Asheville Symphony Welcomes Classical Guitarist Ana Vidovic
Saturday, March 18, 2023 at First Baptist Church of Asheville

Program features Rodrigo’s beloved Concierto de Aranjuez, plus works by Vrebalov, Frank, and Beethoven’s First Symphony.
For its March Masterworks concert, the Asheville Symphony welcomes internationally renowned classical guitarist Ana Vidovic for Rodrigo’s beloved Concierto de Aranjuez. The program also includes Vrebalov’s Gratitude from “The Sea Ranch Songs” and Frank’s Coqueteos from “Leyendas” and closes with Beethoven’s First Symphony. Led by Maestro Darko Butorac, the concert takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, 2023 at First Baptist Church of Asheville.
The program opens with Gratitude, a movement from Aleksandra Vrebalov’s “The Sea Ranch Songs.” The piece was composed for the Kronos Quartet on commission from Sea Ranch, a planned community in Sonoma County, California, in honor of its fiftieth anniversary. The community was praised for its natural beauty and intentional architectural designs. Vrebalov wrote in the liner notes, “The Sea Ranch idea on a global scale might be utopian, but through music, we praise its beauty and affirm its urgent relevance in our wounded world, so much in need of healing.”
Next, internationally renowned classical guitarist Ana Vidovic joins the ASO to perform Joaquín Rodrigo’s magnificent Concierto de Aranjuez. “The opportunity to hear Ana Vidovic perform is something very special,” said ASO Music Director Darko Butorac. “She is one of the best classical guitarists in the world, and the Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez is the most performed and beloved guitar concerto.”
Inspired by the Royal Palace of Aranjuez outside of Madrid, Rodrigo’s concerto for classical guitar captures “the fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds, and the gushing of fountains.”
Ana Vidovic is known for her beautiful tone, precise technique, well-defined phrasing and thoughtful artistry and musicianship. Her international performance career includes frequent recitals, concerto engagements, and festival appearances in most of Europe’s cultural destinations including Amsterdam, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, London, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Salzburg, Vienna, Warsaw, and Zagreb. Her tours have also taken her to Australia, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Korea, and Mexico.
She has performed throughout the US at major performance venues from New York—including recital performances at the 92nd St. Y—to Los Angeles, and with esteemed orchestras and festivals. Vidovic has won an impressive number of prizes and international competitions including first prizes in the Albert Augustine International Competition in Bath, England, the Fernando Sor competition in Rome, Italy, and the Francisco Tarrega competition in Benicasim, Spain. Other top prizes include the Eurovision Competition for Young Artists, Mauro Giuliani competition in Italy, Printemps de la Guitare in Belgium, and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York.
Next on the program is Gabriela Lena Frank’s Coquetos from Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout. An American composer and pianist, Frank has traveled extensively in South America, and her compositions are inspired by its folk culture. She composed Leyendas in 2001, inspired by “the idea of mestizaje as envisioned by the Peruvian writer José María Arguedas, where cultures can coexist without the subjugation of one by the other.” The delightful Coquetos references a love song sung by gallant “romanceros.”
Beethoven’s sparkling First Symphony rounds out the evening’s program. While its initial critical reception was lukewarm, the symphony soon became a great favorite—so much so that it was the object of an anonymous pirated arrangement two year later. It showcases both his admiration for his idol, Franz Josef Haydn, and his own revolutionary compositional approach.
Masterworks 5 is made possible by concert sponsor Diane & Rich Byers, in memory of Katherine Armitage & Jack Jones, and guest artist sponsor Atelier Maison.
Single general admission tickets for Masterworks 5 are $75 for adults and $55 for youth. Tickets can be purchased by phone at (828) 254-7046, online at ashevillesymphony.org, or in person at the Asheville Symphony office.