A Magical Blend

MALCOLM MILLER enjoys the
Sariel-Ghilione Duo and
Yehezkel Braun's new Sonata for Mandolin and Guitar

With a superb performance of a new work for mandolin and guitar by Yehezkel Braun the exciting, young duo of Alon Sariel, mandolin, and Francesca Ghilione, guitar, made a deep and enriching impression in their beautifully presented recital at The Spiro Ark, Enfield St, London W1, UK, on 17 February 2007. Sariel is one of Israel's leading young mandolinists, who has won a variety of international prizes and regularly participates in baroque and new music festivals around the world including the International Mandolin Academy in Savona, Italy. Guilione too has a distinguished track record and is much in demand as a soloist, and the two virtuosi formed their duo last year, since when they have given concerts of repertoire ranging from 18th century to contemporary.

On this occasion the select but enthusiastic audience was regaled with a varied programme of recent works by composers from Israel, Argentina, Brazil, Australia and Japan as well as the duo's own arrangement of a 'Jewish Folk Klezmer Suite' to conclude. Yehezkel Braun, one of the leading senior composers in Israel, is best known for his choral works, yet his output also reaches into a wide variety of instrumental genres, including some intriguing East-West syntheses.

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