BIO
Kevin Germain composes and performs in Turkish classical idioms, as well composing for Western classical genres. Compositions include multiple works for chorus, solo guitar, guitar and voice, string quartet, and pieces for Turkish oud and ensemble. He has worked as a performer and improvisor in numerous big band, eclectic, world, and improvisational ensembles, such as the Springfield Accordion Orchestra, Euphony Groove, Group Semai, Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra, Cambridge Muziki Cemeyeti, and others. Recent composition Pastoral For String Quartet, No.II: Mt Tom, Yellow Autumnal Light of Ash and Birch, 2021, was premiered by the Julius Quartet in the winter of 2022. Other highlights are his guitar and voice arrangement of Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, published by Edizone Berben in 1996 as well as his collaboration as oud performer on Peter Blanchette’s Fantasy for Oud and Guitar Orchestra (2010) based on Huseyni Saz Samaisi of Kemani Tatyos.
Kevin studied jazz guitar with Bob Ferrier, Turkish makam with Feridun Ozgoren and Frederick Stubbs, traditional Western classical music composition with William Maloof and Thomas McGah at Berklee College of Music. Worked with the late editor of Edizione Berben, Angelo Gilardino on engraving for guitar. Kevin currently studies with Rodney Sharman.
2024 Program Composition Fellow in the Alba Composition Program.
YouTube Channel
Kevin Germain composes and performs in Turkish classical idioms, as well composing for Western classical genres. Compositions include multiple works for chorus, solo guitar, guitar and voice, string quartet, and pieces for Turkish oud and ensemble. He has worked as a performer and improvisor in numerous big band, eclectic, world, and improvisational ensembles, such as the Springfield Accordion Orchestra, Euphony Groove, Group Semai, Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra, Cambridge Muziki Cemeyeti, and others. Recent composition Pastoral For String Quartet, No.II: Mt Tom, Yellow Autumnal Light of Ash and Birch, 2021, was premiered by the Julius Quartet in the winter of 2022. Other highlights are his guitar and voice arrangement of Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, published by Edizone Berben in 1996 as well as his collaboration as oud performer on Peter Blanchette’s Fantasy for Oud and Guitar Orchestra (2010) based on Huseyni Saz Samaisi of Kemani Tatyos.
Kevin studied jazz guitar with Bob Ferrier, Turkish makam with Feridun Ozgoren and Frederick Stubbs, traditional Western classical music composition with William Maloof and Thomas McGah at Berklee College of Music. Worked with the late editor of Edizione Berben, Angelo Gilardino on engraving for guitar. Kevin currently studies with Rodney Sharman.
2024 Program Composition Fellow in the Alba Composition Program.
YouTube Channel
"I'm Hussain from Saudi Arabia. You don't know me but I've been listening to your HVGO Oud fantasy for the past few months and I just can't seem to get enough of it. It's beautifully orchestrated between Oud and Guitar and gorgeously played. I just love it."
"Awesome! A comeback to lute origins. European music with Middle Eastern flavor."
"Nice music." ~ Director, San Francisco Turkish Radio
"I am a big fan of the Sufi and Middle Eastern Music so I was very excited to hear your songs."
"Your playing of that instrument, it is as if it contains all the suffering from the whole world…"
" ... a fantastic musician, with an original, one-of-a-kind musical soul"
"I think these transcription elaborated by Germain offers a new, more intimate approach to them… a talented and well trained young guitarist-composer whom I am glad of having discovered."
Angelo Gilardino, Editor of Edizione Berben and Artistic Director of the "Andrés Segovia" Foundation. Italy
"Awesome! A comeback to lute origins. European music with Middle Eastern flavor."
"Nice music." ~ Director, San Francisco Turkish Radio
"I am a big fan of the Sufi and Middle Eastern Music so I was very excited to hear your songs."
