Harris Becker
Director, Guitar Studies
Director, C.W. Post Guitar Ensemble
Director, Long Island Guitar Festival
Harris Becker has had a rich and varied career as a guitarist and lutenist. He has performed extensively both as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, South America, Mexico, and Canada. His interest in contemporary music has offered him the opportunity to premiere many new works by renowned composers including Carlo Domeniconi, Hayley Savage, Raoul Pleskow, Howard Rovics, and Johnny Reinhard.
In addition to his career as a performer he has been very involved as an educator and adjudicator, giving master classes, workshops and lectures. He is director of guitar studies at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, and has been on the music faculties of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and the International Institute for Chamber Music at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich. The Florida State Division of Cultural Affairs selected Mr. Becker to be part of Florida's Artist Residency Program, giving lecture/performances on the lute and baroque guitar. In 2007 Mr. Becker received a faculty recognition award for outstanding service from the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Long Island University.
Mr. Becker is Director of the Long Island Guitar Festival, which he founded in 1993. He is also co-founder of a summer music festival in rural Quebec: "Songe d'été en Musique". Recordings include Catgut Flambo with guitarist Pasquale Bianculli and a solo recording Passing Through of which one critic wrote, "In the waltzes by Lauro, I like Becker's flexible rhythms – not that these are waltzes in the Viennese style, but it is seldom correct to play a waltz metronomically, and Becker's use of hesitations here and anticipations there makes the music come alive. In the Bach (originally written for Lautenwercke, a harpsichord-like instrument), Becker is more straightforward, even dignified. Even so, his playing has a lightness that chases away monotony" – Raymond Tuttle, Classical Net - www.classical.net
"Passing Through"
Harris Becker
from the CD Passing Through
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