Transcendental Music

milos-karadaglic-300x300
Montenegrin guitarist extraordinaire Milos Karadaglic is on a mission to bring the classical guitar back to the forefront of music and to preserve its cultural and musical legacy. Many in music and certainly his fans feel he is as gifted as Andres Segovia and John Williams when it comes to playing the classical guitar.

With a love of performing in public, and with his artful playing, he was advised by classical guitarist David Russell to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England, which he did. Now a number of years later, he has grown in his ability and skill. Karadaglic discusses the instrument’s vitality, his influences, and his latest album Mediterraneo.

Jeff Boyce: How has classical music influenced Montenegro and what is the classical scene there like?
Milos Karadaglic: Montenegro has no real classical music tradition like for example Italy or Germany does. This is due to historic reasons. So it is quite new for a lot of people there. However with this comes great respect, appreciation and support to all of us that do it. People come to concerts in large numbers and love to express how certain pieces make them feel. This is very refreshing. Since I moved to London eleven years ago, things have continued to change and classical music is more popular then ever. Today there are numerous festivals held in some of the most beautiful settings imaginable.

What places have you enjoyed performing in?
Every place has its energy which influences the performance in a different way. This makes my life so exciting. Whether it is performing in a beautiful medieval church or in a rock club, it is always amazing to feel the connection between the music, the space and the audience.

milos2_1833608b
Speaking of your current album Mediterraneo, how and why have you come to appreciate and incorporate Mediterranean music into your works?
When we were discussing repertoire options for the first album, there were many directions we could take. Guitar repertoire ranges from Renaissance to the present day and it is all beautiful. However, you can not do it all at once. We have many CDs to make. So , I believed that the best place to start would be at the birthplace of my instrument and myself. And that place is Mediterranean. I adore this music because it feels so natural to play it. You can almost sing it. You can almost feel the sun in every phrase.

Mediterraneo, featuring performing pieces by composers such as Isaac Albeniz and Francisco Tarrega, has different themes. How do these themes reflect on your life?
Naturally. Every piece on the record is there for a reason. Sometimes it is hard to 'come back into the room' after I have played the last note.

Would you like to add anything else about your music?
Just that I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to share my love for music and for the guitar with people all over the world. That is something I always wanted to do.

by Jeff Boyce

Editor’s note: Readers can learn more about this artist’s at his website http://www.milosguitar.com/index.php