International Guitar Festival Fribourg
September 23. - October 2, 2011

Eglise St-Jean

Gilbert-Michel Rolle (Tenor)

Switzerland

Gilbert- Michel Rolle was born in Rueyeres-St-Laurent, in the canton of Fribourg. He obtained a Master of Arts degree at the University of Fribourg, while at the same time studying singing at the Conservatory. He then moved to Paris, where he took voice lessons with Marie-Henriette Dejean at the Ecole Normale de Musique, and enrolled in the Sorbonne, earning an additional post-graduate degree in Music History. During his vocal training under Peter Gottlieb at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique, he was awarded first prize at the Leopold Bellan Vocal Competition, which opened the way to numerous concerts in France and Switzerland.

Gilbert-Michel Rolle has been residing in the United States for several years, and his artistic career has been the object of several television reports by the Swiss-French TSR as well as various Russian and American channels. The 2007-2008 season marked a turning-point in Gilbert-Michel Rolle's career. After a debut at the Carnegie Hall, the Swiss tenor performed at the Merkin Hall, where he presented his new recording, «Musical Voyage». The album, recorded in New York's Town Hall, enjoyed a good reception from critics, and was followed by numerous radio interviews and broadcasted concerts from New York to Las Vegas.

Among the recent notable events in Gilbert-Michel Rolle's European agenda are a Beethoven concert given with the Orchestre de la Nouvelle Europe, and a liturgical drama produced by Bernadette Chirac and the City of Paris. The Swiss artist was also invited by the Athens festival, and sang before the Greek Prime Minister in the renowned Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

Benjamin Bunch (Guitar)

USA

Benjamin Bunch, one of eight children from North Carolina, USA, began playing the classical guitar under the tutelage of Robert Guthrie. Further studies were at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem with Jesus Silva, at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, with Oscar Ghiglia and with Konrad Ragossnig at the Musik-Akademie in Basel, Switzerland, where he presently teaches.

Mr. Bunch performs extensively as a soloist and in various chamber ensembles throughout Europe and the United States. In February 2001, he gave the first USA performance of the Concertino for guitar and orchestra by Alexandre Tansman. He has appeared on national radio and television in the USA (PBS), Germany (ZDF), Austria (ORF), Switzerland (DRS and RSI), Poland and Italy among others.

In April 2002, he was invited to speak and perform at the First World Symposium on Heitor Villa- Lobos in Paris, France. In June of the same year, he was interviewed by BBC Radio about his program Manuel de Falla and Friends.

He has released two solo guitar recordings: Piezas de Oro (Pieces of Gold) (Et'cetera KTC 1240) and Heitor Villa-Lobos and Friends (Et'cetera KTC 1241). Recordings in preparation are:

Manuel de Falla and Friends for soprano and guitar, Orpheus with His Lute (Texts by Shakespeare) for tenor and guitar and An Homage to Heitor Villa-Lobos for soprano and guitar.

In addition to his performing and teaching, Benjamin Bunch has arranged over 200 works for guitar solo and guitar with other instruments.

He has lived in the USA, France, Germany and Spain. He presently resides in Lausanne, Switzerland