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Summer Reading: Reading and PerformancePost an Event »

Hosfelt Gallery

August 8 - August 8, 2008

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260 Utah Street San Francisco, CA 94103
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Summer Reading: Reading and Performance
Please join us on Friday, August 8th, at 6pm for an evening of literature and music in conjunction with our current San Francisco show - Summer Reading. Author Glenn Kurtz will read passages from his bestselling book, "Practicing: A Musician's Return to Music," and classical guitarist Hunter Mah will perform a selection of contemporary music for guitar. In Practicing: A Musician’s Return to Music, Glenn Kurtz takes us on a journey of hope, loss, and surprising return. Telling the story of his career as a classical guitarist—from his first lessons at the age of eight to his acceptance at the elite New England Conservatory of Music—Kurtz lets the reader into the passionate, hidden world of making and performing music, revealing the elation, the self-doubt, and the intense determination that define the work of practicing. A prodigy at age ten, by twenty-five, Kurtz realizes that his dream of being the next Segovia will not come true. Devastated by this realization, he quits music forever. Or so he thought. Ten years later, Kurtz returns to the guitar to discover what went wrong. No longer an aspiring artist, he is now a “former musician,” overcoming his earlier disappointment and learning a new and richer kind of love for music. By examining his own return to music, Kurtz shows how learning to pick yourself up and continue may be the practice room’s most important lesson. In this way, Practicing speaks not just to musicians, but to everyone who has striven for an ideal—and learned from disappointment. Containing vivid portraits of his teachers, friends, and competitors, along with a fascinating history of the classical guitar, its players, and composers, Practicing is an inspiring, entertaining, and meditative memoir. A love affair with music. Glenn Kurtz Glenn Kurtz is the author of Practicing: A Musician's Return to Music, which the New York Times called "A thoughtful and fluid meditation," and Newsday hailed as "The book of a lifetime." Practicing has been featured on NPR's "Weekend Edition" with Scott Simon, and will be released by Vintage in paperback this August. Glenn graduated from the New England Conservatory-Tufts University Double Degree Program and holds a PhD in comparative literature from Stanford University. His articles and essays have appeared in numerous magazines and journals, including ZYZZYVA, Lost, and the Huffington Post. He lives in New York City and is currently working on a novel. Hunter Mah, guitarist Hunter Mah has studied Classical Guitar since he was 7 years old. Growing up in the Philippines, Hunter displayed many talents – he was a multiple prize-winner in the annual National Music Competitions for Young Artists for five years running, and also received prizes in competitions of painting and chess. At the age of 12 Hunter gave his debut solo recital at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines, and by 14 Hunter had appeared in over 50 public performances, and was featured on television. In 1991 Hunter returned to his family's home in Singapore to continue a family tradition of attending Anglo-Chinese School where he studied Physics and Mathematics. Upon graduation, Hunter was enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces and it was at this time he sought to hone his guitar technique with Singapore-based American guitarist-composer Robert Luse, whilst also training as an actor with the Singapore Repertory Theatre Core Company. A veteran of masterclasses, Hunter has received invaluable instruction from celebrated guitarists such as Manuel Barrueco, Carlos Bonnel, Eduardo Fernandez, Antigoni Goni, Tilmann Hoppstock, Pavel Steidl, and Timothy Walker. As a performer, Hunter has played on stages in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Washington D.C, and San Francisco. Hunter completed his undergraduate studies with Dusan Bogdanovic at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2006, and in his first foray into international competitions, Hunter was awarded 3rd prize in the Singapore International Guitar Competition 2007. In Fall 2008 Hunter will rejoin the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, having been accepted into the Professional Studies Diploma in Instrumental Performance programme under the tutelage of David Tanenbaum.