Palladium audiences know that we specialize in top tier artists – even if some of them aren’t household names.
Michael Chapdelaine
Michael Chapdelaine, who is playing the Side Door Cabaret on Thursday, April 19, fits that bill. He’s one of the best classical and fingerstyle guitarists in the world – and he has the awards to prove it.
Chapdelaine, a concert artist and a professor of music at the University of New Mexico – Albuquerque, twice won the coveted National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Grant. He also took First Prize in both the Guitar Foundation of America and the Music Teachers National Association’s guitar competitions.
In 1992 he recorded the Sonata Romantica CD, (now re-released as Mexico), which many critics and connoisseurs of classical guitar consider to be one of the definitive recordings for the instrument.
Acoustic Guitar magazine wrote “… if I were marooned on a desert island with a limited selection of recordings, this one would be among my choices…I have seldom heard a more beautiful album. Other young guitarists have excellent technique, but few have such style and musicality, and Chapdelaine’s beautiful tone is the nearest to Segovia’s that I can recall.”
In 1994 Michael turned his attention to pop music, in arranging, producing and recording Time-Life Music’s beautiful Guitar by Moonlight collection (also released as With Love), which sold 250,000 copies in its first two years in the stores.
In 1998, he once again, expanded his musical range and gained instant notoriety and credibility in the “acoustic music” world as a “fingerstyle” guitarist and composer, by winning the National Fingerpicking Championships.
Not bad for a kid who grew up in Pensacola in the 60s and 70s, playing in his first rock bands at age 15. He later studied music at Florida State.
At the Side Door, he’ll be doing a mix of classical and fingerstyle playing.
Chapdelaine as a young "rocker" in Pensacola
“The nice thing about it for audiences is you get to hear pop tunes in a fairly recognizable manner,” he said. For him, “it’s a bit of a guitar playing and juggling chainsaw act.”
Chapdelaine playing has three elements going at once – the bass, the melody and percussion.
“It really rocks – it’s like a band that can be flexible.” He said.
As for the repertoire – “For sure, some Beatles. For sure, some tunes from my teen years – the 1960s and 70s. I’ll probably play California Dreaming and I’ll probably play some Motown stuff. I really dig Motown.”
There will also be some classical tunes and some of his own compositions.
Lately, Michael has been active as a composer, debuting his “Guitar Concerto,” at the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota two weeks ago.
“I’m pretty sure it’s the hardest I ever worked on anything in my life,” he said, during our telephone interview.
Don’t miss this incredible evening of music and “chain-saw juggling.” For tickets and information visit www.mypalladium.org.
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