Otto Vowinkel

Guitar maker Amsterdam

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Cyprus Guitar Festival

mustafa elmas- can belgili

Last year Mustafa Elmas and Can Belgeli came to my workshop to buy two of my 2A models. The guitars were meant for guitar students in Cyprus where there happens to be an active guitar community.

Mustafa, Can and the Academic Members of Near East University, Dr. Erkan Sülün and Ünal Dede are playing a leading role in this community. Together they organize a guitar festival to which Esther and I were invited.

There were lectures, concerts and masterclasses.

Ozan Saritepe (photo Emre Ünlenen)

 

Zoran Dukic Guitar
Zoran Dukic (photo Emre Ünlenen)

 

2nd international cyprus guitar festival team
Erkan Sülün (most left) and Ünal Dede (most right) with their team members : Arda Özsegkin, Neriman Soykunt and Murat Alihan. (photo: Facebook)

And there was a boat ride hosted by Ünal Dede who, besides being a guitar professor, is also a renowned sailing instructor.

Zoran Dukic Sailor
Zoran Dukic after his concert

 

 

Susana Opanski

susana opanski, costas cotsiolis

 

These are Susana Opanski, Costas Cotsiolis and students of Susana in the dressing room of Costas after his concert in our series Meesters op de Gitaar. Susana and her students are loyal visitors to the series.

Susana Opanski is convinced that music connects people and that playing an instrument plays an important role in the personal development of children and young people.

For more than 20 years Susana Opanski is working as a guitar teacher at the Music School in Amersfoort. Besides that she develops educational projects to bring children into contact with music.

SGEN Workshop Otto Vowinkel

 

In addition to being a guitarist, bassoonist and guitar teacher, Susana Opanski is also the founding conductor a of the Student Gitaar Ensemble Nederland (SGEN). Last year the ensemble released a CD thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign. Significant donors were rewarded with a visit to my workshop.

On May 25, the ensemble can be heard at the Vondelkerk in Amsterdam.
Our concert series continues in September. Subscriptions for sale.

 

meesters op de gitaar 2018-19 voorkant-small

 

 

Eduardo Bossa

eduardo bossa luthier otto vowinkel

This is Eduardo Bossa on the balcony of his house in Cartagena (Colombia).

A few years ago Eduardo Bossa came to my workshop in Amsterdam where he studied classical guitar at the conservatory. Last October, after a concert in Cartagena by Esther and the Trejos Brothers, we met again. I am a guitar maker now Eduardo said and to my surprise the visit to my workshop had been of great influence to him, to become one. The atmosphere, the work, the peace, it had all appealed to him. And in the course of time he slowly but surely started to realize he would rather be a guitar builder than a guitarist.

Eduardo built a number of guitars and also does a lot of repairing. He introduced Esther and me to another Colombian guitar maker, Luis Alberto Paredes Rodríguez. He wrote a book about guitar building which was just published.

Last week Eduardo sent me an email to let me know, things are going well and his website is up in the air.

Matthijs van Delft

Matthijs van Delft - werkplaats otto vowinkel

This is Matthijs van Delft, a young, Dutch guitarist, studying at the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag with Fernando Cordas  in his Young Talent Class. Matthijs came to the workshop together with his father to buy a new guitar. Less than a month later he sent me an email, telling me that he is very happy with his guitar and won the junior competition of the Antwerpen Guitar Festival as well as the Leo Brouwer prize!

Well done Matthijs!! Congratulations!

matthijs van delft
Matthijs van Delft (photo Antwerp Guitar Festival)
Matthijs_van_Delft_wint_GitaarConcours
Jan Depreter, Matthijs van Delft, Fernando Cordas , Izhar Elias (Foto KonCon)

Billy Chi

billy chi how to play in 60 seconds

This still shows the hand of Billy Chi, a versatile, American based guitarist who owns a popular YouTube Channel where he uploads instructional video’s.

In the video from which the still was taken Billy Chi teaches you in 60 seconds how to play Despacito from Luis Fonsi. To be honest I had never heard of Luis Fonsi but I noticed that Billy Chi plays on a guitar made by me.

But for the ones interested in playing Despacito, herewith Billy’s instructions as well as the original version.

Nelson Faria #2

nelson faria

 

This is Nelson Faria discussing his Otto Vowinkel in Fica a Dica, (this is a tip). Nelson Faria is a great Brazilian guitarist whom I wrote about earlier.

What a pleasant surprise it was when I opened the link Swedish guitarist Kristoffer Skoog sent me. I found this episode of Fica a Dica in which Nelson talks only positive words about his 2A model, Flamenco.

Fica a dica is part of Um cafe la em casa, the internet show in which Nelson discusses and plays music with colleagues and friends. A must see for all guitarists who want to play Brazilian music.