Wilton Library has a perfect way to cap off a Sunday afternoon with a Connecticut’s Own concert and the music of guitarist John Lehmann-Haupt on June 7, from 4 to 5 p.m. The guitarist is renowned for his arrangements of popular and traditional songs and for his classical interpretations. His program will include an eclectic mix of selections by Bach, Albeniz, Villa-Lobos, Jobim, James Taylor, and Stevie Wonder. This is the last concert in the series for this season.
Lehmann-Haupt has been playing guitar since he was five years old, and as an accomplished guitarist, has built a distinctive solo repertoire, creatively melding classical selections with his own arrangements of well-known traditional and popular songs. His childhood love of music allowed him to experience the music of guitarist Andrés Segovia, along with influences of country, blues and jazz artists giving John an understanding of how extensive the range of guitar music can be. His intensive study of classical technique, harmony and musical structure gave him the knowledge to create both classical interpretations and song arrangements which have become his style. His more than four decades of concert activity have given him access to broad audiences as well as intimate settings including the homes of such prominent New Yorkers as Tom Brokaw, Madeleine Albright, and Donald Trump. His twelve-year engagement at Windows on the World (atop the World Trade Center) was cited for musical excellence by The New York Times in 1986. In addition to his musical arrangements, John was a staff instructor at New York's American Institute of Guitar from 1982 until its closing in 2008, and he has served on the Board of Directors of the New York City Classical Guitar Society since 2006. He continues to teach privately.
Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center. For information, directions and registration, visit www.wiltonlibrary.org and click on Events or call 203-762-3950, ext. 213.