Acclaimed Guitarist Piraí Vaca To Visit With Students During Tour Stop
Bolivian guitarist Piraí Vaca will speak to students at Texas A&M’s School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts on July 10, after making his Texas debut in a performance at Grand Stafford Theater in Downtown Bryan on July 8.
The internationally acclaimed artist performs Bolivian music with influences of classical, flamenco, jazz and rock. Vaca also puts his spin on classic hits, and his website features guitar versions of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,” Coldplay’s “The Scientist” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.”
Vaca will speak to students in two performance studies classes: Performance in World Cultures and Music and the Human Experience. The students will learn about his performance background and see demonstrations of his technique, said Dr. Kim Kattari, associate professor and program director for the Bachelor of Arts degree in performance studies.
“This offers a unique opportunity for students to engage with an internationally acclaimed Bolivian guitarist known for his technical skill and charismatic performances,” Kattari said. “These types of personal encounters allow students to connect with the performer and the music in meaningful ways that create a lasting appreciation for performance.”
Dr. David Wilborn, associate professor of music, said Vaca “plays with sensitivity and impressive technique.”
“Those who attend his performance will be fascinated by his ability to play delicate passages while drawing beautiful colors of sound from his guitar,” Wilborn said.
Jose Quintana, Grand Stafford Theater owner, and Rob Hitchcock, general manager, called Vaca “a phenomenal talent we cannot wait to have perform on our stage. This concert is the perfect blend of Bolivian musical flavor and contemporary classics that our audience is sure to enjoy.”
The concert, co-presented by the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, is July 8 at 7 p.m. at Grand Stafford Theater in Downtown Bryan. Tickets are $20, and table reservations are also available.
Top photo by Alvaro Gumucio Li, courtesy of Piraí Vaca.
