Rebecca Hartka, cellist

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Cellist Rebecca Hartka and grammy-nominated guitarist and composer Jose Lezcano have been praised by American Record Guide for their collaboration: "Hartka and Lezcano play off against each other in a subtle but effective unity of rubato relationships that brings off the sonatas with a personality that catches the ears and holds them" (D. Moore, American Record Guide). The Duo has performed together since 2014 in venues such as the Longy School of Music, the Arts Block, North Hall Arts Festival, and Keene State College. In March 2017 the duo performed and gave master classes in Havana, Cuba through the invitation of UNEAC for the Cello Festival of Havana. Their first recording was released in fall 2017 on Becsta Records. Michael Johnson said of the CD in Facts and Arts that it "displays a high degree of heart and total control" and that he was "captivated by the virtuosity".

Listen: https://rebeccahartka.bandcamp.com/album/colors
<a href="http://rebeccahartka.bandcamp.com/album/colors">Colors by Rebecca Hartka</a>

Described by Fanfare Magazine as "an excellent guitarist as well as an imaginative composer," Jose Manuel Lezcano is Professor of Music at Keene State College, where he teaches and coordinates guitar and directs the Guitar Orchestra and Latin Ensemble. He was twice nominated and a semifinalist for Grammys for his work on the CD "Remembrances/Recuerdos," released by North-South Consonance in 2007, in the categories "Best Contemporary Composition" (for his Guitar Concerto) and "Best Soloist with Orchestra." A later release by North-South, Crosscurrents, featuring Jose's "Tango-Overture" for string orchestra, received critical acclaim. He also been the New Hampshire Music Educators' Commissioned Composer (twice), Fulbright scholar to Ecuador, and recipient of KSC's Distinguished Research Award. He is a critically acclaimed guitarist with solo, chamber, and concerto performances at venues and festivals in China (for Apple Hill's Playing for Peace), Brazil, Ecuador, Czech Republic, Germany, Peru, Spain, Crete, Colombia, and New York City, where he premiered two Guitar Concerti of his authorship with the North-South Consonance Orchestra and conductor Max Lifshitz in 2005 and 2013. Dr. Lezcano's works are published by Alry, Mundoarts, and Cayambis Press.

Jose has frequently performed on concert series in New England and as solo recitalist on university and civic concert series up and down the east coast. In 2013 he was commissioned by the Amaral Duo to compose Key West Suite, a work written during his Artist Residency at Studios of Key West. His recent international performances include a concert at the Identidades International Festival (Havana, February 2016), where he premiered his second Double concerto for flute, guitar and strings ("Sojourners"); an Artist Residency at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (November 2016); and a recent concert at the Havana Cello Festival (March 15) with KSC faculty cellist Rebecca Hartka, where they performed the Cuban premiere of his Cello-Guitar Sonata. He received a 2016 Ewing Arts Award from the Keene Sentinel in recognition of his international career and contributions to the arts in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. Dr. Lezcano earned degrees from Peabody Conservatory (BM), University of South Carolina (MM), and Florida State University (Ph.D., Music Theory). www.joselezcano.com