Magic with nylon strings

CHENNAI: Denis Azabagic may be one of the most compelling classical guitarists of his time, but when he started out all he wanted was to be just like The Beatles. This is quite in contrast to the soulful recitals he is much admired for today. With guest appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and L’Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Mons, there is little doubt about the respect he draws from classical music circles. The Bosnian-born musician was in Chennai recently for a concert organised by Musee Musical and The Madras Guitar Ensemble. While he has performed in India a few times before, he says, “This is my first visit to Chennai and I’m quite enjoying it.”So how did he make the shift from ‘Beatle-wannabe’ to classical guitarist? “I was about five years old when I started with the guitar,” he laughs. “But the real reason I became so interested in classical music was my teacher.” And now, music seems to run in the family. He often travels the world along with his flautist wife, Eugenia Moliner, as the popular Cavatina Duo. If that isn’t musical enough, their seven-year-old son, who learns the piano, already has a few YouTube videos up!Speaking of videos, Azabagic mentions in passing that given his extensive travel schedules, a lot of his teaching is done via Skype. “I head the guitar department at Roosevelt University in Chicago,” he says. “And playing 40 shows a year in different countries can be difficult to juggle with handling classes back home.” Of course, the value of a one-on-one class can never quite be replaced, he admits sheepishly.In fact, the Chicago-based guitarist even took the time to have an interactive session with a delighted group of youngsters from the Madras Guitar Ensemble. “It’s not about being a robot,” he told them, mimicing a robotic movement that put everyone at ease. “Listen to each other,” he urged, to get them to improvise instead of focusing squarely on memorised notes. So what does he think of the classical guitar talent in Chennai? “I see tremendous potential,” he responds without hesitation. “It’s still in its inception stages but with consistent training it could go a long way.” With seven recorded CDs to his credit for international labels such as Naxos, Cedille, Opera Tres, and Orobroy, we ask him what’s next? “I have another CD in the works, but it’s still a little early to go into details,” he says. He does reveal that some of the compositions are quite close to him as they come from one of his teachers, Vojislav Ivonovic. Asked whether he has composed any of these pieces himself and he admits with candour, “No, I don’t have a desire or ear for composition.” Then adds with a smile, “I just play the music.”