Invocacion

"The playing throughout is refined, intelligent and highly musical; the tone, though never sweet, is fulsome and appealing. An outstanding debut." Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine, September 2012

Guitarist Mattias Jacobsson makes his recording debut on Avie with Invocación, a unique perspective on the works of Francisco Tárrega, his inspiration Chopin, and his students Llobet and Pujol.

The brilliant young guitarist Mattias Jacobsson invokes a guitar tradition originating with the influential Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega. The repertoire explores Tárrega's influences and legacy, from the inspiration that Chopin had on his musical output through to his students Miguel Llobet and Emilio Pujol. Tárrega often turned to Chopin's favoured forms - Preludes, Mazurkas and Nocturnes - and also transcribed works in those forms by Chopin. Mattias has created a unique concept in the guitar discography by juxtaposing Chopin transcriptions with Tárrega's most Chopinesque works. The "invocación" continues through works of two of Tárrega's most prominent pupils in Barcelona and even extends to Mattias himself, whose first teacher Erik Möllerström studied in Barcelona and secured an instrument from the great guitar maker Ignacio Fleta e hijos, that now has been passed on to Mattias and is played on this recording.

Juilliard-trained Mattias Jacobsson was born in Stockholm and has studied with Göran Söllscher and Sharon Isbin, among others. He has performed throughout Europe and the United States, and has appeared on Spanish television, New York's WQXR and National Public Radio's Performance Today.