Out Of Africa and Around the World Denis Azabagic

• Atanas Ourkouzounov (b. 1970)
• 1Folk Song Variations06:54
• Vojislav Ivanovic (b. 1959)
• 2No. 2. Tear Prelude03:05
• 3No. 4. Funny Valse03:37
• 4No. 1. Tango Cafe04:34
• 5No. 5. Nostalgia, Tremolo study04:23
• 6No. 6. Lullaby04:56
• 7No. 3. Improvisation and Dance04:37
• Carlos Rafael Rivera (b.1970)
• 8Cancion01:35
• Dusan Bogdanovic (b. 1955)
• 9Blues and 7 Variations05:46
• Alan Thomas (b. 1968): Out of Africa
• 10Call at Sunrise03:41
• 11Morning Dance03:05
• 12Zenith12:55
• 13Evening Dance04:20
• 14Cradle Song03:03
• Total Runtime01:06:31

Info for Out Of Africa and Around the World

Multi-award winning guitarist Denis Azabagic invites listeners into a realm where world, folk, and classical music intersect on Out of Africa… and Around the Word, the Bosnia-born, Chicago-based virtuoso’s first solo album on Cedille Records.

Showcasing works by living composers, the album takes its title from American-born, British-based composer Alan Thomas’s evocative Out of Africa, inspired by the Karen Blixen memoir and movie of the same name. Thomas weaves together strands of African singing styles, scales, and rhythms, while paying homage to African string instruments, such as the kora and the oud.

Bosnian composer Vojislav Ivanovic’s set of six Café Pieces, an audience favorite, includes an homage to Astor Piazzolla in the form of a tango with hints of Balkan jazz. Atanas Ourkouzounov takes a traditional song from his native Bulgaria as the basis for his Folk Song Variations. Carlos Rafael Rivera, an American composer of Cuban and Guatemalan descent, says his Canción came to him in a moment of inspiration, with no evident folk music connections. Sarajevo-born Dusan Bogdanovic employs a kaleidoscope of styles in Blues and Seven Variations, including big band orchestration and a Brazilian carnival rhythm.

“Azabagic’s playing is virtually flawless and his technical facility is a joy to see as well as hear; increasingly I hear him mentioned in the same breath as John Williams, and while such comparisons are invidious, this one is not without merit” (Soundboard Magazine)

Denis Azabagic, classical guitar

Recorded: Ganz Hall, Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL October 4–6, 2011, and December 19, 2012
Engineered by Bill Maylone
Edited by Denis Azabagic
Produced by Eugenia Moliner

Denis Azabagic
is one of the most compelling classical guitarists on the international concert circuit today. He performs around the globe, maintaining a balance between solo recitals, chamber music with the Cavatina Duo (with his wife, flutist Eugenia Moliner), and engagements as soloist with orchestras.

In 1993, at the age of 20, Azabagic became the youngest winner of the prestigious Jacinto e Inocencio Guerrero International Guitar Com-petition in Madrid, Spain. Between 1992 and1999 he won 24 prizes in international competitions, including 11 first prizes. His book, On Competitions, based on his experience during these years, is published by Mel Bay.

Azabagic has recorded 10 CDs for several international labels including Naxos, Cedille, Opera Tres, Bridge, and Orobroy, plus two DVDs for the Mel Bay Company. Critics have praised his recordings and live performances for his elegant approach to music and unique way of communicating and reaching audiences’ hearts.

As a guest instrumentalist and soloist, Azabagic has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Sacramento Chamber Orchestra, Madrid Symphony, Traverse Symphony, Monterrey Symphony, and L’Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Mons, among others.

He has performed at Chicago’s Symphony Center; Savannah on Stage; the Ravinia Festival; the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam (on the Masters of the Guitar series); the Aix en Provence Festival in France; El Palau de la Musica in Valencia, Spain; the National Chang Kai-Shek Cultural Center in Taiwan; the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China; and on Radio France in Paris.

Azabagic’s repertoire includes solo and orchestral music from the Baroque era to the present. As a member of the Cavatina Duo, he plays a vast chamber music repertoire, including many works written expressly for the duo.

Azabagic’s love for performing extends to sharing his knowledge of music-making with others. He frequently offers master classes while on tour, teaches at University of Illinois, and is the head of the guitar department at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Booklet for Out Of Africa and Around the World