with the TERRA GUITAR QUARTET
1 & 2 APRIL, KOLKATA
Xavier Jara (USA)
Jihyung Park (South Korea)
Pedro Rocha (Brazil)
Madhavan Somanathan (India)
About Us
The four of us met as colleagues in the class of guitar maestro Judicael Perroy in Paris, France.
We became friends and were inspired to begin this musical collaboration a couple of years ago.
Coming from different cultural and musical backgrounds,
we think this is a unique quartet with an explosive, cohesive style.
– The Terra Guitar Quartet
Xavier Jara
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA), Xavier Jara began studying classical guitar at 12 years old. He studied with Alan Johnston at the MacPhail Center for Music culminating in 1st prize at the GFA Senior Youth Competition in 2011.
At the age of 18 Xavier left for Paris, France to study with the majestic Judicael Perroy and pursue studies at Paris Conservatory where he received his bachelor’s degree in 2015 in the class of Olivier Chassain. During this time he studied the lute with Eric Bellocq, to which he attributes his appreciation of John Dowland.
At the age of 23, Xavier has achieved 1st prize in many competitions, including; the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) Concert Artists Competition (2016), Tokyo International Guitar Competition (2015), the Gargnano International Competition (Italy, 2015), the Boston International GuitarFest (2014), the Coria Guitar Festival (Spain, 2015), the Viseu International Guitar Festival (Portugal, 2014) and the Sinaia International Classical Guitar Competition (Romania, 2012.) At the end of this year, as a result of his win in Tokyo, he will be touring throughout Japan in a concert tour, and beginning September 2017, he will be performing across North America as a part of the GFA winner’s tour.
Ji Hyung Park
Ji Hyung Park picked up the classical guitar at the age of 9 under the tutelage of Do-Hyung Kim. At the age of 14 he won 1st prize at the Korean Guitar Association competition. From 2009 to 2013, he studied at the Korea National University of Arts. Through the influence of Do-Hyung Kim, Ji Hyung decided to continue his studies in France where he now studies at Paris Conservatory under Roland Dyens and his assistant Jean-Marc Zvellenreuther. He also receives regular guidance from his mentor, Judicael Perroy.
Ji has won numerous prizes in international competitions including 1st prize at Terra Siculorum in Odorheiu, Romania, 1st prize at the Stefano Strata Citta di Pisa and 2nd prize at Jose Thomas Villa de Petrer, Spain. He played his first concert at the age of 12 in Seoul, and now performs regularly in Europe. He has recently played in Valencia and Zaragosa in Spain, Cluj and Odorheiu in Romania, and Pordenone in Italy.
Pedro Rocha
Pedro Rocha is a Brazilian musician and guitarist. He grew up in a vivid musical and artistic environment, with his father who is a Brazilian traditional music singer and his brother who is a painter. Pedro has studied many instruments including the violin, harmonica, piano and percussion. At the age of 12 he started studying the classical guitar. Pedro received his Bachelor’s degree in music in 2011 at the Universidade de Brasilia UnB. He has travelled to many guitar festivals throughout the world such as FEMUSC, Koblenz Guitar Festival, Festival Leo Brouwer, Calcutta Guitar Festival, and others. Since 2012, he lives in France where he studies music at the Conservatory of Aubervilliers.
Madhavan Somanathan
Madhavan Somanathan was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1991 and started playing the guitar at the age of 7. In 2001, he moved, along with his parents and guitar to Delhi. He continued to take classical guitar lessons at the Delhi School of Music for several years and at the age of 14, he won first prize at the first National Classical Guitar Competition organized by the Guitar Guild of Goa in Panaji. From 2009 to 2013, Madhavan studied at Columbia University in New York where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. During this time, he performed with Columbia University Guitar Ensemble, a dynamic group of six guitarists arranging and performing classical music on the guitar. In 2014, Madhavan won3rd prizeattheprestigiousCalcuttaInternationalGuitarFestivalbecomingthe first Indian guitarist to place at the competition since its inception in 2010. In 2015, he represented India at the Bangalore Classical Guitar Festival which featured artists from all over Asia.
Madhavan presently studies guitar performance under the mentorship of pedagogue and concertist Judicael Perroy at the Conservatory of Aubervilliers in France. Aside from his work as a solo artist, Madhavan also plays together with the Korean guitarist Jihyung Park in duo. The duo played their debut concert at festival Novum Generatio in Cluj-Napoca, Romania in 2015