Italy mourns top guitarist, 85

The Accademia Chigiana has confirmed the death today of the eminent guitarist Oscar Ghiglia.

The Academy writes: In the history of Chigiana the guitar has a special place, and Oscar Ghiglia helped build its tradition. Pupil of Andrés Segovia, who at the will of Count Chigi Saracini established classical guitar teaching in Chigiana in 1950, after Alirio Diaz, Ghiglia took his place in 1976. Since then he has never stopped holding high improvement courses in the Senesian summers, considering Chigiana its “house of art”. From the rooms of Palazzo Chigi Saracini where he taught almost all the greatest guitarists of the last fifty years have come to listen to his advice, rebukes, and especially the most valuable instructions on how to read music in depth, interpret it, bring it to life in sound and time.

To him, one of his dearest teachers, the Chigiana had paid tribute on the occasion of his 80th birthday with special celebrations that brought together several generations of his students, and with the production of a film directed by Salvo Cuccia “The Oscar Lesson”, available on the Netflix platform in 17 languages. Oscar spoke different things, along with music, which he could tell like a speech in color, full of images and metaphors, because it was easy for anyone to see the grammar hidden behind each passage.
Thanks also to Oscar Ghiglia, Chigiana has a special place in the history of guitar. He will never be forgotten.

The Chigiana Musical Academy, its management and all staff, sends its deepest condolences to the beloved Elena Papandreou and to all the family, friends, students who have been close to them in a long path lived with music, in music, following music.

UPDATE: Bruce Duffie interview here.