Adrian Verdejo interviews Don Hlus, as they discuss Don's career trajectory and what led him to the position he currently occupies as a musician, educator, and career advisor for developing classical guitarists.

https://donhlusmusic.com/


Don has performed throughout Southwestern British Columbia as a soloist as well as a chamber musician, including performances with members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, the CBC Radio Orchestra, and the Borealis String Quartet. Although his formal training was on the classical guitar, Don's musical interests extend to include a wide variety of music styles, including acoustic finger-style, jazz, world, Flamenco, and Celtic music.  

Don Hlus (B. Mus., M.A.) was a member of the music faculty at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) from 1993 to 2019 and served as Chair of the Music Department from 2012-2018. He was also the Director of Guitar and Founder and Artistic Director of the Fraser Valley Acoustic Guitar Festival. After twenty-six years, Don retired from academic life, which has which has allowed him to pursue other music projects and opportunities close to his heart. 

Although Don has been an administrator, artistic director, performer, and arranger, his zeal, sense of fun, and first love is teaching. He has been passionate and devoted to helping young musicians find and develop their own artistic voice. “There is nothing more satisfying than working with students, whether they are just discovering music and the guitar for the first time or fine tuning their artistry and advancing their professional careers.”  

Don currently works with students at his private studio in Fort Langley, BC and is a member of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators' Association and the British Columbia Registered Music Teachers' Association (South Fraser) as well as a RCM Certified Teacher. He is currently completing an instruction book introducing music reading to young guitarists. He also recently participated in the Volterra Project, a summer guitar institute in Tuscany, Italy, where he worked with young artists from all over the world, helping them launch and/or develop their careers as well as explore entrepreneurial opportunities.

Don Hlus Interviewed by Adrian Verdejo

On this episode of Redshift Radio, Adrian Verdejo interviews Vancouver-based soprano Sarah Jo Kirsch. 

They discuss Sarah Jo's recent activities and plans since moving to Vancouver, and their musical evolution to becoming a performer of Art Song and contemporary music. They discuss the importance of sharing music which is culturally and socially relevant to the modern world. 

 

sarahjokirsch.com

 

An accomplished interpreter of western art music, Sarah Jo Kirsch (she/they) has performed across Canada, in Europe and West Asia as a soloist and collaborator. They have been hailed as "...one of the finest contemporary dramatic vocalists in Canada today," (Calgary Herald) "...with the ability to get under the skin of everything she sings," (Winnipeg Free Press). Having premiered more than 30 new works for voice, Sarah also curates and produces socio-politically relevant art song experiences of works from the last three centuries.

 

As a creator, Sarah weaves electroacoustic tapestries inspired by the primally physical nature of resonance. As a pundit, they lecture on the ins and outs of western art music on behalf of cultural and educational institutions and on community, public, and commercial radio. They also keep a small studio of private students from around the world.

https://redshiftradio.podbean.com/

Redshift Radio Episode 5 - Sarah Jo Kirsch

Duo Verdejo (Adrian Verdejo, Meghan Verdejo) perform the final movement from Murray Adaskin's Duo for Viola & Guitar. 

Murray Adaskin - Duo for Viola & Guitar, MVT 3 Allegretto

Musiquita (2014) for guitar by John Mark Sherlock. Performed by Adrian Verdejo. Recorded by Brian Campbell.

John Mark Sherlock - Musiquita 7

John Mark Sherlock - Musiquita 11

John Mark Sherlock - Musiquita 4

Cluster Bomb Unit for Amplified Viola and 7-String Electric Guitar by Wolf Edwards. Audio excerpt from the premiere performance at Chambercon in Vancouver, November 17, 2013. Marcus Takizawa, viola, Adrian Verdejo, Guitar.  Commissioned by Verdejo with assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts. 



Wolf Edwards - Cluster Bomb Unit (Live Excerpt)

Composed by Rodney Sharman in 2002. Performed by Adrian Verdejo. Recorded by Brian Campbell.

Rodney Sharman - In A Room

Title track from Modern Hearts - New Music for Electric Guitar (2014)Download link: https://adrianverdejo.bandcamp.com/track/nicole-liz-e-modern-hearts-for-electric-guitar-solo-2008

Nicole Lizée - Modern Hearts

Live performance by McGregor-Verdejo duo in 2019. Mark Takeshi McGregor, Flute. Adrian Verdejo, Guitar

UBC Wednesday Noon Hour 20/03/19

Baca-Lobera: Duo I

Adrian Verdejo is a Canadian guitarist living in Vancouver. He performs as a soloist, with the Victoria Guitar Trio and  he has also performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Turning Point, Aventa Ensemble, and many more. Adrian Verdejo is a Classical Guitar instructor in the music degree program at Vancouver Community College.

Born to a musical family in Regina, Saskatchewan, Adrian played guitar from an early age. In his formative years,  he performed in his prairie hometown as both as a classical guitarist and as an electric guitarist in metal and punk rock bands. Verdejo later received a Master of Music degree from the University of Ottawa and a BMus from the University of Victoria. He studied with Dr. Alexander Dunn, Stephen Boswell, and Patrick Roux.

Adrian Verdejo performs many works spanning the guitar repertoire and has commissioned and premiered several new pieces. He specializes in contemporary music with equal fluency in classical and electric guitar styles.

Verdejo’s debut solo album, Modern Hearts – New Music for Electric Guitar, is available on the Redshift Music Label. It was listed as one of the Top Albums of 2014 in The Georgia Straight, Vancouver’s news and entertainment magazine.

VerdejoGuitar

Popular tracks