Guitarist Gilles Larrain will join Chamber Music Kauai

KAPAA — Flamenco guitar has been a passion of Gilles Larrain for most of his life, and he will be playing this weekend with Chamber Music Kauai.

The ensemble will perform its spring concerts at St. Michael and All Angels Church at 7 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.

Among the soloists and group pieces will be Larrain, also an accomplished photographer and artist. After moving to Kauai from New York four years ago, Larrian has joined forces with the ensemble, where he finds solace in his music.

“Flamenco guitar is one of my passions. I can communicate energy and sounds. I performed with (Chamber music Kauai) already once and it was quite well done,” Larrain said. “We’re having this concert and they want me to enter there with a segment of flamenco, which is not written down — it’s improvised. It’s a very different world.”

Larrain called flamenco guitar the “poison to the antidote or the antidote to the poison” due to the complexity and creativity behind its improvisation.

“Improvisation with another musician has always been fascinating for me. It’s like discussion and talking, getting to know another person through vibrations and sounds. We are vibrations,” Larrain said. “Vibration is the key to energy, creativity communication, don’t forget passion because that’s what Flamenco is about: passion.”

Since being introduced to flamenco guitar in 1960, Larrain’s desire for the music and dance has never diminished.

“It’s like I got a virus or something. I like sounds. I like what I see and I like what I hear. We have two senses, powerful senses. People look but cannot always see. Seeing is different than looking. Same thing for the ear. You can hear things, but cannot decipher the quality of the sounds. These two activities are every parallel, but somehow to me, they’re complimentary.”

Admission to the spring concerts is free but cash donations will be accepted.