She is a classical guitarist who started her studies in the guitar when she was six years old and later took her studies for her Bachelor and Masters degrees and Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore.
She is a member Duo Erato with Martha Masters , who started to work together after they were both prizewinners at the Guitar Foundation of America International Solo Competition. Risa has also won prizes at the 1995 National Guitar Summer Workshop Competition in 1995 and the Baltimore Chamber Music Award in 1997.
Performing as a soloist and chamber musician she has appeared at concerts and music festivals all over the United States and the acclaimed Duo Erato album, Musings, was released in October 2005. She has also premiered several new works such as “Serenata for solo guitar” by Bruno Amato and “I Loved Lucy” by Michael Daugherty.
In the field of musical education she has given lectures and masterclasses at festivals that include the Alexandria Guitar Festival, the UTB Guitar Ensemble Festival and the Manuel Barrueco Masterclass. As a teacher she is Chair in Levine School of Music’s Guitar Department in Washington DC.
Duo Erato recordings
El Puerto (Isaac Albeniz)
GSP 1029 (CD: Musings)
Here she is as part of Duo Erato performing Ernesto Cordero’s “Sonatina Tropical”..
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