Did you miss their sold out debut last month at Zameen Art House? Come see Alec and Kosta play solos and duets in this lovely noon variety hour at the Jewish Community Center. Alec and Kosta just finished a string of performances together on Quadra Island (Quadra Island Chamber Music Festival) and are now excited to share their tunes with local Vancouverites.
About Alec
Alec Pearson enjoys a career based in Vancouver where he currently serves as a sessional instructor of guitar at the University of British Columbia. Alec has performed both solo and in ensemble across Canada, Spain, Colombia, Greece and the U.S. He currently serves as president of the “Vancouver Classic Guitar Society” where he works to organize many concerts, lectures masterclasses and social events. Outside of Vancouver, Alec is the director of the annual “Okanagan Guitar Festival” which takes place in the beautiful Okanagan Valley every summer.
Alec holds the degree “Máster en Interpretación de Guitarra Clasica” from the Universitat d’Alacant in Alicante, Spain, where he studied with an array of the best guitarists in the world, including; David Russell, Pepe Romero, Manuel Barrueco, Roberto Aussel, Paul Galbraith and Fabio Zanon to list a few.
Prior to studying abroad, Alec earned a Masters's degree from the University of British Columbia where he studied with internationally renowned Canadian guitarist and his longtime mentor Daniel Bolshoy. In 2012, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Montreal. He was born and raised in Calgary where he first received exposure to the guitar under the tutelage of Jose Fermin. During his youth, he was an active member and performer in the Classical Guitar Society of Calgary and began his own teaching career at the age of 17.
About Kosta
I'm a classically-trained folk musician, teacher, and researcher. I play the guitar, lute, accordion, piano, and organ. Originally from Dobrich, Bulgaria, I've lived in Vancouver, Canada, since 2006. Music based on improvisation and an aural tradition has always resonated with me more than anything else. While I was raised with Balkan folk music, the Celtic traditional repertoire has become a major part of what I do.
I studied music in Douglas College, the University of British Columbia, and McGill University. In 2018, I completed a PhD in musicology from the University of Victoria, focusing on baroque music. For several years I taught theory, harmony, composition, and performance.
Some performance highlights include concerts with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Opera Victoria, the Vancouver Bach choir, the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, the Kensington Sinfonia, and the Sidney Classical Orchestra.
As a recording artist, I've recorded three albums, as well as soundtracks for several movies and best-selling video games. Most recently, I released my first solo accordion album, a collection of tunes from around the world, titled Folk Tales.
I’m currently studying law at the University of British Columbia, with an interest in family law and civil litigation.