We went to hear the wonderful Peruvian guitarist, Virginia Yep in concert on July 21, 2022.
Held at Teatro Municipal Gladys Vidal, the event was free, sponsored in part by the Peruvan Embassy. As part of their bicentennial celebration which marks Peru’s 200th year of independence from Spain.
After the performance we attended the reception held just outside the theater. There we had the opportunity to meet Virginia Yep, the Peruvian Ambassador and other dignitaries. Drinks and pastries were served.
Although called a Classical Guitarist, she fuses that tradition with songs from Latin American folklore and contemporary music. Her motto: “The guitar must sound like a guitar.”
Oh, to be able to make a guitar sing like she did. We enjoyed it very much. It was an evening for guitar aficionados. To hear a sample of her music, go to her web page at www.virginiayep.de for about 3 minutes of listening pleasure.
She started at a young age at the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica (Lima, Peru) with Professor Juan Brito. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Communications Science from the University of Lima, then studying at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica (Madrid, Spain), she studied at the Freie Universitat Berlin (Berlin, Germany) earning a PhD in Comparative Musicology.
Virginia Yep continues her music research and teaching in Berlin, Germany where she lives. Also, she performs concerts around the world. This one in Panama, is part of her native country, Peru’s celebration of its independence. Of course, she speaks Spanish. We talked to her at the reception. She is a charming lady.
