iv: american electric guitars

For the past few years I have been exploring the possibilities of the electric guitar as a classical “concert” instrument. My latest project, iv: american electric guitars includes four works by living American composers, representing some of today’s current styles and compositional trends: until it blazes by Eve Beglarian; another possibility by Christian Wolff; hair of the thing that bit you by Anthony Porter; and freeHorn by Larry Polansky. Recorded in April 2013 at California State University, Monterey Bay (Seaside, CA). The album is available in vinyl with digital download, or in digital-only editions.

Colors: Modern Music for Guitar

My third release, Colors includes four mesmerizing and evocative works from contemporary composers Toru Takemitsu, Michael Tippett, Lou Harrison, and Benjamin Britten. Recorded in San Francisco, California, March 2011.

Purchase a copy for $15.00 + s/h

Download a Digital Copy

My favorite outlet is Bandcamp, but you can also find my music on all major digital storefronts.

[…]a CD that invites repeated listening, and repeated listening is always the perfect vehicle for moving from surface structure to deep structure. Fiore has prepared a most inviting program through this recording, and the invitation is well worth accepting.
——Stephen Smoliar, SF Examiner

‘Colors’ is a recording filled with excellent repertoire, interesting playing, and spirited performances. I look forward to his future projects and recommend you check him out.
——Bradford Werner, classicalguitarcanada.ca

Genteel

Released in March 2009, Genteel collects my main influences as an interpreter and performer. Recorded in San Francisco, California, in August 2008.

Tones From an Open Heart

My debut release, Tones from an Open Heart is a collection of original fingerstyle music for steel-string and classical guitar. Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, in February-March 2005.

Upcoming Shows

Past Shows

You can also download a PDF archive of performances back to 2002.

Gear

As a bit of a gearhead, I was bound to have at least a portion of my website dedicated to the instruments and accessories I use most. Here goes… (pictures may be added in the future)

Guitars

2012 Greg Byers Classical, Spruce/E.I.Rosewood
2009 Republic Tricone Resonator, refretted in JI after a tuning developed by Lou Harrison
1998 Parker Fly Classic, featuring extensive rewiring for maximum flexibility by the great Gary Brawer

Also in the stable:
2007 Paul McGill Classical, Cedar/Cocobolo
1994 Fabio Ragghianti Classical, Spruce/Maple
Special mention to McIlroy Guitars—I used an A25 for many years (including recording “Tones…”)

Amplifiers

1964 “Transitional” Fender Princeton, 1×10, Bias Tremolo, packs a lot of punch for the small size
1961 “Brown” Fender Pro, 1×15, Harmonic Tremolo. 50 lbs. of happiness.
L.R. Baggs A-Ref for amplified acoustic gigs

Effects and Misc

Trombetta Mini-bone and Tornita! KS fuzzes
Moog Minifooger Ring Mod
Moog MF104M Super Delay
Montreal Assembly Count to Five
Strymon Timeline/Looper
Bosst and Saturnworks utility stuff (volume, buffer, blender)

Headway Preamplifier for the acoustic instruments
Line Audio CM3 condenser microphone

Bio

I was born in Genova, Italy, one sunny September morning in 1983.
I first picked up the guitar when I was 8; actually, I really wanted to play the piano, but there was no way one would fit in our old home, so… I learned the basics from a family friend, then continued strumming happily on my own. When I went for my first lesson with Armando Corsi, one of Genova’s (and Italy’s) most talented acoustic guitarists, I was sure I knew all there was to know. I was wrong.
Luckily enough, Armando proved to be a very patient teacher, and I let him steer me on the right track. He introduced me to the nuanced world of unaccompanied guitar playing, exposing me to a variety of fiery folk and world styles in our weekly lessons. His encouragement and tutoring also impacted my first attempts at writing for the guitar.

Music was then my secondary focus, but some time during my first year as a pre-med college student I realized that I owed it to myself to do what I loved full time. The previous summer, I had met Muriel Anderson at a guitar workshop in Portland, Oregon. She suggested I pursue a music major at an American school, and her tip led me to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. After the initial culture shock (biscuits and gravy, anyone?) I quickly found my sea legs and began making the most of the plethora of opportunities that the college and city offered me; this period also saw the gradual shift of my interests from the folk and fingerstyle genres, to the world of classical guitar.

After graduating from Belmont in December of 2006, I was fortunate enough to be able to continue my studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, under the brilliant and stimulating tutelage of David Tanenbaum. The two years at 50 Oak St. went by in a blur, as my horizons were stretched and my musicianship sharpened well beyond what I thought were my limits. During my second year I served as the Guitar Department Assistant, and I decided to focus more and more on music by composers from the postwar period; the program of my graduation recital in May 2009 featured music written since 1967 exclusively.

The next step of my musical journey began in the fall of 2009, when I chose to continue my graduate studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I was extremely fortunate to find advisors such as Amy Beal, Leta Miller, and Larry Polansky, who encouraged me to keep close to my instrument and continue my development as a scholar-performer. In June 2013 I completed my Ph.D., focusing mainly development of just intonation guitars in 20th-century American music, with particular emphasis on the works of Lou Harrison, James Tenney, and Larry Polansky.

Since then I have been teaching a diverse set of courses (including 20th/21st Century Classical Music Surveys, Improvisation, Music Appreciation, the Hollywood Musical, and the Music of the Beatles) at the San Francisco Conservatory, UCSC, USF, and Cal State Monterey Bay. I also serve as the Artistic Director of Tangents Guitar Series.

Repertoire

Modern, Contemporary, and New

(ens) ensemble piece
(el) electric guitar
(JI) work in just intonation
(wp) world premiere

Concerti