Duo Ruiz-Torres Classical Guitarists Offer September 9 Serenade

MILWAUKEE - Aug. 10, 2017 - PRLog -- Classical guitars produce music of incomparable beauty. The acoustical reverberations have such an intimate quality that can lead listeners to believe the serenade is all for them. It is just as easy to be mesmerized visually as well, becoming absorbed by the musician's fingering and strumming.

On Saturday, September 9, at 7 p.m., all are invited to enjoy the fine duets rendered by two young artists completely dedicated to their craft and trained by the best in their field. The classical ensemble of Duo Ruiz-Torres will be performing "The Romance of Spanish Guitars" in St. Joseph Hall to welcome in Hispanic Heritage Month. Featuring music from Latin America and Europe, these performers will surely win the hearts of their audience with many styles of music, including baroque, romantic, tango, and pre-bossa nova.

The recital will be held at St. Joseph Center, 1501 South Layton Blvd. (27^th St. and Greenfield Ave.), Milwaukee. The School Sisters of St. Francis are sponsoring the duo as an outreach event honoring the musical arts (an important part of the sisters' legacy) and the Latino culture of their convent's surrounding neighborhood. Both musicians are Puerto Rican born and completed graduate-level musical studies in Milwaukee.

Jone Ruiz began his studies in his home country's Interamerican University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in classical guitar. He completed his master's degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, studying under renowned guitarist Rene Izquierdo. He has performed nationwide, and participates in guitar competitions throughout the country. In 2015, he was a classical guitar semi-finalist at the Wilson Center Guitar Competition, competing with professionals from around the globe. He also teaches full time for the Latino Arts Strings Program, and maintains a private teaching studio in the city's Bay View neighborhood.

Héctor Alfonso Torres started his guitar studies at the Preparatory School of the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory. He completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras and, like Ruiz, earned his master's at UWM under the tutelage of Izquierdo.  He is currently a doctoral candidate of musical arts at the University of North Texas in Denton, where he serves as a teaching fellow of classical guitar and instructs students of all ages in his private studio. He has concertized nationwide as well as in Puerto Rico, Spain, and China. He has received top prizes at international guitar competitions, including the Baldwin Wallace International Guitar Festival near Cleveland, Ohio, and the Mountain View Guitar Festival in Dallas, Texas.

Both Ruiz and Torres have performed in master classes for some of the world's leading guitarists, including Jorge Caballero and Martha Masters. Their musical partnership was formed during their graduate studies at UWM, and the September 9 recital reunites them for a special one-time performance on the city's south side. Tickets are just $10. Write checks to: School Sisters of St. Francis—Outreach; c/o Donna O'Loughlin; 1501 South Layton Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53215. Or call to reserve tickets at 414-385-5272, or email doloughlin@sssf.org. Convenient free parking is available in the St. Joseph Center lot at 29^th St. and Orchard St.

About The School Sisters of St. Francis

The School Sisters of St. Francis are an international community of Catholic sisters who unite with others to build a just and peaceful world. Founded in 1874, they now have sisters, associates, staff, donors, and volunteers actively working to address the needs of those who are poor and marginalized by society. Their mission is thriving throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and India. In the U.S., School Sisters live and minister in 15 states, addressing needs in education, holistic wellness and healing, and pastoral ministry, spiritual growth, social justice, and the arts. For more information about the School Sisters of St. Francis, please visit www.sssf.org.