Doc Rossi
My professional life in music has been evenly split between performing and teaching. I hold university degrees in Music and Literature, so my experience of more than thirty years in performance and teaching has been built on solid foundations that I have continued to enrich through the many encounters I have been fortunate to have had along my musical journey.
I specialise in the links between traditional music from a range of European cultures and the music of the Galant era. I have focused on citterns of many periods and sizes, but I also play related instruments such as the Irish bouzouki and the steel-string guitar in a variety of tunings. My work has involved blending the ancient sounds of early music, the intricacies of traditional dance music, and the mystery of “The Old Weird America”. I have a deep reverence for the past, a varied repertoire, and as a performer, a relaxed, conversational style that I hope draws listeners in as if they were sitting in my music room.
Although my musical base is firmly in America and Europe, my travels and interests have led to an appreciation of many kinds of traditional music. I discovered an affinity with Irish traditional music by first falling in love with the dance music of medieval, renaissance and baroque Europe. My passion for the cittern led me to Fado and the deep Portuguese guitarra tradition. I play historical as well as modern citterns, and have, so far, recorded two albums of music for the 18th-century cittern, often called the English “guittar”; a third featuring the music of Francesco Geminiani is in production.
I have written several books about playing cittern, guitar and mandolin. I enjoy playing solo and in groups, accompanying singers and instrumental soloists, improvising, arranging and composing. I run workshops on cittern and guitar technique, ensemble music-making, playing in sessions, and on how to write and arrange music and lyrics with other musicians and artists.
Instruments
English Guittar (18c cittern) - Modern/Celtic Cittern - Cetera (Corsican Cittern) Baritone Cittern /Mandocello Irish Bouzouki - Cistre Français (18c cittern) - Renaissance cittern (16-17c) - Acoustic Guitar - Mandolin
I specialise in the links between traditional music from a range of European cultures and the music of the Galant era. I have focused on citterns of many periods and sizes, but I also play related instruments such as the Irish bouzouki and the steel-string guitar in a variety of tunings. My work has involved blending the ancient sounds of early music, the intricacies of traditional dance music, and the mystery of “The Old Weird America”. I have a deep reverence for the past, a varied repertoire, and as a performer, a relaxed, conversational style that I hope draws listeners in as if they were sitting in my music room.
Although my musical base is firmly in America and Europe, my travels and interests have led to an appreciation of many kinds of traditional music. I discovered an affinity with Irish traditional music by first falling in love with the dance music of medieval, renaissance and baroque Europe. My passion for the cittern led me to Fado and the deep Portuguese guitarra tradition. I play historical as well as modern citterns, and have, so far, recorded two albums of music for the 18th-century cittern, often called the English “guittar”; a third featuring the music of Francesco Geminiani is in production.
I have written several books about playing cittern, guitar and mandolin. I enjoy playing solo and in groups, accompanying singers and instrumental soloists, improvising, arranging and composing. I run workshops on cittern and guitar technique, ensemble music-making, playing in sessions, and on how to write and arrange music and lyrics with other musicians and artists.
Instruments
English Guittar (18c cittern) - Modern/Celtic Cittern - Cetera (Corsican Cittern) Baritone Cittern /Mandocello Irish Bouzouki - Cistre Français (18c cittern) - Renaissance cittern (16-17c) - Acoustic Guitar - Mandolin
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