This Sunday, Interlochen Arts Academy's faculty recital highlights a guitar-piano duo — an unlikely instrument pairing that naturally infuses the folk traditions of percussive strings with the classical techniques of a keyboard.
The featured Ranallo-Tapia Duo unites Mexican pianist Yolanda Tapia and American guitarist Leonard Ranallo, who is Interlochen's interim guitar faculty member, in a program of music across the Americas, weaving folk traditions into 20th and 21st century Latin American repertoire.
Hear the Studio A interview and performance by clicking "Listen."
"The guitar has such a strong relationship with Latin American repertoire. A lot of the pieces that we enjoy came from that repertoire," said Ranallo.
"We are usually drawn to playing music by Western composers, and we neglect the ones that we have at home [in Latin America], unfortunately," said Tapia. "[Over] the last 20 years, there has been more research and awareness about what Latin American composers have to offer."
Music performed in Studio A
Agustín Salguero and Esteban Saccone, "El Último Día"
Radamés Gnattali, Sonatina No. 2 for Guitar and Piano, "Ritmado"
See a video from their recording session on Classical IPR's Instagram.
Tapia and Ranallo will be performing on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 2 p.m. at the Dendrinos Chapel and Recital Hall. More information available here.
Jack Conners engineered this edition of Studio A.
