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PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTIST

SOLSTICE SONGS. Guitarist Andre Feriante will play a concert at Urban Grace at 8 p. m. June 20.

Guitarist to celebrate onset of summer with concert

By John Larson

Seattle guitarist Andre Feriante’s musical foundation is classical music. Over time he has listened to and learned from a variety of musical genres, developing a style that incorporates numerous influences.

Feriante’s father is Italian, a sailor who later changed careers to become a minister and missionary. His mother grew up in Prosser, a small town in the Yakima Valley of eastern Washington.

Feriante was born in Naples. The family moved to Manziana, a small town not far from Rome.

He was at a summer camp when he was nine and a friend asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. For some reason he said he wanted to become a flamenco guitarist. “It was definitely there in my subconscious,” he recalled.

He began playing the instrument at age 14. Some of his early interest was sparked by a friend of his father’s who turned the young boy on to the work of American guitarist Chet Atkins.

Feriante learned some techniques from a gypsy flamenco guitarist in his hometown. He learned to play Arlo Guthrie’s classic folk/rock tune “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree.” He became more serious and began taking lessons in Rome as a teenager.

He attended many classical concerts growing up. “I experienced a lot of rich culture,” he said. “I sort of took it for granted.” Seeing a flamenco guitar group perform at a school is one concert that stands out for Feriante. Another was a performance by the late Andres Segovia, a legendary classical guitarist.

Feriante wanted to study under Segovia. He sent in audition tapes several times when he was around 20. He studied under one of Segovia’s assistants in the Canary Islands. In 1983 Feriante was one of 10 guitarists selected for a special workshop with Segovia in Madrid, Spain.

He was quite nervous when he arrived to play before the master, but he relaxed once he began playing. “It almost felt like I was playing for my dad,” he remarked. “I sensed that he enjoyed what I was doing, which helped me to play better.”

Feriante did not have much exposure to rock music growing up. Church music is what was usually playing in the Feriante household. “We had a pretty religious home,” he observed. “My knowledge of rock music has occurred as an adult.”

Every few years when he was growing up he visited Prosser and other places in the Northwest. When Feriante was 17 his parents moved to Yakima. He considered staying in Italy, but felt he was a bit too young to live on his own. He spent some time there, then went to South America to continue his music studies, including several years with Henry Rivas in Bogota, Columbia.

He moved to Spokane, where he worked teaching music at Whitworth College. In 1988 he decided he wanted to be based in a larger city so he moved to Seattle.

Over the past 20 years he has released seven CDs. His touring has taken him all around the United States, Europe and South America. Last summer he headlined a concert in his former hometown of Manziana.

This past February he performed his 10th annual Valentine’s Day concert at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. His next release will be a DVD of the performance, titled “Live at Benaroya: 10-Year Anniversary Show.”  

Feriante played a show at the former First Baptist Church (now Urban Grace) about 10 years ago. His brother was the minister at the church at the time. He is excited to return to the venue for a show there that will celebrate the eve of the Summer Solstice. A portion of proceeds from the concert will go to Washington Women in Need, a nonprofit organization that funds education and health care for low-income women around the state.

Feriante has played fundraisers for the organization in the past. “I think it is a good cause.”

Those who attend will learn how, over time, Feriante has absorbed various styles of music into his repertoire. In addition to his flamenco guitar work, the concert will delve into some Brazilian styles. He has some original material for acoustic, steel-stringed guitar inspired by Irish music. He will break out an electric guitar for some material that may remind the audience of rock guitarist Carlos Santana.

Among the artists he has come to admire over the years are Bob Dylan, Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen.

“I have moved beyond the dogma of the classical world,” he said with a laugh. “Now I love all kinds of music. I think all music is healing.”

Andre Feriante performs at Urban Grace, located at the corner of Market and South 9th streets in downtown Tacoma, at 8 p.m. June 20.

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