School of Education, Setnor School of Music welcome internationally acclaimed classical guitarists for lectures and recitals Dec. 3

Eliot Fisk and Zaira Meneses, internationally acclaimed husband and wife classical guitarists, will visit Syracuse University on Friday Dec. 3. Meneses will give a lecture and recital at 3:30 p.m. in 308 Crouse College, followed by a lecture and recital by Fisk at 5 p.m. Both events are open to the public. Their visit to campus is sponsored by the Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), the School of Education and the University Performing Arts Presenter.  

While in Syracuse, Meneses and Fisk will accompany Elisa Dekaney, dual associate professor of music education in the School of Education and VPA, to visit Frazer School.  Frazer is a K-8 school in the Syracuse City School District participating in the Say Yes to Education program. 

Fisk is known worldwide for his transformative repertoire of the classical guitar, including his groundbreaking transcriptions (works by Bach, Scarlatti, Haydn, Mozart, Paganini, Albeniz, etc.), and through his creative collaborations with other musicians in classical, flamenco, jazz and world music styles. Many of his recordings have entered the Billboard charts as bestsellers. 

He is a professor at the Universitaet Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, where he teaches in five languages, and in Boston at the New England Conservatory. In addition, he is founder and director of Boston Guitar Fest. 

Meneses is director of community outreach and student affairs for the international Boston Guitar Fest, and artistic director of the new cross-disciplinary cultural initiative “Guitar and Friends.” She was born in Xalapa, Mexico, and since her move to the United States in 2001, she has played the great concert halls of this country, including Boston’s Jordan Hall and New York City’s YMHA. In addition to Meneses’ artistry as an instrumentalist, she has a beautiful singing voice and talent for dance, which are frequently featured in encores following her appearances as guitarist.