Alchemy Andrew Blanch & Ariel Nurhadi

• Astor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992): Tango Suite - For 2 Guitars:
• 1 Astor Piazzolla: Tango Suite - For 2 Guitars: 1. Deciso 05:36
• 2 Astor Piazzolla: Tango Suite - For 2 Guitars: 2. Andante 04:39
• 3 Astor Piazzolla: Tango Suite - For 2 Guitars: 3. Allegro 07:12
• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918):
• 4 Clair de lune (Arr. Ariel Nurhadi & Andrew Blanch) 05:08
• 5 Claude Debussy: Children's Corner, L. 113: 6. Golliwog's Cakewalk (Arr. Bream / Williams for Two Guitars) 03:14
• Manuel de Falla Matheu (1876 - 1946):
• 6 La vida breve: Danza española No. 1 (Arr. Emilio Pujol for Guitar Duet) 03:27
• Isaac Albéniz (1860 - 1909):
• 7 Isaac Albéniz: Iberia, B. 47 / Book 1: 1. Evocación (Arr. Miguel Llobet for Two Guitars) 06:23
• Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764): Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode sur la mécanique des doigts:
• 8 Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode sur la mécanique des doigts: Le rappel des oiseaux (Arr. Sergio & Eduardo Abreu for Two Guitars) 02:45
• 9 Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode sur la mécanique des doigts: Musette en rondeau (Arr. Sergio & Eduardo Abreu for Two Guitars) 02:51
• 10 Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode sur la mécanique des doigts: 1er & 2me Rigaudon (Arr. Sergio & Eduardo Abreu for Two Guitars) 01:35
• 11 Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode sur la mécanique des doigts: Allemande (Arr. Sergio & Eduardo Abreu for Two Guitars) 03:56
• 12 Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode sur la mécanique des doigts: Les cyclopes (Arr. Sergio & Eduardo Abreu for Two Guitars) 03:58
• Enrique Granados (1867 - 1916):
• 13 Goyescas: Intermezzo (Arr. Emilio Pujol for Two Guitars) 04:29
• Radamés Gnattali (1906 - 1988): Retratos:
• 14 Radamés Gnattali: Retratos: Chiquinha Gonzaga (corta-jaca) 05:17
• Phillip Houghton (1954 - 2017): Three Duets:
• 15 Phillip Houghton: Three Duets: 1. The Mantis and the Moon 03:44
• 16 Phillip Houghton: Three Duets: 2. Lament 02:49
• 17 Phillip Houghton: Three Duets: 3. Alchemy 02:57
• Peter Madlem (b. 1945):
• 18 Monte Carlo 04:32
• Total Runtime 01:14:32

Info for Alchemy

Two of Australia’s hottest young guitarists take us on a trip through time and around the world of classical guitar.

“Andrew Blanch and Ariel Nurhadi are the rockstars of Nylon-Acoustic Classical music. Whilst their technicality as musicians are immediately apparent, so also is their love for music and performing.” On Sounds

Andrew Blanch and Ariel Nurhadi are “two stunning young guitarists” (Sydney Arts Guide) who have been performing together since 2014, touring as a duo as well as with baritone José Carbó in The José Carbó Trio. They have been described as “breathtaking” (Canberra Critics Circle), and praised for their “dazzling guitar playing” (ArtsHub).

Alchemy, their debut recording, takes us on a journey through history and around the world, through beloved works by Debussy, Rameau, Piazzolla, Albéniz, Falla and Granados. The album also features the acclaimed ‘Three Duets’ by the late Australian guitarist and composer Phillip Houghton – including ‘Alchemy’, the first piece that Andrew and Ariel performed as a duo and the piece after which this album is named.

This is a gorgeous album, full of classic pieces beautifully performed, and announces major new stars in the already-glittering galaxy of Australia’s classical guitar community.

