Presented by The Roger Smith Hotel
Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society
Frank Wallace and John Olson, co-curators

Roger Smith Hotel
501 Lexington Avenue
New York City (see map)

Tickets $15. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.

Atanas Ourkouzounov (b. 1970 in Burgas, Bulgaria), a leading figure in Bulgaria's contemporary music, is winning international fame both as a guitarist and as a composer. His music features the typical asymetric rhythms and modal harmonies of his homeland but, like Bartok, Ourkouzounov (pronounced Oor-koo-ZOO-nov) uses regional traditions as a point of departure from which he ranges widely in an intuitive and personal way. Whereas Bartok's muse was the piano, Ourkouzounov's muse is - fortunately for guitarists - the guitar.

Ourkouzounov has written over 50 works for guitar - solos, duos, trios, quartets, instrumental ensembles, and two concerti - a number of which have won important prizes, and a majority of which have been published by leading publishers.

Atanas Ourkouzounov performs widely as a soloist, with his wife the Japanese flautist Mie Ogura, and with the Ourkouzounov Ensemble (two guitars, flute and cello). In addition to two CDs on which Ourkouzounov plays, more than 25 CDs of his music performed by others are currently available. Complete lists of Ourkouzounov's compositions, publishers, awards and CDs can be found at www.ourkouzounov.com.