Hilary Field bio

International performing and recording artist, Hilary Field, has garnered praise for her dynamic virtuosity, her sensitive musicianship, and for the emotional depth she brings to the heart of classical guitar music. Hilary has held faculty positions as the head of the Guitar department at Seattle Pacific University and Pacific Lutheran University in Washington State. Hilary is a past winner of the Northwest Young Artist Series Competition and was the first guitarist to win the Frances Walton Soloist Competition. She has released several award winning CDs, including her debut recording, Music of Spain and Latin America, which was an award winner for Classical Album of the Year by the National Association of Independent Record Distributors. Other CDs include Ballad Stories, Siente, Cantilena, Airoso - guitar and viola, and Premieres.

Hilary was recently sponsored by the US Embassy to perform and tour in South America, and has been a featured performer in international guitar festivals such as Festival Entrecuerdas in Chile, Festival Internacional de Guitarra ICPNA in Perú, Série Grands Concerts in Québec, the Long Island Guitar Festival in New York, and the Guitar Masters Series in Orlando Florida. She has received grants for composing and performing new music by the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 4Culture, and Artist Trust. Soundboard, the official magazine of the Guitar Foundation of America notes “Field plays everything with a refined musicality, immaculate technique, and unfailingly lovely sound.” The Seattle Times exclaims that classical guitarist, “Hilary Field, is a dynamic player. She doesn’t just recite what can often be complex work, but imbues it with fire and grace.”

premieres

Premieres, the new recording from classical guitarist Hilary Field features world premiere music by contemporary composers that celebrates the natural lyrical, rhythmic, and harmonic beauty of the classical guitar, offering the poetry of music for future generations. Performed by guitarist Hilary Field, one can hear the voice of each individual composer, the art and nature that surrounds them, as well as the influence of the past on the present. Working closely with each composer, Hilary Field expands the guitar literature and offers beautiful interpretations of this new music, including works by Richard Charlton, Douglas Lora, Victor Kioulaphides, Nadia Boríslova, and Gerard Drozd, as well as music composed for her by Jorge Morel, Alberto Cumplido, and Rick Sowash.

reviews

Acoustic Guitar
"Field is one of a growing number of gifted women gaining prominence in the classical guitar world.....Field displays sensitive musicianship, solid technique, and a burnished tone. Her premier of Morel's "Berceuse" alone is worth the price of the album."

The Seattle Times
"Field is a dynamic player. She doesn't just recite what can often be complex work, but imbues it with fire and
grace."

"Upon listening to Hilary Field's most recent album Premieres, you might wonder if perhaps she was born in the wrong part of the world: from all outward appearances, she's an exceptionally talented guitarist based in Seattle, however her music reveals that her heart belongs to Spain and Latin America. She has embraced and mastered the unique lyrical, rhythmic, and harmonic qualities of Spanish/South American music, and she's made that genre the central thrust of her musical output. Meanwhile, she combines these striking musical qualities with her distinctly American approach to classical guitar technique, tone, and playing precision. Premieres is focused on presenting an array of new works, including several pieces dedicated to Hilary Field, one of which is a gorgeous composition by legendary Argentinian guitarist/composer Jorge Morel. Beyond that there is further stylistic blending to be found throughout the disc: two works by Jorge Morel and Victor Kioulaphides take their inspiration from baroque forms, but are simultaneously South American in much of their flavor and design, meanwhile a work by Alberto Cumplido blends renaissance and Spanish styles because it's dedicated to lute composer John Dowland. Every aspect of the disc has been carefully laid out and executed, from the selection of the repertoire to Field's touching and effortless playing. With an array of beautiful new music and a particular attention to lyrical, accessible compositions, this disc is one that any lover of the classical guitar will enjoy." - Minor 7th - 10/26/15

"More often than not, multiple composer collections like this one, and especially when they're modern composers, always contain a few pieces that are so far out in left field as to be jarring and unpleasant to hear, and leave you no choice but to skip over them or not listen to the CD at all. Definitely not the case this time around. Each and every piece on this disc, some of which were written for, or dedicated to guitarist Hilary Field, are a pleasure to discover and beg for repeated listens, as they bring out the instrument's expressive temperament. After all, the term 'lyrical' is in the title.

Hilary Field instinctively brings out the essence of each piece, either through expressive touches or subtle dynamic nuances that enhance the harmonic flow of the music. She captures well the 'blue' nature of some of the pieces, and lends them a personal touch and deep expression. I've personally not heard this good of a guitar collection in a long time. If you play classical guitar, you should add this new recording to your collection. And even if you don't play, this could very well inspire you to pick up an instrument and start learning. - Classical Music Sentinel - 9/19/15

"Contemporary and lyrical? I’m in. And guitarist Hilary Field doesn’t disappoint here: these pieces (by composers like Douglas Lora, Nadia Boríslova, Alberto Cumplido, and Field herself) are modern and sometimes forbiddingly virtuosic, but always engaging and sweetly melodic. Well, to be honest, most of them don’t sound that “modern”–Field’s use of the word “contemporary” in the title is wise. And her playing is magnificent. Highly recommended." - CD Hotlist, New Releases for Libraries - 9/19/15

 

concerts and recordings

Hilary Field performs internationally as a soloist, as a duo with violist Gwen Franz, and with vocalist Patrice O'Neill. For information about current schedule and availability, pleae visit the concerts page.

Hilary Field's most recent release, "Premieres", is available now. This CD features the first recordings of a number of classical compositions, many written specifically for Hilary, and is available at online and retail outlets everywhere, and from the Yellow Tail Records store HERE! More information…

audio samples

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