U P C O M I N G P E R F O R M A N C E S
| 2008 | |||
| April | |||
| Saturday 26th | Miami, Florida | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. Miami Classical Guitar Concert Series. 8pm, St. Philips Episcopal Church, 1142 Andalusia & Columbus Avenue, Coral Gables, FL. |
| Saturday 26th | West Midlands | Composition | The Midlands Fretted Orchestra plays Alan's "Snapshot". "Making Music" West Midlands. Bromsgrove Methodist Centre, 19 Stratford Road, Bromsgrove B60 1AS. |
| May | |||
| Monday 19th | Chicago | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. Live radio performance, WFMT Chicago. |
| June | |||
| Sunday 8th | Leicestershire | Solo Recital | Lunchtime Recital. 1:00, St. Philip's Church, Evington. (address: St Philip's House, 2A Stoughton Drive North, Leicester LE5 5UB) |
| Sunday 8th | Leicestershire | Masterclass | Masterclass. 2:15, St. Phillips Church, Evington. (address: St Philip's House, 2A Stoughton Drive North, Leicester LE5 5UB) |
| 8th-15th | Beijing | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook on tour in China. |
| Saturday 14th | Brill | Ensemble | Performance of African Sanctus by David Fanshawe, with "Backbeat" percussion ensemble. |
| Friday 27th | Brighton | Recital | "Sing Softly" song recital with soprano Juliet Fraser, based around songs by Dowland alongside works by Cage, Skempton and Finnissy. Soundwaves Festival, 1:00, Pavillion Theatre. |
| Sunday 29th | West Midlands | Composition | The Midlands Fretted Orchestra plays Alan's "Snapshot". Sunday afternoon bandstand concert. Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses Westbourne Road Edgbaston Birmingham B15 3TR, 1.00pm – 4.00pm. 0121 454 1860 http://www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk |
| July | |||
| Sunday 6th | West Midlands | Composition | The Midlands Fretted Orchestra plays Alan's "Snapshot". St Saviours Church, Park Road, Hagley, West Midlands. DY9 0NS, 7.30pm. Tickets from 0121 422 7884 |
| 19th-26th | Spain | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook on tour in Spain. |
| August | |||
| Friday 8th | Kansas City, USA | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. 8:00, NFA Festival. |
| September | |||
| Saturday 13th | West Midlands | Composition | The Midlands Fretted Orchestra plays Alan's "Snapshot". Artsfest 08. |
| October | |||
| Thursday 2nd | London | Recital | "Sing Softly" song recital with soprano Juliet Fraser, based around songs by Dowland alongside works by Cage, Skempton and Finnissy. Handel House Museum. |
| Thursday 2nd | Yuba City, CA | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. |
| Saturday 4th | Hemet, CA | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. |
| Friday 17th | Portland, OR | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. |
| Saturday 18th | Klamath Falls, OR | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. |
| November | |||
| Saturday 8th | Blackburn | Ensemble | Performance of African Sanctus by David Fanshawe, with "Backbeat" percussion ensemble. Blackburn Cathedral. |
| Saturday 15th | Steyning | Ensemble | Duo concert with flautist Rowland Sutherland. |
| Saturday 22nd | Richmond on Thames | Solo Recital | Wild Dog concert series |
| December | |||
| Tuesday 2nd | New York City | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. |
| Tuesday 2nd | Leicestershire | Solo | Alan plays solo recital sets in the "Belvoir by Candlelight" series at Belvoir Castle. |
| Wednesday 3rd | Leicestershire | Solo | Alan plays solo recital sets in the "Belvoir by Candlelight" series at Belvoir Castle. |
| Thursday 4th | Leicestershire | Solo | Alan plays solo recital sets in the "Belvoir by Candlelight" series at Belvoir Castle. |
| Friday 5th | Leicestershire | Solo | Alan plays solo recital sets in the "Belvoir by Candlelight" series at Belvoir Castle. |
| 2009 | |||
| January | |||
| Saturday 24th | Oak Park, IL | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. Unity Temple Series. |
| Sunday 25th | Chicago, IL | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. Chicago Flute Club. |
| February | |||
| date tbc | Plymouth | Solo | Premiere of a new large-scale work for electric guitar and electronics, Facets: The Love of Stones by Nigel Morgan. Peninsular Arts Festival. |
| March | |||
| Saturday 28th | Mt. Vernon, IL | Composition | The outstanding Cavatina Duo plays pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook. Cedarhurst Chamber Music Series. |
| April | |||
| May | |||
| June | |||
RECENT COMMISSIONS
Alan has been commissioned by the Midlands Fretted Orchestra to write a work to be premiered in 2007. With some twenty musicians playing guitars, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles et al, this promises to be a spectwangular delight. (Actually, that well could be the title...)
The outstanding Cavatina Duo (Denis Azabagic and Eugenia Moliner) has commissioned Alan to write a piece for flute and guitar to be part of their "Music from the Balkans" project (for which they have also commissioned works by Clarice Assad and Carlos Rafael Rivera. They will play the pieces on tour as well as recording them for release on Cedille Records in Summer 2009.
There is also a new song for soprano Juliet Fraser's "Sing Softly" concert programme, built around the songs of Dowland. Sorrow Stay (if Dowland were a bluesman), is a whimsical reflection on different types of musical melancholy. (More info about the project.)
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RECENT REVIEWS
In his Leicester Mercury newspaper review of the premiere of Alan's Rhapsody on a Spanish Theme, Neil Crutchley wrote "Alan Thomas was the excellent soloist in the premiere of his own Rhapsody on a Spanish Theme for Guitar and Orchestra - a three-movement work of lush harmonies and memorable melodies written in a rich, romantic style that pays homage to Rachmaninov. It was very appealing and enjoyable, with the composer making ingenious use of the work's opening theme."
Alan's latest CD, a 2 disc set of Lennon/McCartney arrangements titled The Long and Winding Road continues to garner critical praise. Classical Guitar magazine's Chris Dumigan wrote "This is all beautifully done, lots of fun and all wonderfully played and should be owned by anyone interested in fine guitar playing and/or the music of the Beatles." More info...
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NEW RECORDINGS
Alan's forthcoming recordings for the Guitar Classics label include a disc of his Etudes, Book 1 alongside Suite No. 1 ("Out of Africa").
Alan's performance of Donald Bousted's "Solo for Elisabeth" features on a newly released double CD/DVD of Bousted's work titled The End of the Beginning.
Also soon out are new CDs by the Midlands Fretted Orchestra (including Alan's Snapshot), and the Cavatina Duo's recording of pieces from Alan's Balkan Songbook.
