The Organ Recital Hall at the University Center for the Arts was brimming with elegance on Nov. 13, where students and faculty showcased their classical guitar skills. 

The performers, whose experiences and styles differ, study under Jeff LaQuatra, a professor of classical guitar and the director of the guitar program at Colorado State University. 

“It will feature any student who takes private lessons from me here at CSU,” LaQuatra said. “That means I have guitar majors, music performance majors, music education majors and music therapy. It’s a wide range of student types.” 

LaQuatra has performed as a member of Denver’s Mountain Chamber Music Society, Boulder’s Philharmonic Orchestra and Colorado’s Central City Opera. LaQuatra emphasized the importance of encouraging creative freedom.

“When you’re in the audience, you can tell when a student is enjoying themselves,” LaQuatra said. “I think that makes all the difference as a listener. I’m all for allowing students to play music that they connect with.” 

The recital began with a quartet performance consisting of LaQuatra, Nelson Rodríguez Garza, Mateo Novoa and Jeremy Bishop, who performed “Song Without Words” by Mark Houghton. The performance blended their four unique styles of classical guitar to create a fusion of sound. 

Next, Maria Biske, a third-year music therapy major, performed a short jazz piece called “Jazzy Blues” before playing a more classical style piece called “Escalando.” Finally, Biske finished by singing a song called “Crooked Tree,” during which she switched from a classical guitar fingerstyle to strumming. 

Biske has only studied with LaQuatra in the guitar studio for one semester. Her lessons and this performance have served as her introduction to the classical world. 

“I just started classical guitar ten to twelve weeks ago, and now (I’m) performing,” Biske said. 

Biske elaborated on her experience studying and performing classical guitar for the first time. 

“It’s been a little nerve wracking, but I’m having a lot of fun,” Biske said. “I’m really grateful for the opportunity to show what I’ve been working on to all the people.” 

Next was Novoa, a fifth-year music education major who performed two classical pieces, “Lejos de Casa” and “Les Adieux.” Later, Novoa surprised audience members by singing Hozier’s “Cherry Wine,” where he exchanged his classical guitar for a resonator guitar, an instrument primarily used to produce a louder, more distinct metallic tone.

Novoa started studying with LaQuatra the year prior, after he shifted his focus from the trombone studio to the guitar studio, allowing him to pursue another musical love: singing. 

“You can’t sing and play trombone,” Novoa said. “You kind of can, but it’s different (when) you can accompany yourself. I’m very fortunate that I get to do that.” 

Novoa explained how his experience had allowed him to engage with a wide variety of people in the music building, furthering his love of music. 

“I love it when I get to interact with other musicians in the music building that are also other majors because music is such a cool thing that brings us all together,” Novoa said. “Anytime I get the opportunity to perform, it’s so wonderful that I get to share music with people.” 

Afterwards, Jeremy Bishop, a fourth-year classical guitar performance major, performed selections from “Platero y Yo,” a song about a composer and his donkey, ultimately concluding in the donkey’s death. 

“I think it signifies the composer’s changed self-consciousness because it’s still about the donkey and his love of the donkey, but now that the donkey’s dead, that’s changed, you know,” Jeremy Bishop said. “He’s a different person.”

Jeremy Bishop has studied with LaQuatra for four years, emphasizing his valuable expertise and experience as a teacher. 

“He is a brilliant world-class musician,” Jeremy Bishop said. “He’s amazing (and) not only that, he’s an amazing teacher.”

To finish off the solo performances, CSU professor Garza performed “L’Ultimo Caffe Insieme” to spark the feeling of having coffee with loved ones. 

Garza has appeared in festivals across Mexico and the U.S., with his work spanning from classical guitar to Latin American music. 

“It’s what I’ve dedicated my life to, besides teaching,” Garza said. “Music is part of the life of everyone. It doesn’t matter the music genre or the type of music you like.” 

The recital closed with a duet performance from Novoa and Bishop, during which they played a number of pieces that combined their unique talents and musical abilities. 

After the recital, Jeremy Bishop’s father, Darren Bishop, spoke about the diversity of style in the performance. 

“What I really wasn’t expecting were the different styles of music that they had,” Darren Bishop said. “I guess it’s kind of fun seeing people in different stages of learning and seeing the progression over time.

Reach Claire VanDeventer at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.