pet·ri·chor
noun
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a pleasant aroma that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.
The refreshingly refined sound of the Petrichor Duo is equally fitting on the concert stage and in a crowded bar or restaurant. Guitarists John Oeth and Andrew Smith met while they were Teaching Assistants pursuing graduate studies in music at ASU. Petrichor Duo brings expertise and chemistry to recently composed music and works written specifically for them. Compositions have been dedicated to them by international artists including “Petrichor,” a piece gifted to the duo by Japanese composer Kohei Kondo.
A Petrichor Duo concert features these cutting edge compositions alongside spur-of-the-moment improvisations. They have recently performed on the concert series of arts organizations such as the Phoenix Guitar Society, Oh My Ears, and Spirit of the Senses. In 2018, the duo was honored to perform for United States Senator John McCain's funeral service.They have also given private performances for notable organizations like NPR, the NCAA, and Intel. Successful concerts in Phoenix for the Tempe Arts Center, Music Instrument Museum, and the David Lloyd Wright House have built up Petrichor Duo’s reputation for making sophisticated art music accessible to audiences of all musical backgrounds. This has led them to unique performance opportunities such as sharing a concert with Billboard Top 100 artist Jordin Sparks. In 2017, the governor of Arizona invited the duo to perform for many US governors and foreign dignitaries.
Andrew Lesley Smith is a classical guitarist from Houston, Texas. His playing is influenced by his interest in both very old and very new music for the guitar and by his experience with composition and improvisation. In addition to performing his own compositions for solo guitar, Andrew frequently collaborates with composers to develop and premier new repertoire. He has previously been awarded travel grants to perform and study internationally in Spain and Quebec. Andrew has had the opportunity to study with the French virtuoso Valerie Hartzell and the respected performer and pedagogue Steve Kostelnik. As an instructor, Andrew has taught guitar, piano and music theory both privately and in the classroom to students of all ages, and spent multiple years on the teaching staff of the Texas Music Festival - Classical Minds. He currently works for Lead Guitar, a non-profit dedicated to providing classical guitar education and outreach to students from underserved communities. Andrew holds a Master of Music in Guitar Performance from ASU, where he taught undergraduate music majors as a Teaching Assistant for the renowned scholar Frank Koonce.
John Oeth is a classical guitarist sought after for his ability to captivate audiences with his passionate musicianship, dynamic presence, and virtuosic technique. Having won multiple competitions throughout the United States, John brings his interpretations of unique repertoire to the stage.
John's latest solo album Castles of Spain features guitar works by the great Spanish composer Federico Moreno Torroba. The album features beautiful, lyrical melodies in addition to faster, rhythmic music that is undeniably Spanish. He has premiered and released recording premieres of monumental works like the massive 21-movement Sketchbooks by Michael Karmon. This work is featured on his album, Sketches, which is a collection of works by contemporary composers all in the genre of a sketch. John is completing his doctoral dissertation focusing on the lute works of Vincenzo Galilei, Galileo’s father. John’s upcoming recording 26 Ricercares of Vincenzo Galilei consists of his solo guitar arrangements of Galilei’s ricercares in all of the Renaissance modes.
