Alec Holcomb
Recognizable by his effortless, fluid style and stimulating musical statements, Alec has earned increasing notoriety as one of today’s emerging young guitarists. With a distinctive technique fueling new and impactful interpretations, he has been described as “a strong musical personality” with “the right blend of virtuosity, spirit, and whimsy.” Alec’s interpretive influences range all styles and eras of music, bringing fresh and innovative ideas to some of the guitar’s most popular repertoire.
Alec’s musical education began at the age of six, when his father began to teach him the guitar. The guitar, in many different styles, had been in the family for generations. His grandfather was an accomplished bluegrass guitarist, and his father played in rock and funk bands in his youth until coming across the classical guitar as an avid hobbyist.
Alec has had the privilege to learn from many accomplished musicians. Through his high school years, Alec studied with Dr. Andrew Zohn (Columbus State University). Alec completed his undergraduate degree at the Curtis Institute of Music (2017) under the guidance of both David Starobin and Jason Vieaux. Recently, Alec finished his master’s degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (2020) while studying with Judicaël Perroy.
Alec has found success in many competitions through the years and was most recently a finalist in the GFA International Concert Artist Competition (2019) and the Parkening International Guitar Competition (2019). Additionally, in 2019, Alec released his first album of original transcriptions of two suites for piano written by the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz. This album can be found on all major streaming services.
Artist Website: https://www.alecholcomb.com
About the Album
This album features original transcriptions of two suites, in their entirety, composed for piano by Isaac Albéniz.
Although sections of Albéniz’s España and Suite Española No. I had been performed by guitarists in the past, it had been decades since anyone transcribed the full suites – originally written for piano – and released a recording. “I wanted to share what the guitar is capable of when compared to more traditional performance styles that it may be known for,” he said. “It’s also very pretty music, like postcards from the various regions in Spain, which many of the pieces are named after. I thought it was a way to perform something that would be challenging and exciting for me while still being something that people would enjoy listening to.”
It was named one of the Top 10 Classical Guitar Albums of 2019 by Classical Guitar Magazine.