Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room Wedding Performance

guitarwitt Performed the great Venezuelan composer, Antonio Lauro’s - El Negrito at the #santabarbarawedding yesterday. This chamber has brilliant acoustics for classics like this. This song is about the composer’s son, who had black hair. #classicalguitar#antoniolauro #venezualanmusic 
Antonio Lauro is probably Venezuela's best-known composer of classical music, although his name is probably not familiar to anyone but aficionados of guitar music. At the Caracas conservatory he started out on the academically approved piano, but hearing Paraguayan guitarist Agustín Barrios inspired him to switch to the guitar. That was in one respect his salvation and in another his downfall. Few Latin American composers have seen their works enter the international repertory, but Lauro's guitar pieces, especially his Venezuelan Waltzes, have been readily taken up by guitarists. On the other hand, his significant catalog of non-guitar music is almost completely ignored. Lauro wrote symphonic suites, choruses, songs, and a choral symphonic poem called Cantacharo, but only his solo guitar pieces are played and recorded with any regularity; in 1956 he also wrote a concerto for his instrument. International attention came to Lauro only during his last decades, so it is often forgotten that he spent many of his earlier years in a folk trio called Los Cantores del Trópico.

Besame Mucho by Santa Barbara Folk Orchestra Members

Santa Barbara Folk Orchestra performs a wide variety of carefully arranged music. Most of the program is performed by the full 30+ orchestra, but some pieces are small ensemble sections of the orchestra. This is an intimate setting at the beautiful, historic El Presidio Chapel with a packed, sold out audience for the American/Mexicana Summer Concert. This small ensemble performance includes (L-R) Kristi Holstein (violin), Erin McKibben (vocals), Josh Jenkins (vocals, guitar), and Michael "Guitar" Witt. Big thanks to Director, Adam Phillips, for his tireless efforts to keep Santa Barbara rich in music.

GuitarWitt Plays Hotel Californian: Luxury Santa Barbara Beach Hotel

It was an honor to perform a special set of Jewish Music, setting the tone for the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara's - Women's Philanthropy Luncheon at the spectacular new venue, Hotel Californian. Over time, after producing a Yiddish Folk Music Legacy album, and building up Jewish repertoire playing the the Red Sea Rhythm Rockers Band, as well as various Jewish Weddings, GuitarWitt devised a very special selection of arranged instrumental solo guitar pieces. This included songs that would celebrate Israel at 70 years, such as Yihye Tov by David Broza, Zog Nit Keynmol and other classics like Tum Balalaika, Shalom Rav and Tanz Tanz Yidelekh.
Pastry Chef Ben Kunert, Executive Chef Alexander La Motte, previously of The French Laundry | Thomas Keller Restaurant Group), and Chef de Cuisine James King are prepared exceptional service for the luncheon. Above photos by Santa Barbara local photographer extraordinaire - Kelsey Crews Photo

Auction sponsors included but not limited to:
Cos Bar https://www.cosbar.com/ 
RéVive Skincare https://reviveskincare.com/ 
SR Hogue and Co. Forist http://www.hoguefloral.com/ 
Majorelle http://www.thehotelcalifornian.com/santa_barbara_spa/ 
Evolutions Spa http://www.evolutionsmedicalspa.com/
http://www.occhialieyewear.com/ 

This is a great article about The History of Santa Barbara and Hotel Californian being an integral point of our history.  https://www.independent.com/news/2017/sep/21/santa-barbaras-hotel-californian-opens/

#womensphilanthropy #santabarbarawomen #seesb #Israelat70 #remarkablewomen #JewishMusic #HotelCalifornia #HotelCalifornian

Guitar Performance Santa Barbara Wedding at University Club/Riviera Mansion

It was a warm and breezy occasion, which made for a beautiful back drop for the #drinktotheminks big day this Spring in Santa Barbara. Thanks to Gavin Roy Presents for hooking up the sound during ceremony. Gavin is fun to work with and a perfectionist with his work. This video is a portion of the processional where GuitarWitt performs a Leo Brouwer composition. Leo Brouwer is the foremost Cuban classical guitar composer, who incorporates gorgeous Cuban folk melodies into a somewhat dissonant, color rich, Avante-garde approach. He is well respected in the classical guitar community and a musical celebrity in Cuba.  Later on GuitarWitt played an upbeat set of Spanish music for the cocktail hour.