Ron Purcell

Ronald Charles Purcell (October 5, 1932 – September 7, 2011) was an American guitarist, with degrees from the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and California State University, Northridge.[1] He was Professor Emeritus of the Department of Music at California State University, Northridge and Director of the International Guitar Research Archive, considered one of the finest guitar archives in the world.[2] His major teachers included Andrés Segovia, Emilio Pujol, Macario Santiago Kastner, Alirio Diaz and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, whose Hommage to Purcell, Op. 170, No. 38 is dedicated to him.

Early Life and Career

Purcell was born in Santa Clara, California. He studied music at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and California State University, Northridge, graduating from CSUN (then known as San Fernando Valley State College) in 1970. Purcell joined the faculty at CSUN in 1971 and taught until his retirement in 2006.[3] He produced recordings with Klavier Records and El Maestro Records and published two books and numerous performance editions with Chanterelle, Warner/Chappell (formerly Belwin-Mills) and editions with Mel Bay Publishing Co. including the complete works of Miguel Llobet and works by Laurindo Almeida. Purcell wrote many scholarly journal articles, as well as books on Andres Segovia and Vahdah Olcott-Bickford.[4] He served as the first president and later as a board member for the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) and as editor for the American String Teachers Association, Guitar Division, ASTA Journal. He was the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the American Guitar Society[5] [6] and Director of the International Guitar Research Archives (IGRA), where he collected thousands of scores and archival materials.[7] [8][9] Purcell was elected Vice President to the Board of Directors for the Augustine Foundation in New York City.

Death

Purcell passed away on September 7, 2011 at the age of 78 at his home in Sherman Oaks, California.[10] [6]

Legacy

An annual student fellowship and scholarship is given in Purcell's memory at California State University, Northridge.[11] The International Guitar Research Archives (IGRA) have grown since his death, with recent acquisitions of the Reginald Smith Brindle collection, the Guitar Foundation of America archive, and many others.[7]

Honors

References
  1. Benefield, Brad. "Dr. Ronald C. Purcell's Obituary on Los Angeles Times." Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
  2. Biederman, Patricia Ward (September 21, 1998). "Motherly Instincts and a Passion for Guitar". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  3. Rivera, Natalie (February 8, 2012). "Memorial concert to be held for emeritus professor of music". The Sundial. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  4. Cooper, Colin; Micheli, Lorenzo (April 2003). "Ronald Purcell: Interview". Classical Guitar. 21 (8): 22–24.
  5. Appleford, Steve (October 27, 1991). "Asphalt Ballet Starts Off Eclectic Album With Heavy Metal Headbanging". Los Angeles Times.
  6. Postlewate, Charles (November 2011). "In Memoriam: Ron Purcell, First President of GFA". Classical Guitar. 30 (3): 30.
  7. "International Guitar Research Archives (IGRA)". Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  8. Becker, Maki (November 11, 1994). "Famed Guitarist Donates 1,000 Items to CSUN". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  9. "Grant in Key with CSUN Music Scores". Los Angeles Daily News. February 20, 2008.
  10. "Dr. Ronald C. Purcell". September 28, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  11. Steward, Bronwyn (Summer 2015). "We Would Like You to Meet: Raul Buenfil". Oviatt Library Enews. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.