Two Matthews visited with Kate Botello in IPR’s Studio A recently: Interlochen Center for the Arts Instructor of Guitar Matthew Cochran and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Classical Guitar Lecturer Matthew McAllister.
Together, they call themselves Cochran & McAllister.
The two are teaching at Interlochen's Classical Guitar Intensive this summer, but they also have two duo recitals on their schedule.
On Sunday, June 18, at 6 p.m., they'll perform at Interlochen's Dendrinos Chapel and Recital Hall, and on Saturday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m., they'll perform at The Garden Theater in Frankfort.
The duo's program includes works spanning hundreds of years, from J. S. Bach to Philip Glass to Pat Metheny, but Cochran says the recitals' repertoire flows surprisingly naturally.
"The whole conversation about 'What do we play?' has been the easiest thing for me," he said.
Audiences might be surprised by a few works on the program, though, like jazz bandleader Ralph Towner's "Icarus," which was originally written for piano, bass, drums and oboe.
Even though it's far from its original form, Cochran says the piece gives guitarists an exciting chance to explore a style of playing they wouldn't get with Bach.
"[These fusion-era composers] are pretty well known as improvisers, but for my money, their compositions are just dynamite, and they give you an opportunity to really get in there and play," he said.
The program also includes Cochran's arrangement of a piece especially appropriate for summer camp: Pat Metheny's "Letter From Home."
The two performed the piece in Studio A, and McAllister says Cochran's arrangement makes it extra special.
"Matthew [Cochran] put together this beautiful guitar jewel, and it's such an intimate piece," McAllister said. "It is like a little postcard, and when you hear it, it's immediately nostalgic. It's really beautiful."
The duo also discussed their upcoming work with students and said they always look forward to seeing young guitarists' breakthroughs.
"If I just tweak this tiny little thing, all of this expression starts sort of pouring out," McAllister said. "Often their instrument is sort of an extension of their personality and maybe how they want to express themselves. So unlocking those little things, you just push a few buttons, and off they go."
Kelley DiPasquale was this episode of Studio A's recording engineer.
Kacie Brown is IPR's digital content manager.
