05.02.25

Jason Vieaux

Jason Vieaux

Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today's classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is described by NPR as “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation”.

Featured in the second half of the concert will be the “Quintette for Guitar and String Quartet, Op. 143” by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco.

Guest Musicians:

Donni Evans, violin

Emily Day-Shumway, violin

Leslie Richards, viola

Cassie Olsen, cello

The players are regular performers with The Utah Symphony and the Ballet West Orchestra.

Date: Friday, May 2, 2025

Time: 7:30pm

Location: Regent Street Black Box Theater at the Eccles

144 South Regent Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Masterclass: Saturday, May 3, 2025

Time: 11:00am

Location: Glendale Library, Room A

1375 S. Concord St, Salt Lake City, UT 84104

Registration here

Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today's classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is described by NPR as “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation”.

In appearances from New York’s Lincoln Center to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Seoul Arts Center, Jason Vieaux has cemented his reputation as an artist of brilliance and uncompromised mastery. Cited for his “eloquent and vibrant performances” on disc (Gramophone Magazine) he is hailed as “virtuosic, flamboyant, dashing and, sometimes ineffably lyrical” (New York Times) on stage.

Sought-after for his extensive concerto repertoire, Vieaux has performed with a long list of orchestras including Cleveland, Toronto, St. Louis, Houston, Columbus, and has made premiere recordings with the Nashville Symphony (Leshnoff Concerto) and the Norrköping Symphony (Beal Six Sixteen). He has worked with renowned conductors including Giancarlo Guerrero, Jahja Ling, Gerard Schwarz, and David Robertson. Vieaux’s passion for new music has fostered premieres from Jeff Beal, Avner Dorman, Vivian Fung, Pierre Jalbert, Jonathan Leshnoff, David Ludwig, Mark Mancina, and Dan Visconti, among many others.

Vieaux’s extensive discography includes his “Bach Volume 2: Works for Violin” released on Azica in 2022 to rave reviews for his “eloquent and vibrant performances” (Gramophone). Additional 2022 releases include “Shining Night” featuring his duo with acclaimed violinist Anne Akiko Meyers (Avie Records) and Michael Fine’s “Concierto del Luna” with flutist Alexa Still (Sony Classical), both enjoying strong critical acclaim. Vieaux recorded Pat Metheny’s “Four Paths of Light”, a solo work dedicated to him by Pat, for Metheny’s 2021 album “Road to the Sun”. Jason Vieaux won the 2014 Best Instrumental Classical Solo Grammy Award for “Play”. The Huffington Post declared PLAY is “part of the revitalized interest in the classical guitar”.

A busy touring performer, Jason Vieaux enjoys repeated invitations from distinguished series, including San Francisco Performances, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and the 92nd Street Y, among others. Festival engagements include Ravinia, Caramoor, Domaine-Forget, Music@Menlo, Round Top, and the Eastern Music Festival. Overseas performance venues include Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Seoul Arts Center, Shanghai Concert Hall, Sala Sao Paolo, and Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.

Jason Vieaux enjoys ongoing performing and recording collaborations with the Escher String Quartet, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, harpist Yolanda Kondonassis, accordion/bandoneon virtuoso Julien Labro, and saxophone virtuoso Timothy McAllister.

In 2011 Vieaux co-founded the guitar department at the Curtis Institute of Music (with David Starobin). He has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music for 25 years. Jason’s online Guitar School for Artistworks Inc. has hundreds of subscribers from all over the world. He plays a guitar by Gernot Wagner, 2013, made in Frankfurt.

For more information, visit jasonvieaux.com.

“Vieaux ... makes everything look and sound easy. An uncommonly relaxed figure onstage, he seems immersed entirely in the moment. Every note comes out fully formed, but nothing he does feels premeditated, and the music, just a little understated, speaks eloquently for itself.” – Washington Post

“virtuosic, flamboyant, dashing and, sometimes ineffably lyrical.” – The New York Times

“...perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.” – NPR

“…among the elite of today’s classical guitarists.” – Gramophone

“faultless delivery... even the arpeggiated chords resound as a solitary line.” - DownBeat

“Classical guitarist Jason Vieaux's new recording Play is part of the revitalized interest in the classical guitar.” – The Huffington Post

"This terrific guitarist, a Philadelphia favorite, worked wonders with Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez... he played with elegance and fine-tuned precision… a marvel." – The Philadelphia Inquirer

“...one of America's premier guitarists... Vieaux's performance spun magic. Rarely has a single instrument so clearly painted such cinematic vistas and searching introspection.” – Fort-Worth Star-Telegram

“a substantially gifted guitarist whose playing revealed equal portions of stylistic elegance and technical polish.” – The Baltimore Sun

“Vieaux showed why he is among the most talented guitarists of his generation, a player whose effortless technique and fluidity gave the concerto a singing voice.” – Tampa Tribune

“I have never heard anyone with Vieaux ’s subtlety. Vieaux ’s articulation is faultless and more importantly, it is endlessly varied. And he has a tremendous dynamic range. Just to hear him play something simple, like a scale, is a delight.” – The Buffalo News

“Vieaux's talent is so huge, and has been apparent for so long... He is still the most accomplished guitarist I have heard with my own ears, and that's a list that starts with Segovia.” – Absolute Sound