"Your playing of that instrument, it is as if it contains all the suffering from the whole world…"
" ... a fantastic musician, with an original, one-of-a-kind musical soul"
"I think these transcription elaborated by Germain offers a new, more intimate approach to them… a talented and well trained young guitarist-composer whom I am glad of having discovered."
Angelo Gilardino, Editor of Edizione Berben and Artistic Director of the "Andrés Segovia" Foundation. Italy
|
|
|
MP3 Samples and High Resolution Promotional Pictures:
|
|
|
Projects:
1980's Springfield Accordion Orchestra 1990s Kudgel ~ Boston based noise band 1997 Kindertotenlieder Arranged for Guitar and Voice, published by Berben. Italy 2002 - 2005 Cambridge Muziki Cemiyeti ~ Turkish Classical Music 2004 - 2006 Euphony Groove ~ Free improvisatory "new world" music 2005 - 2009 Pioneer Valley Fiddlers ~ Old Time Fiddle Band 2008 - 2012 Rick Robert and Friends Kirtan ~ Chanting 2009 - 2011 Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra (HVGO) 2010 - 2012 Burhan ~ Sufi Chanting 2016 - present Duo of Oud and Arabic Qanun 2022 Performance of Pastoral for String Quartet (II) |
Recordings:
Kudgel, Chicken Pump / Now 7" (1992) Kudgel, Chimp Is Dead CD (1997) Dave Russell, 'Dancing in the Heart' CD (2009) Pioneer Valley Fiddlers, Fiddlin' Through the Holidays CD (2009) HVGO, Debut CD. (2010) |
Compositions & Arrangements
Four Movements for Guitar 1995 Haiku for Guitar 1996 Langsamer Satz, Anton Webern for solo guitar 1997 Vita de la mita vita for Guitar & Voice 1998 Ich bin der Welt, Gustav Mahler for solo guitar 1998 Isabella or, The Pot of Basil No.1 & No. 53 for Guitar & Voice 1999 Etudes, Mazurkas & Preludes, Scriabin for solo guitar 1999 - 2013 Dans I'interminable for Guitar & Voice 2000 On the Embankment for Guitar & Voice 2000 Flos Lunae for Guitar & Voice 2000 Spleen for Guitar & Voice 2001 Piano Sonata Bb Major K.333 Mosart for Guitar 2001 A Mosaic for Guitar & Voice 2002 Ferafeza Semai for oud 2007 Hisarbuselik Pesrev fou oud 2008 Gemalong degung for Adapted Guitar 2008 Leap Year for Adapted Guitar 2008 Enharmonic Mobile for Guitar 2010 Phrygian for oud 2010 Mnenomic Hymm for oud 2010 Olympos Enharmonic for Guitar 2011 Little Minimalist Etudes with Intermissions for Guitar 2012 Mnenomic Hymm arranged for String Quartet 2020 Pastorals for String Quartet: I Eyrie House Mt Nonotuck for String Quartet 2021 II: Mt Tom, Yellow Autumnal Light of Ash and Birch for String Quartet 2022 III: Mt Holyoke, Winter Frost and Fog. for String Quartet 2022 IV: Whiting Peak, Vernal Pool with Red Newt 2023 Tractatus Motets Multitudes of transcriptions of Turkish & Greek music. |
Venues performed:
Northampton's Academy of Music Iron Horse Café Moca Maya P.A.C.E of Easthampton Calvin Theater Easthampton Old Town Hall Sweeny Hall Smith College Northampton Center for the Arts College of Holy Cross Tower Square Springfield Summit House Hadley Log Cabin Holyoke Boston Museum of Art ~ (Jahan-e-Khusrau: Sufi Music Festival) Middle East Restaurant Walt Disney World Paradise Lounge T.T The Bears Kripalu Yoga Center Abode of the Message Mahalo Arts Center Breath Studio The Loft in Brattleboro Dobrá Tea Northampton. radio stations: WERS, WZBC, WMUA |
|
|