Noted Lutenist Hopkinson Smith Brings Classical Music Program to Coral Gables

World-renowned lute player, Hopkinson Smith comes to St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Coral Gables, on April 5 at 8 pm, to perform for the Miami Bach Society. This will be his third South Florida appearance. Featuring Spanish music of the 17th century, his program will include music by Francesco Guerau and Antonio de Santa Cruz, but will focus primarily on the colorful and immediately accessible figure of Gaspar Sanz. 

Hopkinson Smith plays the lute,
an instrument common of the early
Renaissance through the late Baroque eras.

Hailed as “without doubt the finest lute player in the world today” by the San Francisco Chronicle, Mr. Smith, lives in Switzerland where he teaches at the renowned early music conservatory the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, from which he graduated in the mid 1970s. Since the mid-80s, he has focused primarily on the solo repertoires for early plucked instruments producing a series of prize-winning recordings for Astrée. These feature Spanish music for vihuela and baroque guitar, French lute music of the Renaissance and baroque, early 17th century Italian music and the German high baroque.  


The recording of his lute arrangements of the Bach solo violin Sonatas and Partitas, released in the year 2000, has been universally acclaimed by the press. Gramophone magazine called it “the best recording of these works on any instrument.” More recently, a recording on Renaissance lute was awarded a Diapason d’Or and called “superb” by Le Monde. A Dowland recording, out since early 2005, also won a Diapason d’Or and was called “wonderfully personal” in a review in the New York Times.


With his recitals and series of more than 20 solo recordings, he continues to rediscover and bring to life works that are among the most expressive and intimate in the entire domain of early music.


St. Philip’s Church is located at 1142 Andalusia Avenue at the corner of Coral Way and Columbus Boulevard. Advanced tickets cost $30 for general admission or $40 preferred admission. Tickets will cost $5 more at the door.  All students 18 and under are admitted free. College and graduate students pay $5.


For tickets and information call 305-669-1376 or visit www.miamibachsociety.org.


The Miami Bach Society is the area’s principal organization performing and presenting classical music written before 1800. 


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