PAUL PSARRAS.
Courtesy photo

by Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Paul Psarras is returning to Vallejo on Friday, this time to the Bay Terrace Theater, for a classical guitar performance produced by Vallejo Symphony publicist Tim Zumwalt.

Psarras, speaking with The Herald earlier this month, said his repertoire will be varied, including “some things from various time periods, Renaissance, Baroque, some pieces that I’ve transcribed, many pieces that I’ve played and learned while I was in school,” he said. “It was great to get back to them.”

There are also pieces that he wanted to learn before, but didn’t have the time, including modern pieces by Sergio Assad and Dusan Bogdanovic.

“He’s a great composer, a great improviser,” Psarras said of Bogdanovic. “His jazz sonatina is on the program.”

“There’s something there that everyone will enjoy,” he said. “I’m excited to play a solo recital this time.”

Psarras has not been idle since his October 2011 appearance with the Vallejo Symphony Orchestra. Among his various performances, he worked with the group El Mundo in their recording “Kingdoms of Castille,” which was nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for Best Small Ensemble Performance.

“That was a crazy experience. I went down there, lived the whole Grammy experience. It was a great time,” he said. “I went down again just for fun this year, but I got to vote this year,” explaining that nominees from the year before vote the following year.

Psarras had the opportunity to perform in a couple operas last year, too. “A couple ensemble performances. The San Francisco Opera in the summer, and then I just played this opera with Opera Parallel in San Francisco. It was kind of a flamenco-infused opera,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.”

In what little spare time he has, Psarras has been performing with the Pacific Guitar Ensemble. “It’s a group of guitar players, mostly associated with the Conservatory of Music in San Francisco,” he said. He recorded a CD with the group, making it two records in 2012.

“Two CDs in one year, I guess that isn’t so bad,” he said.

After the performance Friday, Psarras will stick around for a meet and greet on the stage. “They can come up and chat, and I can tell them about the CDs. Hopefully get some people that support our music,” he said.

If You Go
Paul Psarras will perform Friday at the Bay Terrace Theater, 51 Daniels Ave. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 and $15. For tickets and information, call 707-643-4441.

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