Vancouver Classical Guitar Festival showcases masters of the nylon strings at CapU, August 13 to 16
Highlights of the fest include a solo concert by acclaimed Argentine tango guitarist Máximo Diego Pujol, plus performances by a slate of B.C.–based musicians
(Left to right) Máximo Diego Pujol; Iminah Kani
The Vancouver Classic Guitar Society presents the Vancouver Classical Guitar Festival at CapU Centre for Performing Arts from August 13 to 16
AT THE IMPRESSIONABLE age of eight, Máximo Diego Pujol made a fateful discovery: he found his father’s old guitar collecting dust in the back of a closet. To say he took to it quickly would be an understatement. By the time he was nine, the Buenos Aires–born musician was playing his first concert and debuting his own compositions.
Pujol hasn’t really slowed down ever since, winning acclaim for both his masterful instrumental skills and his compositions, which draw inspiration from traditional tango maestros like Juan Carlos Cobián as well as the nuevo tango of Astor Piazzolla.
The Argentine musician is the featured artist at this year’s Vancouver Classical Guitar Festival, and he will be performing a full solo concert at Capilano University’s Centre for Performing Arts. The fest, which is in its seventh year, will also feature performances by a number of other top-notch masters of the nylon strings, including a full slate of B.C.–based musicians.
These include the festival’s founder, CapU instructor Luis Angel Medina; pianist and educator Lucida Zhao; recording artist and Vancouver Community College guitar instructor Michael Kolk; flamenco-inspired Victoria guitarist Iminah Kani; Brazilian music specialist Vinny Linhares; and Natasha Pashchenko, who leads this year’s festival orchestra.
The Vancouver Classical Guitar Festival also includes workshops, lectures, and master classes for guitarists of all experience levels. Find the full schedule on Medina's website. 
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