Grigor played a beautiful solo recital for a small crowd in Fairchild Chapel this week. His program featured some very difficult and seldom-heard repertoire, along with a couple of chestnuts. For repertoire comparisons, have a peek at his Freshman Recital and his Sophomore Recital; Grigor has been accumulating some impressive rep. He began this program with the remarkable romantic-era work of Manjon, Aire Vasco. Grigor handled the many complexities and challenges of this piece with ease.

Grigor Ylli on stage in Fairchild Chapel

He followed with the first Violin Partita of Bach. This work is seldom played by guitarists, though, falling in the key of Bm, it lies perfectly on the instrument. Grigor played six of the eight movements with calm authority, demonstrating an excellent facility with ornamentation, especially in the Allemande.

The next offering was the first movement of the Sonata by Roberto Sierra. This is a very challenging modern work, demanding facility with fast passagework, complex rhythms and numerous mood changes. Grigor’s performance was brilliant.