Brazilian classical guitarist Pedro Aguiar performs Sydolira by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz (b.1964). This comes via Aguiar’s YouTube (go subscribe). Amazing performance by Aguiar with a huge range of expressive articulations and colour over the complex textures of this work. An extraordinary performance, can’t wait to explore more of his work. This is only solo guitar work composed by Gabriela Ortiz who is a recent multiple Grammy Awards winner. Aguiar shared this quote via his Facebook page.
“I’m delighted to share this extraordinary performance of my piece Sydolira by guitarist Pedro Aguiar. I wrote this work many years ago as a tribute to my father, Rubén Ortiz. At the time, he was studying composition, playing classical guitar, and suffering from migraines. He therefore wrote a piece for solo guitar entitled Migrañas.
After my mother died at the age of just 46, my father stopped composing altogether. Years later, I found his manuscript and, when I had the opportunity to write a piece for guitar, I decided to draw upon one of the musical materials he had written.
The title Sydolira comes from a play on words between Sydolil, the medication my father took for his migraines and, as I remember, never left home without, and lira, referring to the instrument and to music.
In this way, Sydolira became a way of entering into a musical dialogue with my father and keeping his memory alive.” – Gabriela Ortiz
