BRATTLEBORO — The Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra will make their Vermont debut at Hooker-Dunham Theater on Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m.
Founded in 2009 by musical director and Marlboro College graduate Peter Blanchette, HVGO is a true avant-garde orchestra, composed of 20 talented, enthusiastic, acoustic and electric guitarists from widely varied traditions.
Like the traditional symphony orchestra, HVGO (www.hvgo.org) is an instrument unto itself for which composers can create new repertoire. To this end, Blanchette has specifically developed arrangements of both significant contemporary and legacy composers to exploit the unique tonal characteristics of the ensemble and the musical strengths of its members.
HVGO's repertoire ranges from Blanchette's pulsing arrangements of Led Zeppelin to Philip Glass, to Bach, Bartok, Philip Glass, and Mussorgsky.
In addition, this performance will feature southern New Hampshire-based composer Frank Wallace's Neuvas Cantigas, arranged for guitar orchestra through a generous grant by New Music USA's Meet the Composer Grants.
Tickets are $12 for students, $15 for adults and are available at the door.