Rhode Island Guitar Guild Present Grisha Goryachev in Concert

A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Grisha Goryachev is renowned for his extraordinary

musical sensitivity and technical virtuosity in both classical and flamenco styles.

Grisha is one of very few guitarists in the world who is reviving the tradition of solo

flamenco guitar in a concert setting that was practiced by legendary flamenco masters

such as Ramón Montoya and Sabicas. Grisha strives to keep alive older flamenco

masterpieces that now exist only on records, by performing them in concerts. Instead

of merely copying, he creates his own interpretations of these masterpieces, using

dynamics and tone colors usually associated with classical guitar.

Grisha began playing guitar at the age of six, studying first with his father Dmitry, an

acknowledged master teacher of the instrument. At nine years old, Grisha started his

performing career as a child prodigy. His numerous performances before large

audiences in the most prestigious concert halls in the Soviet Union were highly praised.

Following a tour of Spain, Grisha was invited to play for flamenco legend Paco de

Lucía, who soon after personally intervened in support of his application for an

American visa, which was awarded in 1997 on the basis of “Extraordinary Ability”.

In May 2005 Grisha was awarded the prize for Best Performance of Spanish Music at

the VI International Classical Guitar Competition "Julian Arcás" in Almería, Spain.

Grisha received his Bachelor, Master and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the New

England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied under famous guitar

virtuoso Eliot Fisk. He was one of the 30 people in 2006 to become a fellow of the

distinguished Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship, recognizing him as exceptional in his

chosen field.

Since his immigration to the United States, Grisha has toured extensively in the states

and abroad as a performer, instructor, and judge for many prominent festivals and

venues. A firm believer in exposing the young generations to the beauty of classical

and flamenco guitar, he likes to include Outreach performances and workshops at

schools as part of his concert tours.

Grisha’s YouTube videos have collected over two million views and many notable

comments. Grisha recorded two CDs: “Alma Flamenca” and “Homenaje a Sabicas”.

Host or Publisher Rhode Island Guitar Guild