To open the 2013/14 Art of the Guitar series, Benjamin Verdery invited five guitarists (Eliot Fisk, Oscar Ghiglia, Adam Holzman, Martha Masters and Richard Savino) to join him for “An American Tribute to Andrés Segovia.” Before the concert Ben spoke with the legendary guitarist Christopher Parkening about the maestro and his legacy.

Hailed as the heir to Segovia, Parkening speaks eloquently and lovingly about his mentor, teacher and friend. He discusses Segovia’s love for Bach and his legendary Bach recordings. He describes Segovia’s famed use of his thumb to shape his guitar’s sound, and how Parkening spent many years early in his career trying to imitate it. He goes on to discuss the importance of proper fingering, and in response to a question from the audience, he tells a story about his own use of fingernails.

This talk is part of our Guitar Talks with Benjamin Verdery series.

Prior to the concert, Benjamin Verdery was invited to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to view the two Segovia guitars in its collection. Watch as he examines the guitars and discusses their history and significance with Museum curators J. Kenneth Moore and Jayson Kerr Dobney.