As President of the Association of Iberoamerican Cultural Attaches in Washington DC it is my privilege to invite you to be a part of the FIRST IBEROAMERICAN GUITAR FESTIVAL, a tribute to AGUSTIN PIO BARRIOS “MANGORE”.

Our three-day Guitar Festival will be held November 29 through December 1 at the Jack Morton Auditorium of the George Washington University, 805, 21 St., NW, Washington, DC.

This Festival will be a true "Fiesta of Guitar" -- we'll present 14 highly acclaimed artists performing in 10 separate events in three days! In the program, you will find lectures, a lecture-recital, performances of our celebrated guests, and a wonderful Film about Paraguay thru Agustin Barrios’ eyes, featuring Berta Rojas and directed by Marcelo Martinessi.

I want to thank to Berta Rojas for her effort and masterful direction of this event. I also want to thank Mr. Nestor Rosa, Consul of the Embassy of Uruguay; Mrs. Patricia Abdenour, Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of Venezuela; The George Washington University Music Department, Continental, Washington Hispanic, Oea and D’Addario.
Enjoy the festival, Ada Hernandez.

Welcome to the “First Iberoamerican Guitar Festival,” an Iberoamerican Serenade to the City of Washington, DC. Now, what is a serenade without a guitar? This instrument is a part of the Iberoamerican culture and probably the most played instrument throughout our countries. This Festival will highlight the different musical expressions that are present in Iberoamerica: from Flamenco to the Fado, from Tango to Jazz, from Rock to Brazilian music.

In this First Edition we present a well-deserved tribute to the great Paraguayan composer, Agustin Barrios Mangoré. He was truly panamerican in his life and work and a pioneer of the concert guitar in Iberoamerica. He performed in 18 countries and created a unique, eclectic repertoire that combined European classical music with Latin American popular and folkloric music. The result is a repertoire of great variety that embraces numerous musical forms and styles from the Americas. His compositions demonstrate a full blown virtuosity that embraces all aspects of guitar technique and his music will forever be a challenge to all guitarists. Barrios truly represents the flowering of Latin American classical guitar culture in the first half of the 20th century. His desire to come to the United States to perform wasn’t fulfilled during his lifetime. It is our honor, therefore, to celebrate his legacy in this First Edition of what we intend to be a new Washington tradition: the Iberoamerican Serenade to the Capital City.

I’d like to especially thank Professor Karen Ahlquist and Professor Robert Baker from George Washington University for their support in making this Festival a reality. I also wish to thank Ada Hernandez for her amazing leadership, Nestor Alejandro Rosa for thinking of this fabulous idea, Patricia Abdelnour for her vision and help, and Magdalena Duhagon for her assistance. Most of all I would like to express my sincere appreciation and thanks to every artist who is participating in the Festival. They are the reason we celebrate.
Enjoy the Festival! Berta R.
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