earlier prize-winning competition performances elsewhere in Spain as well as in France, Portugal, and the Czech Republic.

“I see a concert as a moment where I try to find harmony between all the elements in the hall. It's a time when I try to let go of myself and fully immerse myself in the sound, connecting with the composer as much as possible,” shares Raphaël Feuillâtre. “For me, each piece is an opportunity to dive deeper into the repertoire and discover something new, both for myself and the listeners. I always try to play as if it were the first time, with fresh emotion and curiosity. Every performance is a chance for me to share the love I have for the guitar, its repertoire, and its unique voice. I hope this concert with Shriver Hall Concert Series will help my mission to connect audiences with the singular beauty of my instrument.”

He continues, “My program is extremely varied, revealing in its own way what the guitar can be. It moves subtly from country to country and from one era to another. The first half is based on arrangements from Baroque music, with several pieces originally written for the harpsichord or orchestra. The second one focuses on Latin music, where we can hear Piazzolla, famous airs from La Traviata, Albéniz’s famous Asturias, along with other wonderful pieces that connect everything together before ending with an explosive modern piece.”

Feuillâtre, a Deutsche Grammophon recording artist, was discovered by Angelika Meissner, Deutsche Grammophon’s Senior Director of Classical, Artists & Repertoire, in September 2020 while searching online for exceptional young musicians. Impressed by his charismatic artistry she invited him to record for the Yellow Label. His debut album, Visages baroques (2023), features arrangements and transcriptions of works by Bach, Rameau, and others, reflecting his profound affinity for Baroque music.

Shriver Hall Concert Series’ Discovery Series, an initiative created specifically for the community, is an annual series of concerts featuring extraordinary young artists emerging on the international scene, with most making their Baltimore debuts on the series. Recitals are presented in different, intimate venues and neighborhoods throughout the region, thereby offering greater access to different local communities.

Additional concerts in SHCS’ 2023-24 Discovery Series include violinist Wei Zhu, winner of the 2024 Yale Gordon Concerto Competition, on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 3:00 pm at the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Ivalas String Quartet on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 3:00pm at UMBC’s Linehan Concert Hall. 

Up next, Shriver Hall Concert Series presents the Escher String Quartet and violist Jordan Bak on Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 5:30pm. After Raphaël Feuillâtre’s Discovery Series appearance, the next mainstage performance features Baroque band ACRONYM in their Baltimore Debut on Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 5:30pm.

Concert Information
Discovery Series: Raphaël Feuillâtre, guitar (Baltimore Debut)
Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 3:00pm
Baltimore Museum of Art | 10 Art Museum Drive | Baltimore, MD 21218
Tickets: Free, RSVP required
Link: shriverconcerts.org/feuillatre 

FRANÇOIS COUPERIN: Les barricades mystérieuses (arr. A. Fougeray)
JACQUES DUPHLY: Médée from Pièces de clavecin, Book 3 
PANCRACE ROYER: L’aimable from Pièces de clavecin, Book 1 (arr. Feuillâtre) 
J.S. BACH: Concerto in D major, BWV 972 (arr. J. Perroy)
DOMENICO SCARLATTI: Sonata in A major, K. 208 (arr. G. Abiton) 
MIGUEL LLOBET SOLÈS: Variations on a Theme by Sor (La Folia) 
JULIÁN ARCAS: Fantasia on Themes from Verdi’s La Traviata 
MIGUEL LLOBET SOLÈS: Two Catalan Folk Songs 
ISAAC ALBÉNIZ: Asturias (Leyanda) from Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 
FRANCISCO TÁRREGA: Three Preludes
AGUSTÍN BARRIOS MANGORÉ: La Catedral 
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA: Adios Nonino (arr. C. Tirao) 
ROLAND DYENS: “Clown Down (Gismonti at the Circus)” from Triaela 

About Raphaël Feuillâtre
Not a speck of museum dust rises when Raphaël Feuillâtre performs music from the distant past. The 26-year-old French classical guitarist, whose repertoire embraces everything from Johann Sebastian Bach and Rameau to contemporary compositions by Roland Dyens and Sérgio Assad, possesses the technical mastery and creative vision required to make works from all periods sound as if they were written yesterday – alive, heartfelt, filled with color. Hailed by Guitar Salon International as “one of the most exciting classical guitarists of his generation”, he makes his instrument sing with a rare blend of clarity and grace.

Feuillâtre made his international breakthrough in 2018 as winner of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Concert Artist Competition. He had already been tipped as a rising star in Europe following his victory at the 2017 José Tomás Villa de Petrer International Guitar Competition in Valencia and earlier prize-winning competition performances elsewhere in Spain as well as in France, Portugal and the Czech Republic. His progress around the competition circuit introduced him to many outstanding players and teachers; his José Tomás and GFA prizes, meanwhile, included opportunities for him to record solo recital albums under studio conditions and embark on concert tours of Europe, Brazil, Argentina, the US and Canada. His career was given a further boost when he was honored by being selected as one of French performing rights association ADAMI’s “classical discoveries” of 2021.

