Kinsey Avril (1955)
United Kingdom / South Africa
Guitarist, educator, composer, script writer, speaker.
English
Avril Kinsey is an internationally renowned classical guitar performer/composer and film script writer who lives and works from her home in Cape Town, South Africa. She has performed and recorded on 4 continents and received international acclaim for her “African-inspired” compositions for classical guitar.
Described by Classical Guitar Magazine UK as “Ingenious, evocative…a master musician of unusual ability” her book and CD GUITAR MUSIC FROM AFRICA is in demand by guitarists and educators world-wide.
Involved in music education for over twenty years she founded the CAPE TOWN ACADEMY OF MUSIC in January 2000. Aligned with the international exam work of Trinity College of Music in London, the CTAM offers the latest in world trends and syllabi for all ages and levels, combining discipline with creativity and care for the person as a whole. In 2001 the CAPE TOWN ACADEMY OF MUSIC GUITAR QUARTET was formed and they have gone on to perform in many prestigious venues in Cape Town.
Avril completed her studies in guitar and piano at the University of Cape Town, before she went on to win a scholarship for further studies in Spain at Santiago de Compostela, founded by “the father of the classical guitar” Andres Segovia. In Europe she also undertook guitar master classes with Ernesto Bitetti, Jose Tomas, Carlos Bonell, Narciso Yepes and later in the USA with Christopher Parkening and Alice Artz.
After returning to South Africa, she won the Adcock Ingram Classical Guitar Competition and soon thereafter followed her debut recording “Two Guitars in Concert” with John Silver. Her second album “African Evenings” led to a national and international concert tour, where she also performed with Prof. Timothy Walker of the Royal Academy of Music. Avril has recorded for SABC and BBC radio and television as well as KPFK and KMFA radio in the USA. Her music has also been aired on over 50 syndicated radio stations across the USA.
Her successful master classes and lectures led to the founding of a guitar orchestra and a live television recording of Ravel’s Bolero for 20 guitars. She arranged and conducted the performance, from which a feature documentary was produced for SABC TV. She has also produced and co-produced several television documentary’s for SABC. One on Mervin Davis a South African Luthier, building guitars from South African woods , as well as one on Modjadji (The famed Rain Queen of the Lobedu African tribe.) She formed her own recording label ART MUSIC, which produced her popular CD SENSUAL GUITAR with ballads, blues, songs and dances from the pens of Django Reinhardt, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Stanley Myers, Rodrigo and Kinsey herself Avril’s orchestral performance highlights include; performing the Aranjuez Concerto under the baton of Spanish conductor Garcia Asensio, working with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and accompanying Luciano Pavarotti with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a composer she has been awarded prestigious commissions from the Foundation for the Creative Arts and SAMRO. Her compositions have included One Act Ballets, Instrumental works, songs, jingles and TV theme tunes. Her article and paper “Creating Guitar Music in South Africa” was published in Classical Guitar magazine UK. as well as being presented at the International Composers’ Workshops Africa Conference.
Currently involved in a Masters of music research project at the University of Cape Town.
Web: http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/akinsey/akinseybio.html (2010)
Described by Classical Guitar Magazine UK as “Ingenious, evocative…a master musician of unusual ability” her book and CD GUITAR MUSIC FROM AFRICA is in demand by guitarists and educators world-wide.
Involved in music education for over twenty years she founded the CAPE TOWN ACADEMY OF MUSIC in January 2000. Aligned with the international exam work of Trinity College of Music in London, the CTAM offers the latest in world trends and syllabi for all ages and levels, combining discipline with creativity and care for the person as a whole. In 2001 the CAPE TOWN ACADEMY OF MUSIC GUITAR QUARTET was formed and they have gone on to perform in many prestigious venues in Cape Town.
Avril completed her studies in guitar and piano at the University of Cape Town, before she went on to win a scholarship for further studies in Spain at Santiago de Compostela, founded by “the father of the classical guitar” Andres Segovia. In Europe she also undertook guitar master classes with Ernesto Bitetti, Jose Tomas, Carlos Bonell, Narciso Yepes and later in the USA with Christopher Parkening and Alice Artz.
After returning to South Africa, she won the Adcock Ingram Classical Guitar Competition and soon thereafter followed her debut recording “Two Guitars in Concert” with John Silver. Her second album “African Evenings” led to a national and international concert tour, where she also performed with Prof. Timothy Walker of the Royal Academy of Music. Avril has recorded for SABC and BBC radio and television as well as KPFK and KMFA radio in the USA. Her music has also been aired on over 50 syndicated radio stations across the USA.
Her successful master classes and lectures led to the founding of a guitar orchestra and a live television recording of Ravel’s Bolero for 20 guitars. She arranged and conducted the performance, from which a feature documentary was produced for SABC TV. She has also produced and co-produced several television documentary’s for SABC. One on Mervin Davis a South African Luthier, building guitars from South African woods , as well as one on Modjadji (The famed Rain Queen of the Lobedu African tribe.) She formed her own recording label ART MUSIC, which produced her popular CD SENSUAL GUITAR with ballads, blues, songs and dances from the pens of Django Reinhardt, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Stanley Myers, Rodrigo and Kinsey herself Avril’s orchestral performance highlights include; performing the Aranjuez Concerto under the baton of Spanish conductor Garcia Asensio, working with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and accompanying Luciano Pavarotti with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a composer she has been awarded prestigious commissions from the Foundation for the Creative Arts and SAMRO. Her compositions have included One Act Ballets, Instrumental works, songs, jingles and TV theme tunes. Her article and paper “Creating Guitar Music in South Africa” was published in Classical Guitar magazine UK. as well as being presented at the International Composers’ Workshops Africa Conference.
Currently involved in a Masters of music research project at the University of Cape Town.
Web: http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/akinsey/akinseybio.html (2010)