William Kanengiser
Recognized as one of America’s most brilliant
classical guitarists, William Kanengiser has developed a unique repertoire for his
instrument, ranging from dazzling arrangements of Mozart, Handel, and Bartók
to his innovative excursions into the music of Eastern Europe and the
Caribbean. Praised by the Los Angeles Times for his “dizzying execution” and
“exceeding vitality and warmth,” Mr. Kanengiser has performed in recital and
as guest soloist with orchestras in virtually every major American city,
ranging from New York City’s Carnegie Hall to San Francisco’s Herbst
Theater, as well as throughout Canada, Europe and Asia.
Through unusual commissions and a creative approach to transcription, Mr.
Kanengiser has won recognition for expanding the repertory beyond the
staples of guitar literature. He has performed and recorded works written
for him by composers as diverse as Dusan Bogdanovich, Ian Krouse and Brian
Head, and has won consistent praise for his own transcriptions of scores
from the traditional repertory, most notably Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A
major (featuring the “Rondo Alla Turka”), which he prepared for the Columbia
Pictures release, Crossroads, in which he was Ralph Macchio’s guitar
double and coach.
As a founding member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, William Kanengiser
tours extensively throughout North America, Asia, and Europe, and has
recording for the GHA, Delos, and Sony Classical labels. LAGQ currently
records exclusively for Telarc. Their 2001 Telarc release, LAGQ: Latin,
was nominated for a Grammy, and their follow-up recording LAGQ’s Guitar
Heroes won a Grammy for Best Classical Crossover Album of 2004. The
latest release, Spin, features an original composition by Mr.
Kanengiser for four guitars, “Turn to the Sea.”
Mr. Kanengiser won First Prize of the 1987 Concert Artists Guild Competition
as well as major international competitions in Toronto (1981) and Paris
(1983). The recipient of two Solo Recitalist Fellowships from the National
Endowment for the Arts, he was also chosen as one of Musical America’s
Outstanding Young Artists. A member of the guitar faculty at the USC
Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles since 1983, he has given master
classes at conservatories and guitar festivals around the world. Born in
Orange, New Jersey, Mr. Kanengiser studied at the University of Southern
California, being named Outstanding Graduate of the School of Music upon the
completion of both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. His principal
teachers were Malcolm Hamilton, Pepe Romero and James F. Smith.