Deutsche Grammophon’s Senior Director Classical, Artists & Repertoire, Angelika Meissner, discovered a video of Feuillâtre’s GFA Competition performances in September 2020 while searching online for exceptional young musicians. She was so impressed by his charismatic artistry that she invited him to record for the Yellow Label. He signed an exclusive partnership agreement with DG in September 2022. His debut album will feature arrangements and transcriptions of works by Bach, Rameau and others, reflecting his profound affinity for Baroque music.

Critics have praised the versatility and sensitivity of Feuillâtre’s musicianship. He has also delighted reviewers and audiences alike with the singing quality of his playing. The jaw-dropping precision of his technique is allied to a profound feeling for melodic line, qualities that combine to give the impression that the instrument’s sound is somehow sustained by the player’s breath.

“My goal is always to allow the guitar to sing,” he observes. “So many things in music start with song. The guitar is an intermediary between me and the audience that lets me sing and convey emotion. I get so immersed in the soundworld of whatever I’m playing that I totally forget about my instrument.”

Raphaël Feuillâtre was born in 1996 in Djibouti, on the northeastern coast of Africa, and raised in the small city of Cholet in western France. Although his parents were not musicians, they recognized and encouraged the boy’s clear gift for music after he was given a plastic guitar at the age of seven.

Two years later, Raphaël enrolled at the Cholet Conservatoire, where he received his first guitar lessons from Hacène Addadi. “Hacène sparked a passion in me for the classical guitar, cultivated that passion, and introduced me to the guitar repertoire,” he recalls. The learning process continued during Feuillâtre’s high school years in Nantes, where he received invaluable lessons from Michel Grizard at the Conservatoire de Nantes.

From 2015 to 2020 he pursued advanced studies at the Conservatoire National supérieur de Musique in Paris, where his teachers included Roland Dyens and Tristan Manoukian. He has also worked for a number of years with Judicaël Perroy. “I’ve learned from many people along the way,” says Feuillâtre, himself now a dedicated teacher as well as performer. “But Judicaël helped me prepare for the international competitions I took part in and guided me as I embarked on my career. I’m especially grateful for his mentorship.”

About Shriver Hall Concert Series
For almost 60 years, Shriver Hall Concert Series (SHCS) has been “Baltimore’s finest importer of classical music talent” (The Baltimore Sun) and the area’s premier presenter of chamber music ensembles and solo recitalists with a mission to craft performances and educational programs at the highest level of excellence. A 5-time recipient of Baltimore Magazine’s distinction “Best Classical Music” in its annual “Best of Baltimore” issue, the coveted subscription series features many of the world’s most renowned soloists and ensembles, presented in The Johns Hopkins University’s Shriver Hall.

Founded in 1966 by Dr. Ernest Bueding, a pharmacologist at The Johns Hopkins University, and a group of similarly dedicated music enthusiasts, SHCS set out to make an important contribution to the vitality of an already vibrant city. When flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal walked onto the stage of Shriver Hall for the first concert, more than 1,100 people witnessed the launch of what is now recognized as a remarkable success story: Shriver Hall Concert Series. In the succeeding years SHCS has presented hundreds of acclaimed and emerging international artists in classical chamber music and recitals and a legacy of important debuts and premieres. In addition, SHCS collaborates with local schools and subsidizes hundreds of student tickets each season.

The list of artists presented by SHCS is remarkable—Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia, Ewa Podlés, Maurizio Pollini, Jacqueline du Pré, Mstislav Rostropovich, Jordi Savall, András Schiff, Rudolf Serkin, Janos Starker, Daniil Trifonov, Lynn Harrell, Emmanuel Ax, Alban Berg Quartet, Guarneri Quartet, Kronos Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, and Quartetto Italiano, among many others. SHCS also has a history of championing important musicians early in their careers, including Richard Goode, Hilary Hahn, Hélène Grimaud, Dawn Upshaw, Lang Lang, and the Emerson String Quartet. Commissioned composers include Timo Andres, Sebastian Currier, Jonathan Leshnoff, James Lee III, Hannah Lash, Caroline Shaw, and Nina C. Young.

Designed specifically for the community, SHCS offers the Discovery Series, a series of free concerts presented in venues throughout the region focused on artists emerging on the national and international scene. Artists featured include Narek Hakhnazaryan, Colin Currie, Xavier Foley, Eric Lu, and the Dover Quartet. SHCS also offers the annual Spring Lecture Series, a series of free talks focused on annual topics related to the intersection of music and society, and a variety of student programs.

For more information, visit www.shriverconcerts.org.

Photo of Raphaêl Feuillâtre by Stefan Höderath

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