The Bartlesville Community Foundation’s Legacy Hall of Fame Gala weekend is always a special time, but this year will have an added attraction: Flamenco guitarist Ronald Radford providing free concerts and education opportunities in honor of Legacy inductees the Roll family. The Rolls have a long friendship with Radford and have supported him throughout his career.
“We are pleased to help bring Mr. Radford to Bartlesville to celebrate with the Rolls,” notes Shawn Crawford, Executive Director of the Foundation. “The community will also benefit by getting to hear this world-class musician perform for free.”
Ronald Radford was born in California, grew up in Oklahoma and now lives in St. Louis where he continues his career as one of the most successful ambassadors of Flamenco music in the world.
A protégé of the legendary Carlos Montoya, Radford lived and traveled in Spain where he immersed himself in the musical wisdom of the Gypsy Flamenco guitar masters Diego del Gastor, Pepe de Badajoz and others. In addition, he had master classes with Andres Segovia, Pepe Romero and Jose Thomas. He is the only individual to be awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Spain in Flamenco guitar.
His international tours have taken him to fifteen countries from Australia to Switzerland and from Canada to Panama. He toured for the U.S. State Department as a Musical Ambassador in Mexico, Guatemala and other Latin American countries. He is currently on tour to colleges and concert series across the United States, and his exciting CD, Viva Flamenco! and DVD Live Your Passion! are available world-wide.
Radford takes you far beyond the usual guitar concert. He complements his masterful technique with an illuminating narration which recreates the very essence of this ancient folklore, Flamenco – the heartbeat of Spain.
I’m so delighted to perform again in Bartlesville. It was in 1970 when Paul & Narnie Roll heard me play at the Casa Monterey Mexican Restaurant in Tulsa. Over the next 3 years I visited with them many times at their home, gave guitar lessons to their son Kevin and in1973 Paul Roll helped arrange finances for a summer trip to Spain which included study with Andres Segovia – at about the same time the Rolls moved from Tulsa to Bartlesville. Over the years the Rolls continued to provide support in arranging for several concerts I performed in Bartlesville including OK Mozart. In the tradition of the great arts patron families, the deep friendship, artistic support and intellectual comradery I have felt from the Roll family is rare in today’s world. I am delighted to be performing in Bartlesville to recognize and celebrate their Legacy–Ronald Radford
Mr. Radford’s Flamenco expression has been described by noted guitarist Oscar Ghiglia this way: “It is rare, even for a Gypsy, to have the gift to lead one into the somber, unforgettable world of sounds of the real Flamenco, and yet he – an American – is among the few who have given me this artistic experience.”
Radford will be performing at 2pm Sunday, May 17th at the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Chapel. The concert is free and open to the public. He will also perform outreach activities at Green Country Village, Washington County Elder Care, and the Boys and Girls Club of Bartlesville.
Local support for the events will be provided through a grant from the new Allied Arts and Humanities Fund of Bartlesville.
This project is also supported in part by an award from Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.
