BIO
Dennis Costa has been featured as a performer at the Guitar Foundation of America Festival in Milwaukee, the Garden Theater Festival in Los Angeles, the RISD Winter Concert Series, the American Mandolin and Guitar Summer School in Bristol, the Schoenberg Institute in Los Angeles, Jordan Hall in Boston, the Cape Cod Museum of Art and others. In addition to initial jazz studies at Berklee College of Music, Dennis received a B.M. Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Southern California where he studied with James Smith, Pepe Romero, Gabor Rejto and others. He has served on the faculties of Los Angeles Pierce College, East Los Angeles College, the Community College of Rhode Island and Salve Regina University in Newport RI. He released his recording "Echoes of a Century" in 2021 with saxophonist Bruce Abbott. In addition to performing and teaching, Dennis Costa has been the owner and manager at Wakefield Music Co. in South Kingstown, Rhode Island since 1991.
CONCERT & RECITAL PROGRAMS
Dennis Costa is available for concerts and recitals. Most programs consist of either a one-part (45-60 minutes) or a full program with intermission (90-100 minutes). Potential venues for programs include concert series, libraries, schools, art galleries
and home concerts. Call or email for rates and booking information.
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Sample Programs
Four Centuries of Guitar Music
Features music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century Periods highlighting works by various composers
including Dowland, Bach, Couperin, Purcell, Weiss, Sor, Tarrega, Albeniz, Debussy, Satie, Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Barrios, Brouwer and others
20th Century Music of the Americas
Music from the United States, Central and South America in a variety of styles including Jazz, Classical and Traditional Music.
Features compositions by Scott Joplin, George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk, Leonard Bernstein, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luis Bonfa, Carlos Gardel,
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Antonio Lauro, Astor Piazzolla, Augustin Barrios and others
Music of Spain
Program highlighting 400 years of Spanish solo guitar music featuring works by Isaac Albeniz, Fernando Sor, Francisco Tarrega, Luis Milan, Gaspar Sanz, Manuel De Falla, Luis de Narvaez, Miguel Llobet, Andres Segovia, Frederico Moreno-Torroba and others.
A World of Strings
A solo program featuring a variety of instruments including nylon, steel and 12-string guitars,
19th century parlor guitar, Renaissance lute, archtop jazz guitar and a variety of ukuleles!
In addition to some of the jazz and classical composers from the other programs, popular composers such as the Beatles,
Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, Sting and others are featured as well.
Fifty Years Ago Today - Remembering the 60's
An eclectic program featuring Dennis in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Steve DeConti interpreting the music of the 1960's on a wide array of instruments including guitar, flute, ukulele, harmonica, mandolin, bass and vocals. In addition to the "British" and "Brazilian" invasions during the decade, American pop and folk music, jazz, and movie music selections are explored highlighting a wide variety of artists including the Beatles, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Wes Montgomery, Henry Mancini, Quincy Jones, Horace Silver, Burt Bachrach, Mason Williams, Joni Mitchell and more
and home concerts. Call or email for rates and booking information.
_____________
Sample Programs
Four Centuries of Guitar Music
Features music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century Periods highlighting works by various composers
including Dowland, Bach, Couperin, Purcell, Weiss, Sor, Tarrega, Albeniz, Debussy, Satie, Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Barrios, Brouwer and others
20th Century Music of the Americas
Music from the United States, Central and South America in a variety of styles including Jazz, Classical and Traditional Music.
Features compositions by Scott Joplin, George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk, Leonard Bernstein, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luis Bonfa, Carlos Gardel,
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Antonio Lauro, Astor Piazzolla, Augustin Barrios and others
Music of Spain
Program highlighting 400 years of Spanish solo guitar music featuring works by Isaac Albeniz, Fernando Sor, Francisco Tarrega, Luis Milan, Gaspar Sanz, Manuel De Falla, Luis de Narvaez, Miguel Llobet, Andres Segovia, Frederico Moreno-Torroba and others.
A World of Strings
A solo program featuring a variety of instruments including nylon, steel and 12-string guitars,
19th century parlor guitar, Renaissance lute, archtop jazz guitar and a variety of ukuleles!
In addition to some of the jazz and classical composers from the other programs, popular composers such as the Beatles,
Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, Sting and others are featured as well.
Fifty Years Ago Today - Remembering the 60's
An eclectic program featuring Dennis in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Steve DeConti interpreting the music of the 1960's on a wide array of instruments including guitar, flute, ukulele, harmonica, mandolin, bass and vocals. In addition to the "British" and "Brazilian" invasions during the decade, American pop and folk music, jazz, and movie music selections are explored highlighting a wide variety of artists including the Beatles, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Wes Montgomery, Henry Mancini, Quincy Jones, Horace Silver, Burt Bachrach, Mason Williams, Joni Mitchell and more