“Aaron is a unique talent not to be missed”
– Washington Post
Acclaimed international recording and touring guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan is an exciting and innovative leader in classical music. Noted for his “astounding technical proficiency and artistic delicacy” by the Boston Musical Intelligencer,Larget-Caplanis an international touring and recording artist. He has performed solo and chamber music in Europe, Russia, Taiwan, and across the United States including El Palacio de Linares in Madrid, Spain, Sheremetev Palace in Russia, and Palazzo del Te & Ducale in Mantova, Italy. At 16 he made his debut at the Tabor Opera House, and has since premiered over 80 solo and chamber compositions, soloed with orchestras, directed concert series, created commissioning endeavors, and brought classical music into schools and communities. A gifted performer and speaker, he is sought for his deft programming of new and standard repertoire, while connecting with audiences with a Bernstein-esque ease. In 2019 Aaron received the Médaille D’Etain from the Société Académique Arts-Sciences-Lettres of Paris, France for his trailblazing work in music. Learn more about Aaron Larget-Caplan.
Watch Aaron’s Recital:
Thoughts from Our Week 5 Curator:
Ben Dietschi, Senior Consultant
DeVos Institute of Arts Management
On Aaron’s Performance
“Aaron welcomes us into his study to be enveloped by his warm tone and authentic presence. In this time where we crave social connection so deeply, I valued his ability to speak clearly and directly to his virtual audience. I could almost imagine being nestled among other listeners in a lovely house concert. The performances are adept, and you’ll also appreciate the care afforded to audio and video quality, as we all quickly tire of poorly produced digital performances.
In this program we journey through a variety of repertoire from classic guitar selections like Agustín Barrios, venturing across baroque, flamenco, tango, while stretching beyond guitar repertoire to iconic offerings like Mussorgsky’s Pictures at the Exhibition, and a very pretty rendition of Over The Rainbow to send us on our way.
I found this diverse program engaging, artful, and satisfying. It had substance and yet was also delightfully escapist. Enjoy!”
On the Arts During the COVID-19 Crisis
“During this challenging time it is so important to spark joy, foster connectedness, and help those that are most vulnerable feel seen and heard. I think that the arts can be an important vehicle for kindness and solidarity. Classical music in particular offers a wide breadth of emotional expression that can help to keep our hearts and minds expansive in a time of severe limitation.
I commend the courage and resiliency that artists are displaying during this time. It was my pleasure to assist by shining a light on one meaningful musical moment.”
Ben Dietschi is Senior Consultant for the DeVos Institute of Arts Management in Washington, DC.
Public Health Sponsors
Three doctors at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health – Dr. Caroline Buckee, Associate Director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics and Associate Professor of Epidemiology; Dr. Satchit Balsari, Assistant Professor in the Department of Global Health and Population; and Dr. Yonatan Grad, Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases – sponsored the first three weeks of Robinson Recitals.
About Robinson Recitals
The Robinson Recitals initiative is an innovation competition for “live” social distancing video concerts specifically designed for retirement and nursing homes, hosted by Boston-based classical music management firm Ariel Artists.
Weekly winners of the Robinson Recitals competition received a $500 prize and had their concerts distributed widely to the retirement home and nursing home communities nationwide, where residents, their family members from afar, staff, and others can enjoy them as they are able to during their days. Family members and their mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers living in retirement homes can watch the same live concert video together at the same time at their own convenience, from their separate residences, and in that way, share a live performance in real time.
Past Winners
Week 1:
Danae Dörken’s 30-minute recital, which she calls “A Musical Journey” and narrates along the way, includes works by Grieg, Schubert, the Greek composer Manolis Kalomiris, and Béla Bartòk. She performs from her living room in Berlin, Germany.
Week 2:
Benedict’s recital, titled “Song of the Birds” is inspired by the great cellist Pablo Casals and begins with Saint Saëns’ iconic “The Swan.” He then performs Casals’ favorite encore, Song of the Birds, Giovanni Sollima’s virtuosic Lamentatio, and Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suite in D Major No. 6, from the set of suites which Casals transformed from practice exercises to famous concert works.
Week 3:
Tesla Quartet violinists Michelle Lie and Ross Snyder perform a recital featuring some of their favorite violin duets by Joseph Haydn, Ignaz Pleyel, and Béla Bartók.
Week 4:
In Francesca Anderegg’s unaccompanied “Songs of Solitude” recital program, we hear the stirring beauty of solo violin as fashioned through the centuries by the minds of such luminaries as J. S. Bach, Fritz Kreisler, and Eugène Ysaÿe.