The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo (The Duo) is an American classical guitar ensemble formed in 1978. Known for adventurous programming and collaborations as well as their contributions to the repertoire of the guitar duo ensemble, the Duo was founded by Michael Newman and Laura Oltman, who have performed together since it was formed.
Performances
The Duo performs and records in many styles including Classical, Tango, Baroque, Spanish and Latin American. The Duo has performed throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, Canada, South America and the Caribbean in venues that include Carnegie Hall, the Queen Mary II and the Grand Canyon Music Festival. The Duo has commissioned and performed many world premieres. Classical Guitar Magazine founder and author Maurice J. Summerfield, in his book, "The Classical Guitar: its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1800", credits Newman and Oltman with expanding the classical guitar repertoire. Notable collaborations include performances with:
composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops
the late author Frank McCourt
mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade
folk singer Sally Rogers
violinist Tim Fain
violinist Arnold Steinhardt
violinist Jay Ungar
violinist Seamus Egan
Irish American fiddler Eileen Ivers
Brazilian American pianist-composer Clarice Assad
the Daedalus Quartet
the Lark Quartet
Turtle Island String Quartet
the Alexander String Quartet
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Festivals
The Newman and Oltman Guitar Duo founded Raritan River Music in 1989. Raritan River Music presents classical, world and new music throughout western New Jersey. Raritan River Music is a National Winner of the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. The organization also received awards from Warren County, NJ for Diversity Achievement.
Newman and Oltman are also the founders and artistic directors of the New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes. In 2012, the couple founded the Lanciano International Guitar Seminar in Italy. They continue to serve as the artistic directors of all three festivals.
Music Commissions for Guitar Ensemble
The Newman and Oltman Guitar duo founded the Raritan River New Music Commissioning Program in 1999. The mission of the Program is to support the creation and presentation of new works by American composers. Composers commissioned by the Program have included Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Moravec, Lowell Liebermann, Arnold Black, Dušan Bogdanovic, Augusta Read Thomas, Guggenheim Fellow Arthur Kampela, and Cuban composer Leo Brouwer. Works commissioned and premiered by the Duo through the New Music Commissioning Program include:
Through the Looking Glass, (after Lewis Carroll), in memory of guitarist Julian Bream (2020) by Leo Brouwer El Libro de los Seres Imagniarios (in English, The Book of Imaginary Beings) (2018) by Leo Brouwer Concierto Buenos Aires (2011) by Nuevo Tango Master Daniel Binelli Motets (2011) by Arthur Kampela Raritan Triptych (2008) by Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Moravec memory: SWELLS (2005) by Augusta Reed Caught in the Headlights (2003) by Michael Karmon Nocturne-Fantasy, Op. 69 (2000) by Lowell Liebermann Sevdalinka (1999) by Dušan Bogdanović
Other works commissioned or premiered by the Duo include:
Djavan’s Portrait (2011) by João Luiz
The Secret Mechanics of Luthiers and Their Impossible Guitars (2008) by Arthur Kampela Three Hungarian Tributes (1996) by Roberto Sierra
Teaching Careers
Michael Newman currently teaches guitar and chamber music at Mannes School of Music and at The College of New Jersey. Laura Oltman teaches guitar at Princeton University and Lafayette College. The Duo was the first guitar ensemble to be appointed as an ensemble in residence by an American college when they were named ensemble-in-residence at Mannes in 1987. They have served as artists-in-residence at Cornell University, University of Puerto Rico, and Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. In 2014, The Duo served as Creative Directors for the D’Addario Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. Newman and Oltman teach master classes nation-wide and have served on guitar competition juries including the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. They presented an entrepreneurial program at a number of educational institutions including Salisbury University's Perdue School of Business in Maryland.