Royal Conservatoire of Scotland contemporary guitar projects. The composer and the performer : an intertwined relationship

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 20th century, collaborations between guitarists and composers have played a central role in the creation of new guitar repertoire. I worked in four artistic projects, as a researcher, guitarist or composer, analysing the concept of collaboration from several perspectives, providing a new insight into the various types of collaborations.

During the first project, I studied the music of the Scottish composer Thomas Wilson (1927–2001). The project was divided into two phases: the first one focussed on discovering the genesis of the work; the second phase was dedicated to the creation of a performance edition of Wilson’s Coplas del Ruiseñor.

The second and third projects feature collaborations between performers and composers in the creation of new music. While, in the second project, I was primarily involved as a performer, in the third one, I composed music for other guitarists. My involvement in these projects helped me perceive the process of collaboration in a novel way.

During the fourth project, I explored the concept of posthumous collaborations; I created a new version of the composition, For Whom the Bell Tolls by Roberto Gerhard, and I also completed a new performance edition and recording of Gerhard’s Fantasia.