Miguel Ángel Girollet

Miguel Ángel Girollet (1947–1996) was an Argentine classical guitar virtuoso. His music is characterized by a large repertory that covers music of the sixteenth century up to the contemporary era. During the 70s he formed part of the renowned Martínez Zárate String Quartet. He was born in Buenos Aires in 1947 and died in Madrid in 1996.

Training

Girollet studied at the Juan José Castro Conservatory in Buenos Aires with teachers Graciela Pomponio and Jorge Martínez Zárate, with whom he later cooperated on the Martinez Zárate String Quartet after Eduardo Frasson's retirement. Afterwards he continued his training privately from 1970 to 1972 with Abel Carlevaro and Ljerka Spiller.

Performances

Miguel Angel Girollet did countless numbers of concerts in large European and American theatres.

The Americas

In his native Argentina he did several concerts throughout his career in the San Martin Theatre, the Colón Theatre, the Cervantes National Theatre, the President Alvear Theatre, as well as in theatres in smaller cities in the country. In addition he performed solos on several occasions in the National Symphony Orchestra.

Girollet visited almost all the countries in America and performed solo acts in the majority of the National Orchestras in South America, among them are the Chile and Bogotá Philharmonic, the Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador and Medellin and the National Chamber Orchestra of Montevideo.

In the United States he performed, among others, in the DAR Constitution Hall and the Hall of the Americas of the OAS in Washington, in the Modern Art Museum of San Francisco and three times at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Europe

Much of Girollet's professional activities were done in France, as well as the majority of his awards were earned in this country. He played in prestigious halls, such as the Maison de Radio France, in the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux and in the Cortot Hall of the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. He also formed part of the Fourth International Festival of Paris. On several occasions he also visited Switzerland, Greece, England, Italy, Sweden and Belgium. Spain paid him much tribute and Girollet was presented in several cities of the peninsula and several times in the National Music Auditorium in Madrid. In 1986 he visited West Germany to participate in the Sixth Week of the Guitar in the city of Aschaffenburg.

Girollet also visited several countries in the then Eastern Bloc. In East Germany he presented in Magdeburg and in Berlin, where he performed as a soloist with the Symphonic Orchestra (Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin) and dictated Masters classes. He also visited Poland, Armenia, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) and Bulgaria, where he had the opportunity to perform once more as soloist in several orchestras. He visited the Soviet Union five times and played in Leningrad (today St. Petersburg), including four times in the famous Great Hall of the Conservatory "Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky" in Moscow. After the fall of the Soviet Union he again realized performances for some of the former countries of the Eastern Bloc and he played with the Symphonic Orchestra of Thuringia and the National Sofia Opera.

Instrument

Girollet played with a guitar built by Manuel Contreras (father) dated 1989. The said instrument currently belongs to the Canadian virtuoso performer Yves Lafontaine.

Teaching activities

Girollet was not only known as a performer, but also for his merits in teaching. As such he was a professor for ten years in the Porto Alegre International Seminary and in several conservatories Argentine, especially in the Collegium Musicum of Buenos Aires. During his travels he also taught in the Universities of Bordeaux, Puerto Rico, San Luis, Veracruz, Costa Rica and Bogota. In Spain he offered master classes at the Madrid Superior Royal Conservatory of Music and in France during the International Music Encounter in the city of Bièvres and at the Bourges International Festival. During his tours, he also dictated master classes in almost all the cities that he visited, so that many guitarists throughout Europe have been influenced by Girollet.

Awards

Discography

Girollet only recorded one CD in spite of his recognition from the public and critics and his many worldwide tours. The reasons are not known. In addition, there is some amateur footage of his concerts and master classes.

External links

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