Michael Laucke

Laucke, Michael

Michael Laucke. Guitarist, b Montreal, 29 Jan 1947. Of Russian and Polish parentage, Laucke first studied jazz guitar with Frank Quinn (1964-7), theory (privately) with Frank Mella (1966-9) and with Luce Beaudet at the University of Montreal (1969-70), travelling regularly to New York (1966-70) to study classical guitar with Rolando Valdes-Blain. In order to pursue his training with Valdes-Blain, he lived in New York (1970-2), where he met guitarist Paco de Lucia who introduced him to flamenco. While in New York, he performed at the Spanish Embassy and at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

Returning to Montreal in 1972, he pursued a solo career while receiving further training during the summer, notably with Julian Bream at the Stratford Festival(1969), at the Guitar '75 forum in Toronto (1975), and at the Banff CA with Alirio Diaz (1977) and Oscar Ghiglia (1978). He was the star of a documentary produced by Radio-Québec in 1973. He founded the ensemble TRIO 3 (1976-80) with flutist Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr and soprano Pauline Vaillancourt. In 1982, Andrés Segovia selected him to take part in one of his master classes filmed by the PBS network at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Laucke has performed in England (Wigmore Hall), the USA (Carnegie Hall), Bulgaria, China, Spain, Israel, India, Japan, Morocco, Pakistan and Russia. His repertoire includes Villa-Lobos' complete works for solo guitar as well as his own compositions, arrangements and transcriptions, some of these published by Waterloo Music. Over 20 Canadian works have been written for him, among them Le Sommeil, le regard, le choix by Michel-Georges Brégent, Me duele España by François Morel, Exploration by Jean Papineau-Couture and Pour guitare by Claude Vivier. Following a concert in Chicago, Norman Ruiz wrote: 'Laucke has the ability to communicate his great love for the music he plays both in the music itself and in his stage manner - unimposing, expressive and always submissive to the message of the music'. (Guitarra Magazine, vol 11, 1985). Laucke has also performed with violinist Eugène Husaruk, mezzo-soprano Riki Turofsky, the McGill Chamber O, the MSO, and the SMCQ, and with flamenco dancers Sonia del Rio and Lina Moros. He has given annual recitals at the PDA beginning in 1986. He joined the teaching staff at Concordia University in 1976. His recording of works by Walton, Bennett and Morel (RCI 457) won the Canadian Music Council's Grand prix du disque in 1979.

Writings

'Growth of the guitar in Canada,' Guitar & Lute Magazine, 24, 25, Sep, Nov 1982

Discography

Bottenberg - Bach - Fauré - Brégent and others. Trio 3. 1979. RCI 497.

de Narváez - Sor - Morel - Dion - Burke. Husaruk violin, Desjardins clarinet. 1984. RCI 583

Light Classics. Mozart - Bach - Laucke - and others. Drury fl, Bogajewicz violin. 1989. Intermède INT-CD-4002

Rea Com-possession. Bornstein violin, Williams vla, Skorzewska violoncello, Hamelin guitar, Hancinski voice. 1983. McGill Un. Records 83019.

Spanish Guitar Stories. De Lucia - Sabicas - Laucke and others. 1990. Intermède AMB-105-4

Walton Five Bagatelles - Bennett Impromptus - Morel Me duele España. 1977. RCI 457, (Morel) 5-ACM 6.

See also Discography for Turofsky

Videography

How to Play Classical Guitar with Michael Laucke (Rogers Educational Video Productions 1985)