Parkening Competition Gold Medalist to Perform at Pepperdine

Guitarist Andrea Roberto comes to Pepperdine University's Raitt Recital Hall at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 16, 2020.

Tickets, starting at $28 for adults and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or visiting arts.pepperdine.edu.

His program includes Telemann's Fantasia No. 7 from Violin, Haydn's Piano Sonata No. 19 in E Minor, Assad's Acquarelle, Bach's Chaconne from BWV 1004, Giuliani's Rossiniana No. 1, and Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Escarramann.

Roberto's performance marks his first return to Pepperdine following his Gold Medal win at the 2019 Parkening International Guitar Competition on June 1, 2019. Roberto was one of three guitarists during the final round of the competition; each finalist performed a concerto with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra under the baton of conductor Michael Stanley. After a deliberation following the final performance, Roberto was awarded the Gold Medal for his rich interpretation of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Concerto No. 1 in D Major. He received the US$30,000 Jack Marshall Prize in addition to his medal.

Roberto was born in Italy, and began studying guitar at age 4. At 9 years old, he was admitted to the Umberto Giordano Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of guitarist Sandro Torlontano and attained his bachelor's degree with honors at the age of 14. Roberto continued his studies with Aniello Desiderio at the Koblenz International Guitar Academy in Germany, and he completed them at the Conservatorium of Music of Maastricht in the Netherlands under the mentorship of Carlo Marchione.

He has received a variety of international awards. In 2009 Roberto won the David Russell Prize for young talented musicians at the Conservatory of Vigo in Spain, 4th prize in the Parkening Young Guitarist Competition at Pepperdine, and the Joven Promesa Prize at the VIII José Tomás-Villa de Petrer International Guitar Competition. In 2010 he won the Valter Cococcia Prize, which goes to the youngest Italian conservatory student graduating with honors. In 2012, he participated in the Parkening International Guitar Competition. Since then, he has won multiple other awards, including 1st prize at the second International Competition of the Adriatic in Pescara, 1st prize at the fourth Stefano Strata International Competition of Pisa, 1st prize at the International Competition of Twents in the Netherlands, and 1st prize at the José Tomás Villa de Petrer International Guitar Festival in Spain. Roberto also placed 5th in the 2015 Parkening International Guitar Competition.

About the Parkening Competition:

The competition, which debuted in 2006 and is named after acclaimed classical guitarist Christopher Parkening, offers the largest prize purse of any classical guitar competition in the world, with competitors vying for cash awards that total in excess of US$65,000. After three days of intense public performances, the winner of the Parkening International Guitar Competition receives a gold medal, the Jack Marshall Prize of US$30,000, and the most prestigious title in classical guitar. The 2019 Parkening Competition was made possible by a generous grant from Howard and Roberta Ahmanson. More information online: arts.pepperdine.edu/parkening.

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 50,000 people from over 800 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine's breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the "black box" Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.

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