Colombia's Classical Guitar Repertoire: Traditional, Traditional-Popular, and Art Music Idioms

Abstract

This research explores the diversity of Colombia’s classical guitar repertoire (CCGR). Using musicological and artistic approaches, it aims to expand understanding of the wide stylistic range and diversity of CCGR. In particular, building on previous categorisations of Colombian music, this project offers a three-part framework for better understanding the diversity of CCGR idioms in their contemporary manifestations: namely, traditional, traditional-popular, and art music. Drawing on methods characteristic of historical musicology and artistic research, this research contributes to new understandings of these CCGR idioms through (1) inductive thematic analysis of academic and non-academic publications, including creative outputs such as compositional scores and recordings related to CCGR and the music genres involved; and (2) a CD I recorded for this research that showcases repertoire—including a world premiere piece—displaying the diversity of CCGR across the three idioms outlined above. It is hoped that the research outcomes will (a) expand current knowledge of the nature and diversity of CCGR, (b) help to profile and disseminate relatively unknown CCGR, and (c) inform future research on Colombian music and CCGR. In these ways, these outcomes may be of interest and benefit to composers, guitarists, and researchers, particularly but not only those from Colombia, in understanding, identifying and contextualising the diversity of CCGR.