UT Dallas will present the Texas recital debut of Duo Sonidos on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. in the Alexander Clark Center.
The event is free for students and open to the public.
The Duo consists of guitarist Adam Levin and violinist William Knuth. The two aim to bring new interpretations of chamber music to audiences across the globe while expanding the repertoire for violin and guitar.
Duo Sonidos will perform several original transcriptions of Baroque masterworks in the first half of their program, including pieces by J.S. Bach, G.F. Handel, Arcangelo Corelli and Fritz Kreisler.
The second half of the program will feature the world premiere of a new violin and guitar suite, Jardin Bajo la Luna. The piece was written by Spanish composer David Del Puerto, and was commissioned by and dedicated to Duo Sonidos in 2011.
The concert will also include other works by Spanish composers, including original transcriptions of Cinco Canciones Negras by Xavier Montsalvatge and Homenaje by Eduardo Morales-Caso. Adam Levin will also perform two guitar solos: the Prelude “Obsession” from Sonata No. 5 by Eugene Ysaye and Handeliana by Spanish composer Ricardo Llorca.
In December 2010, Duo Sonidos was awarded first prize at the Luys Milán International Chamber Music Competition in Valencia, Spain. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2010 featuring fresh transcriptions of standard works by Astor Piazzolla and Manuel de Falla, and contemporary works by Salvador Brotons and Eduardo Morales-Caso. The CD garnered a US Choice recommendation from BBC Music Magazine in May 2012.
Levin holds degrees from Northwestern University in music performance and psychology. He also completed a master’s degree at New England Conservatory in Boston. He was professor of guitar at Amadeus Escuela de Música in Madrid and is the co-director of Boston Guitar Immersion, which offers comprehensive guitar instruction to independent schools.