Classical Guitarist Peter Fletcher to Perform February 20, 2009

Las Cruces, NM – Classical guitarist, Peter Fletcher, returns to Las Cruces for a recital on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Branigan Cultural Center. Co-sponsored by the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library and the Cultural Center, the concert is free and open to the public.

Fletcher began guitar study at age 9. He gave his first concert, performing works by Albeniz, Bach, Torroba, Tansman and Guiliani at age 15. He further studied in Masterclasses with Jose Tomas and Pepe Romero. In 1988 Fletcher was chosen to perform in a Christopher Parkening Masterclass which was broadcast on National Public Radio, and in 1990 he was a prize winner on the 1990 Wurlitzer Competition. He made his New York Debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in February 2007.

Fletcher’s nationwide tours, combined with his unique approach to classical guitar, attracted the attention of Centaur Records, which signed him to multi-album contract. His first CD on Centaur, released in June 2002, is a celebration of Catalan composer Federico Mompou. Other than the Suite Compostelana, composed for guitar, Mompou’s music is almost exclusively for piano. Fletcher’s Mompou project is the first ever, classical guitar recording dedicated solely to the Catalan composer. His recordings have all received critical acclaim. His newest release "Peter Fletcher Plays Baroque Music for Guitar" is now available from Towerhill Recordings.

Currently Fletcher is preparing for a return performance at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on March 27th, 2009. The program will include works by Besard, Rameau, Bach, Reusner, Weiss, Satie, Koshkin and Domeniconi. In addition he is at work on an all-Grieg recording for Centaur Records with a scheduled release in the fall.

The Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main Street, is located at the north end of the downtown mall in Las Cruces. The program is free and open to the public. Galleries are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about exhibits, contact the Branigan Cultural Center at (575) 541-2154 or visit the Center’s web site at http://museums.las-cruces.org.