Sunday October 24, at 2 pm, $10, Emma Rush and Friends, an afternoon of music for concert guitar — showcasing the guitar as a solo instrument and in collaboration with the violin and flute. The program includes works by Granados, Merlin, Bartok, Brouwer and much more. Emma is a classical guitarist and founder and artistic director of the Guitar Hamilton concert series.
Canadian guitarist Emma Rush was born in Hamilton, Ontario. She was involved with music from an early age and played many instruments before discovering a love for the guitar.
After a year of studies with Jonathan Earp, Emma Rush moved to Nova Scotia to complete an undergraduate degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax, studying with Douglas Reach. During her years in Halifax, she was active in playing solo and chamber music concerts and participating in numerous masterclasses and quickly became known for her warm sound and expressive playing. In 1999 she was awarded the James and Abby Campbell Scholarship for academic distinction and when graduating in 2002 she received the Dalhousie Women€™s Alumnae prize for academic and artistic excellence. Emma Rush was the youngest person to be invited to teach at the Halifax guitar festival.
From 2002-2006 Emma Rush lived in Dortmund, Germany. She completed post-graduate studies with world renowned guitarist Dale Kavanagh at the Hochschule fur Musik in Detmold (comleted February 2006). She graduated at the top of her class. The years in Germany offered her many opportunities to refine her skills in masterclasses with David Russell, Roland Dyens, Carlo Marchione, and Tilman Hoppstock, among others. In addition to many solo concerts in Germany and beyond, she played regularly as a duo with Turkish guitarist Tuba Akkaya.
Emma Rush has returned to Hamilton and maintains her involvement with the European guitar scene, in addition to teaching and performing in North America. She appears regularly at international guitar festivals (Iserlohn, Acadia). Emma Rush is also the founder and artistic director of the Guitar Hamilton concert series. Recent engagements include the 17th International Guitar Festival in Iserlohn, the southern United States and the eastern provinces of Canada. Upcoming engagements include concerts in Canada, Germany, Mexico and Turkey.
