Amor Fati David William Ross

• Akira Nakada (1886 - 1931): A Song of Early Spring:
• 1 A Song of Early Spring (Arr. T. Takemitsu for Solo Guitar) 05:19
• Astor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992): Las Estaciones Porteñas:
• 2 Las Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. S. Assad for Solo Guitar): No. 1, Primavera Porteña 05:04
• 3 Las Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. S. Assad for Solo Guitar): No. 2, Verano Porteño 03:55
• 4 Las Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. S. Assad for Solo Guitar): No. 3, Otoño Porteño 05:17
• 5 Las Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. S. Assad for Solo Guitar): No. 4, Invierna Porteño 07:24
• Toru Takemitsu (1930 - 1996): Equinox:
• 6 Equinox 07:08
• Frank Wallace (b. 1952): Sonata No. 3, Op. 94 "Cyrcles":
• 7 Sonata No. 3, Op. 94 "Cyrcles": I. Solstice I 03:33
• 8 Sonata No. 3, Op. 94 "Cyrcles": II. The Light 03:26
• 9 Sonata No. 3, Op. 94 "Cyrcles": III. Darkness Falling 05:25
• 10 Sonata No. 3, Op. 94 "Cyrcles": IV. Solstice II 02:53
• 11 Sonata No. 3, Op. 94 "Cyrcles": V. The Great Sleep - Ko's Way 06:20
• 12 Sonata No. 3, Op. 94 "Cyrcles": VI. First Truth 04:01
• Leo Brouwer (b. 1939): Un Día de Noviembre:
• 13 Un Día de Noviembre 05:06
• Total Runtime 01:04:51

Info for Amor Fati

David William Ross, though considered a classical and jazz guitarist, consistently transcends both genres. He works extensively in collaboration with other accomplished artists, while also being a composer with an impressive library of works that accompany dance and performance art. Ross brings this multifaceted background to the fore in Ravello Records AMOR FATI. Ross opens AMOR FATI with a warm, calming, and familiar folk lullaby: Akira Nakadas A Song of Early Spring, arranged by Toru Takemitsu. Following is an interpretation of Astor Piazzollas Las Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons), a quintet arranged for guitar by Sergio Assad. Beginning with an enigmatic intro, Ross walks listeners through this four-movement story to its peaceful, happy ending. Takemitsu is the composer of the following piece, Equinox, which opens immediately on a dissonant chord, paving the way for a Latin work with a more experimental scaffold. Next is New Hampshire composer Frank Wallaces Cycles in six movements. The first is entirely ethereal but followed by a fast-moving arpeggiated and percussive territorial second movement and a harp-like third movement. The final movement is a collection of echoes and minor seconds. It is hurried and entirely purposeful. The culminating piece is Leo Brouwers Un Dia de Noviembre. In Ross own words: Whenever I play this piece, I find the haunting, repeating melody truly evokes the sense of introspection one finds in November, before the winter sets in and all is asleep and at peace. This album feels very familiar, yet is refreshing to hear. Ross guitar is one with a rich, buttery timbre surely to ease any listeners mind. With its expressive, modernist elements, AMOR FATI is an all-around pleasure to listen to.

"A refreshing reminder of what the guitar is capable of in the hands of a passionate musician" (The Equinox)

David William Ross, solo guitar

David William Ross
has performed throughout the United States and in Europe. Trained in both classical and jazz, he works across genres and brings a unique musical sensibility to his approach to the guitar. David frequently works closely with composers and other artists as well as dancers and choreographers. He has written music extensively for dance and other performance arts, creating music that is organic and piece specific. He has premiered much of his own work with dancers in venues such as The Patterson Theatre in Baltimore and the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge. His most recent commercial release for PARMA was released in January, 2017, a collection of the solo guitar works of Swiss composer Georges Raillard. David has also taught music theory, ear training, guitar, improvisation, and general art aesthetics, serving on the faculties of Fitchburg State University, Keene State College, The Vermont Jazz Center, Elm City Music, and the Concord Community Music School.

Classically trained and deeply versed in jazz improvisation DWR infuses all of his performances with a nuanced, detailed, and complex musicianship. He has performed throughout the USA from LA to Boston and regularly gives concerts as both a classical and as a jazz player in combos, chamber groups, and solo. As an advocate of new music and genre stretching, DWR is a frequent collaborator with composers and song-writers as well as dancers, choreographers, and visual artists. He has written and performed his own work for several dance companies including Dilettante Dance and IBIT, premiering work in venues from Baltimore's Patterson Theater to Cambridge's American Repertory Theater, to Brattleboro's Latchis Theater.

DWR's compositional work often explores the temporal dimension of music and challenges the listener's concept and perception of linearity and narrative. He has written for a variety of instrumentations and in many styles often mixing genres and pushing musicians to expand their sensibilities beyond stylistic conventions. Improvisation, aleatory, and graphic notation play a role alongside conventional writing, all of which stretch the performers and listeners alike to hear the music as it is, without a preconception or bias with regard to style.

DWR's work has led to an extensive working knowledge of the recording studio. As a means to capture and present music but also as an artistic tool in it's own right, DWR uses the studio to engineer and produce sessions for his own music as well as for others. He crafts organic and original recordings that elucidate the creative motive of the artist and present the artist's work with clarity and brilliance. He records in his own studio as well as on site to capture the sound of interesting and unique sonic spaces that offer acoustically distinct sounds.

DWR received degrees in guitar performance, music theory, and composition from Keene State College where he studied with guitarist/composer José Lezcano. He then earned degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins where he served as teaching assistant to the renowned guitar program studying under the tutelage of Julian Gray. DWR later went on to study at the Thornton School of the University of Southern California where he studied guitar with Scott Tennant and composition with Chris Rozé. His jazz studies were with Draa Hobbs and Paul Bollenback; lute studies with Mark Cudek. Frequent lessons with Pépe Romero and Manuel Barrueco while at the Thornton School and Peabody, respectively.

David currently serves on the faculty of Fitchburg State University, the Concord Community Music School, and Elm City Music. He teaches music theory, ear-training, music history, art aesthetics, guitar, and improvisation. He has also taught courses at Keene State College and the Vermont Jazz Center. In addition, David does recording work for PARMA Recordings and works as a session/studio player specializing in new music and improvisation performing on nylon, steel-string, and electric guitars in both chamber/combo and solo settings.

Booklet for Amor Fati