Joseph Murphy, saxophone
Matthew Slotkin, guitar
Duo Montagnard was formed in 2002 and has performed over 160 concerts in more than 30 states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. Festival performances include the Chautauqua Institution, Scandinavian Saxophone Festival, Hartwick College Summer Music Festival, UNC-Wilmington New Music for Guitar and Saxophone Festival, and the Alexandria Guitar Festival. Programs include compositions by Robert Beaser, Chick Corea, Jacques Ibert, David Kechley, Astor Piazzolla, Maurice Ravel, Terry Riley, Roberto Sierra, Toru Takemitsu, Ralph Towner, and Heitor Villa-Lobos. Recent commissions include pieces by John Anthony Lennon, Jonathan Elliott, John Orfe, James Crowley, George Daravelis, and Charles Stolte. Recent performances include tours of the Pacific Northwest and Midwestern U.S., a performance at the Scandinavian Saxophone Festival in Aarhus, Denmark, and a tour of New Zealand and Australia.
Craig Butterfield, bass
Matthew Slotkin, guitar
Dez Cordas is an unusual duo featuring double bassist Craig Butterfield and guitarist Matthew Slotkin, through an eclectic mix of musical styles from tango to jazz to baroque. Both musicians are classically trained, yet show their diverse musical roots in pieces by South American composer Astor Piazzolla, jazz pianist Chick Corea, Hungarian composer Bela Bartok and their own original works. The musical experience of a Dez Cordas concert is a melting pot of the individual musical influences of both Butterfield and Slotkin. Audiences are treated to unique interpretations of works by favorite composers such as J.S. Bach, as well as a new perspective on contemporary works, such as Piazzolla’s History of the Tango. As a chamber duo, Dez Cordas shares melodic material equally, without relegating one member to a permanently accompanying role. Audiences will hear soaring highs and deep lows from both instruments, creating an almost orchestral sound from just two instruments. Recent performances include tours of the northeastern and southeastern U.S., and a performance at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. Centaur Records released the duo’s first CD, “Dances, Songs, Inventions,” in early 2010, and Summit Records released their new CD, “Gone Away” in July 2011. Individually, both Slotkin and Butterfield have appeared in concert in some of the most prestigious venues throughout the world.