"Well, if [Infusion] is not a huge hit for Jason Vieaux and company, I will be thoroughly shocked – because this disc is a boatload of fun, not to mention that the playing is spectacular from all involved." – Soundboard Magazine

"there was something special about the way Vieaux handled the Prelude, Fugue and Allegro, BWV 998 that I have difficulty articulating. It was more than just the natural smoothness and utterly rhythmic command with which he executed it; it was also the deep feeling he communicated with little vibrato touches throughout. He is a truly special player." Classical Guitar Magazine

“Vieaux is a complete master of the guitar; it is simply a tool he uses to convey the essence of the music – flamboyant, introverted, festive, or gloomy – all played with complete authority” – Classical Voice North Carolina

“Jason Vieaux and accordionist Julien Labro took the stage of the Herbst Theatre on October 20 for a spectacular demonstration of how many ways their two instruments could converse, conspire, and ultimately soar with one another…. with each selection showcasing the palpable delight each of them takes in playing as a duo.” San Francisco Classical Voice

“Vieaux proved to be an ideal soloist, playing fast music (especially in the Spanish-flavored finale) with dash and slow passages with warm feeling.” [Leshnoff’s Guitar Concerto] – American Record Guide

"Vieaux and Cooke brought committed professionalism to each item on the menu...Vieaux was attentive to every change in mood and texture...Who needs a piano when a fine guitarist can do the job so eloquently?" – Cleveland Classical

"The highlight of the two concerts I attended was the return of guitarist Jason Vieaux...Vieaux is certainly one of the best classical guitarists before the public today. He is indeed a great artist on his instrument, playing with nuance, great confidence and musicality." – Sarasota Observer

"While their combination of instruments [guitar and bandoneon] may seem to be a mismatch, for the past ten years the duo has proven that talented players with like-minded musical esthetics can yield amazing results." – Cleveland Classical

"With an exquisitely hushed orchestra to back him, Vieaux played this intimate rhapsodic and intensely romantic three-movement work beautifully. His unamplified tone rang clearly through Dana Auditorium, and his impeccably clean technique elucidated this somewhat meandering piece. [Castelnuovo’s Guitar Concerto]" – Greensboro News & Review

"This was a show-stopping performance. Both Vieaux and Armstrong played this amazing and difficult piece from memory with passion, patience, introspection and extraversion. It was indeed a far-ranging conversation played by two virtuosi with gorgeous tone and expression on each instrument. [Astor Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango] – Greensboro News & Review

"Violist Chauncey Patterson and cellist Julian Schwarz joined Vieaux for a delightful performance...Vieaux's crisp, clear articulation was deeply satisfying. [Terzetto concertante in D, Op. 68, MS 114]" – Classical Voice North Carolina

"this performance was brilliantly interpreted...The pure sound of Vieaux's unamplified guitar was a constant pleasure...Vieaux and Armstrong were rewarded with a prolonged standing ovation. [Astor Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango]" – Classical Voice North Carolina

“Vieaux played Antônio Carlos Jobim’s A Felicidade, navigating the familiar melody with rich tone and musical sophistication. He’d toss off virtuoso runs with his signature ease, looking as if, in all the fun, he hadn’t noticed the flurry of notes issuing from the instrument in his hands.” – Strings Magazine

"By this point, the audience had grown accustomed to Vieaux’s flawless and seemingly effortless technique. That did not, however, make it any less extraordinary. [Piazzolla's Histoire du Tango]" – Strings Magazine

"Staring steadily at his left hand, Vieaux offered a flawless performance ... His beat was remarkably steady, and his melodic flair engaging. [Jobim's A Felicidade]” – San Francisco Classical Voice

“Despite the fact that Vieaux probably performs the difficult concerto a dozen or more times a season, his performance was as fresh and briskly detailed as it was confidently and solidly rendered. [Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez]” – Arts Knoxville

“The concerto is charming, lyrical and beautifully performed on this new Naxos release. [Leshnoff’s Guitar Concerto]” – Gramophone

“A work of beauty and virtuosity, the lyrical writing and imitative exchanges between the guitar and orchestra are complimented with beautiful orchestration. Vieaux’s musical phrasing, articulation, and tone shine on this exquisite recording. [Leshnoff’s Guitar Concerto]” – This is Classical Guitar

“The vibrant, three movement work proves no easy task for the performer but Vieaux’s clarity is exceptional considering Leshnoff has written many bright runs in the upper register and descending arpeggio passages.” – Music City Review

“a stunning virtuoso showcase for soloist Jason Vieaux. [Leshnoff’s Guitar Concerto]” – WFMT

"A better classical guitarist than Grammy-winner Vieaux would be hard to find for the [Leshnoff] Guitar Concerto..." – Textura

“Guitarist Jason Vieaux excels with clean, clear lines” [Leshnoff’s Guitar Concerto] – AllMusic

For more information, visit www.jasonvieaux.com

Do not edit without permission. Specific lengths available upon request.

Contact:

Public Relations: JVO Artists, Cory Roberts, hello@jvoartists.com

Management: Jonathan Wentworth Associates Ltd., Martha Woods, Martha@Jwentworth.com