An afternoon filled with soothing, inviting music will be presented during the Portland Guitar Duo’s performance as part of the Johnstown Concert Series at 3 p.m. Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 309 Lincoln St. in downtown Johnstown.
Formed in 1999, the Portland Guitar Duo was created by James Manuele and Foti Lycouridis, both of whom share a passion for the duo format. They have performed together in various venues across the United States, both as a duo and as soloists with chamber ensembles. Additionally, they have appeared on radio and television.
The duo specializes in historical interpretation and showcases a wide range of instruments from the guitar and lute families, including Renaissance and Baroque lutes and mandoras, Baroque guitars, 19th-century romantic guitars, modern classical guitars, and 10-string guitars.
Their performances span many composers and guitar styles, often featuring transcriptions of works originally composed for other instruments, both contemporary and period.
“We’ve had guitar concerts in the past, and they’ve been extremely well attended. The audience really loved them, so it’s by popular demand that we’re bringing guitarists back,” said Bill Brice, a board member of the concert series. “They reached out to us after hearing about our program, which speaks volumes about our concert series that someone from Oregon would hear about what we’re doing. We’re very fortunate they’re willing to travel all the way from Portland to perform for us.”
The performance will include a varied program featuring “Spanish Dance No. 2 Oriental,” “Sonata XXII,” “Sonata A Minor, R 118,” “Aria (from Ionian Suite),” “To Solace My Heart,” “Granada (from Suite Espanola),” “Farewell The Friends,” “Intermezzo,” and “The Miller’s Dance.”
“This is classical guitar, but when you listen to their music, they cover practically every genre you can imagine, using multiple types of guitars,” Brice noted. “It will be a very diverse program.”
Lycouridis, originally from Athens, Greece, moved to the United States in 1981 to study music. He holds a bachelor’s degree in guitar performance and a master’s degree in music theory from the University of Portland. Lycouridis has also performed as a member of the Geminus Guitar Duo and the Cascadia Guitar Duo.
Manuele began playing guitar at the age of 10. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Mansfield University and a Master of Music degree from Portland State University. Manuele currently teaches guitar at Clark College and Concordia University.
“Audiences can expect a concert of wonderful music, and the acoustics in the church are always perfect for performances,” Brice added.
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