Quatuor Arthur-LeBlanc, Roland Dyens - Sor & Guiliani: Works for Guitar (2007)

The French-born guitarist Roland Dyens began studying his instrument at the age of nine. By age 33, he was listed as one of the world’s best by The Guitarist Magazine. Dyens is currently a professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. Known also as a brilliant arranger, Dyens has chosen some of the most memorable guitar repertoire by late 18th and early 19th - century composers and arranged it for solo guitar and string quartet, specifically the Quatuor Arthur LeBlanc: seven études by the 19th century Catalan composer Fernando Sor; and one of the six Rossiniana composed by Mauro Giuliani on themes from Rossini operas. Dyens also performs Giuliani’s Variations on a Theme by Handel and Sor’s Grand Solo, opus 14 for solo guitar.

The Quatuor Arthur-LeBlanc, composed of violinists Hibiki Kobayashi and Brett Molzan, violist Jean-Luc Plourde, and cellist Ryan Molzan, is widely recognized as one of Canada’s finest string ensembles. The group recently made its debut at Carnegie Hall. In September 2005, the QAL assumed the role of quartet-in-residence at the Université Laval in Quebec City.