We enjoyed a very special event in Soap Lake, Washington! On Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 4:00 pm, we presented a brand new work written for us by renowned composer Martin Kennedy. Co-commissioned with the Friends of the Lower Grand Coulee, this wonderful new piece evokes the magnificent landscape carved out by the Missoula Floods some 15,000 years ago.

We recently discussed the piece and the commisioning process with Scott Cowan on the Explore Washington podcast.

It was paired with the premiere of the last movement of Michael Young’s “Prelude Music” and our new favorite piece from the archives, an early nineteenth-century suite by Portuguese composer A. de Abreu.

A generous grant from the Ellensburg Art Commission is funding a performance and recording of new music written for the Caulkins Guitar Duo. This is slated for our Guitar in the Gallery concert at Gallery One in Ellensburg on Sunday at 2:00, October 20, 2024 – stay tuned!

In 2020, we were awarded a grant through the Friends of the Grand Coulee to engage composer Martin Kennedy to write a suite for two guitars. Neil and Tamara set out on their tandem bicycle along with Martin (also an avid cyclist) to experience the Grand Coulee area. Inspired by the magnificent terrain, Martin wrote Dry Falls a six movement suite that portrays the magnificence of the Lower Grand Coulee landscape.

Andy Kovach, President of Friends of the Lower Grand Coulee, said this event is exactly how we want to promote creativity and build connections in the small, rural communities of Soap Lake and the Lower Grand Coulee

IN OTHER NEWS: Neil presented his research on nineteenth-century cadenzas at the Northwest Guitar Festival in Yakima, WA, on Saturday, April 6, 2024. You may ask, “What are cadenzas?!” Cadenzas are virtuosic improvised sections of music either in the middle of a piece or at the end. Every performer of 19th century music should have a few in their back pocket! You can also read about cadenzas in the article Neil published in the latest issue of Soundboard magazine (join the Guitar Foundation of America GFA to download his article). Tamara adjudicated the first round of the Adult competition.

Stay tuned for the next NW Guitar Festival for concerts, workshops, and competitions. It will take place in West Seattle in Spring, 2025, hosted by Michael Partington and friends.