moller

The Swedish guitarist Johannes Möller has captivated audiences throughout the world with charismatic performances and ability to communicate a musical message. He is known for his innovative programming which is designed to please listeners from any cultural background, age or level of musical experience.

His recitals include pearls of the standard repertoire as well as rarely encountered 19th century music which he performs on an authentic instrument. He is also able to include inspiring and beautiful music from the 21st century by composing himself and actively cooperating with composers of our time.

He played his first public concerts when he was 13 years old. Since then he has found time for more than 300 appearances in Europe, South and North America. These include performances at the Purcell Room in London, the International Guitar Festival in Iserlohn (Germany), the California State University Northridge in Los Angeles and North Texas University in Dallas (USA) and a live performance for the BBC 3 in England.

He has earned a Bachelor of Music with Honours from the Royal College of Music in London where he studied with Gary Ryan and Carlos Bonell, and a Masters degree at the Royal Conservatoire in the Hague where he studied with guitarist Zoran Dukic. He has been awarded eight prizes in international guitar competitions in England, Germany, Portugal and Romania.

With his distinct musical language, Johannes Möller’s artistry has reached well beyond the usual guitar circles; a fact confirmed when he became the first guitarist to win The Bromsgrove Festival International Young Musicians Platform (England) in May 2005. Critics have also noted this, writing of his playing ”...an ability to please listeners outside and beyond the usual guitar orbit.” (Colin Cooper, Classical Guitar, UK) and "Guitarist Johannes Moller achieved miracles with his lucid, spacious playing" (Stephen Pettitt, London Evening Standard).

His first solo CD (Johannes Möller plays Spanish music, SFZ 6014), was released in November 2005. The CD has received critics such as ”There is a cornucopia of immaculately executed and artistically superb music-making on this disc.” (MusicWebInternational, UK), ”...Johannes Möller who must be considered as one of the most talented guitarists of our time. His excellent playing, musicality, sense of form and style, fluent technique and phrasing is convincing.” (Smålandsposten, Sweden), ”Möller’s playing is lucid rather than flashy, his tempi in generally on the leisurely side; like any good painter, he prefers a restricted palette in order to not obscure the underlying structure.” (The Gramophone, UK).

Program

Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856)

FANTAISIE HOUNGROISE (1850)

Giulio Regondi (1822-1872)

RÊVERIE op.19

Johannes Möller (b.1981)

WHISPERED BY THE WIND (2007)

Leo Brouwer (b. 1939)

SONATA (1990)

-Fandangos y Boleros

-Sarabanda de Scriabin

-La Toccata de Pasquini

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Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)

ETUDE NR 7 (1929)

ETUDE NR 9 (1929)

CADENZA FROM CONCIERTO (1951)

ETUDE NR 12 (1929)

Giulio Regondi (1822-1872)

FÊTE VILLAGEOISE op.20

Johannes Möller (b.1981)

HOUR-LILIES (2007)

-…a sort of golden twilight

-Listening to the silence of a starry night

-The resonant shaft of light

Posted on Sat, Mar. 22, 2008

Guitarist brings fresh take to old and new alike

By PUNCH SHAW

Special to the Star-Telegram

Johannes Möller did not study with Segovia.

The 26-year-old Swedish guitarist, who performed at Martin Hall at Texas Wesleyan University on Friday night, is too young to have done that.

And that was just one of many things that distinguished his enthralling recital.

In the world of classical guitar, almost all the top players note in their bios that they studied with Andres Segovia, the great Spanish guitarist who was also a generous teacher. It is almost a cliche.

But Möller represents the coming generation of classical guitarists -- young players who are a step removed from Segovia's tremendous influence. Throughout his performance, he elicited a clear, fresh voice free of the usual heavy Spanish accent.

Möller opened the evening with pair of 19th-century works by Johann Mertz and Giulio Regondi. Fantasie Hongroise, by the former, displayed a variety of moods, and Reverie, by the latter, was lovely and true to its dreamy name.

Then came a bit of a surprise: a composition by Möller, Whispered by the Wind.

It takes confidence and courage to place your own pieces between works by established masters from the past, but Möller's concert showed he has plenty of both. And, it turned out that Whispered -- a riveting work that served as a fine showcase for the guitarist's virtuosity -- was one of the most enjoyable works on the program.

The concert's second half was devoted to works by Villa-Lobos, Turina and another composition by Möller, Hour-Lilies.

Throughout, Möller displayed exceptional insight in his deeply nuanced interpretations. He was especially effective when playing quietly over a light, steady tremolo.

So it was fitting that he chose one of classical guitar's great war horses, Tarrega's Memories of the Alhambra, for his encore. This piece is done to death, but you have seldom heard it float and softly weep as gorgeously.