Amongst the exciting emergence of a new generation of classical musicians, guitarist Andrew Blanch stands out. Armed with formidable talent, passion, and conviction, Andrew has carved out his own path to much acclaim. His independently released album ‘Spanish Guitar Music’ (2015) which Jim McCutcheon of Soundboard Magazine (USA) noted as “one of the best debut albums I’ve ever heard” marked the auspicious beginnings to a busy and multifaceted musical career today.

As a soloist, Andrew has been awarded numerous prizes in international competitions including first prize in the Adelaide International Guitar Competition (2019) and the Melbourne International Guitar Competition (2015). His collaborations are extensive and he is commissioning new works for the guitar from celebrated Australian composers Daniel Rojas, Felicity Wilcox, Jessica Wells and Robert Davidson.

Andrew, based in Sydney, Australia, is managed by Tier 1 Arts and plays a 2014 Greg Smallman and Sons guitar. Andrew graduated with First Class Honours from the Australian National University in 2013 where he studied with Timothy Kain and Minh Le Hoang.

Ariel Nurhadi is a Sydney-based guitarist, active on the performing circuit having toured extensively through Australia and New Zealand. Ariel has performed with some of Australia’s leading musicians and singers and his love of collaborative projects continues with The Jose Carbo Trio, his guitar duo with Andrew Blanch and a forthcoming project called The Great Acceleration with Ensemble Offspring and Topology.

Ariel is a graduate of Timothy Kain’s renowned guitar class at the ANU, which he completed with first-class honours. During his studies, he developed a keen interest in historical performance practice, with a focus on the interpretive style of Andrés Segovia.

Andrew Blanch, classical guitar
Ariel Nurhadi, classical guitar

Andrew Blanch
Amongst the exciting emergence of a new generation of classical musicians, guitarist Andrew Blanch stands out. Armed with formidable talent, passion, and conviction, Andrew has carved out his own path to much acclaim. His independently-released album ‘Spanish Guitar Music’ (2015) and accompanying self-managed tour marked the auspicious beginnings to an active and multifaceted musical career today.

As a performer Andrew’s musical vision is broad and ambitious: an acclaimed soloist of traditional and contemporary repertoire, a key collaborator in eclectic ensembles small and large, an active commissioner of new works and an arranger himself, and noted both for his personal connection with the general public and his appeal to critics alike with a multitude of competition prizes and critical accolades.

Upcoming highlights for the 2020-2021 seasons include: collaborations with leading new music groups Ensemble Offspring and Topology, the commissioning of new works by Australian composers Daniel Rojas, Felicity Wilcox, Jessica Wells and Robert Davidson, album releases with long-term collaborators The José Carbó Trio and in his duo with Ariel Nurhadi, frequent touring of Australia and abroad including his first tour of South America, and the launch of new collaborations with American harpist Emily Granger and as a member of the New Zealand Guitar Quartet.

Ariel Nurhadi
Melbourne-born Ariel Nurhadi is a Sydney-based classical guitarist. His diverse collaborations to date have included Llewellyn Quartet, an opera production of Dido and Aeneas, the clarinet-guitar ensemble Duo Divan and Canberra’s 2015 Voices in the Forest with José Carbó and Diego Torre of Opera Australia.

Ariel’s first solo album will feature works by Federico Moreno-Torroba, Manuel Ponce, Joaquin Turina, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Alexandre Tansman, as well as a collection of Catalan folksongs arranged by guitarist Miguel Llobet.

Ariel’s 2018 engagements include a tour of Australia with The Josè Carbò Trio, a tour of New Zealand with guitarist Andrew Blanch and Ariel will also adjudicate and perform at the 3rd Biennial New Zealand Guitar Competition, Wellington, New Zealand. Ariel is a graduate of Timothy Kain’s renowned guitar class at the ANU, which he completed with first-class honours before being accepted into a PhD program under the auspices of the competitive Australian Postgraduate Award.

This album contains no booklet.