Slava Grigoryan Interview

August 2022

Ahead of Slava's two sold-out shows at UKARIA with Paco Peña and brother Lenny, Acting Communications Manager Ben Nicholls talked to him about working with Paco, the importance of collaboration, and creating opportunities for future generations.

I understand that your first international tour was with Paco. How did that come about?

I was 18 years old, had just finished high school and my first album ‘Spirit of Spain’ had just been released on the Sony label. It was my first year of being a freelance performer. Clifford Hocking and David Vigo were promoting a ‘Great Guitars’ tour which was billed to feature Paco Peña, Leo Kottke and Pepe Romero. Unfortunately, Pepe cancelled his involvement with only a few days notice as his father was very unwell. I was very fortunate to have been asked to step in and represent the ‘classical’ component within this performance.

How did it feel, as a teenager, to be sharing the stage with those guitar icons?
I was terrified! Both Paco and Leo (and Pepe of course) were hugely inspirational to me and sharing the stage with them in what was literally an overnight set of circumstances was incredibly surprising. It was certainly my ‘lucky break’. I’d gone from playing small churches and guitar societies to some of the biggest stages in Australia. After this tour I promptly returned to the small stages where I very much belonged, but the experience was unforgettable.

And this upcoming collaboration with Paco and Lenny, how long has this been in planning?

Lenny and I got to tour with Paco in 2017 as part of the first ‘Guitarra’ tour which also featured Phil Manning and Jim Pennell. It was a thrill to reconnect with him after so many years and we talked about wanting to do it all again soon. And, here we are!

You seem to effortlessly meld with so many different musicians, ensembles, and organisations, across genres. What is it about musical collaborations that inspires you?

I think that playing with musicians is the ultimate way of learning and is something that I treasure the most in this profession. Traditionally the classical guitar tends to be a very solitary instrument and I’ve done everything possible to get away from that. Surrounding myself with players who I can continue learning from is a constant reality check and endlessly inspiring!

Collaboration and mentorship strike me as strong themes of your programming with the Adelaide Guitar Festival. What drives this holistic approach to programming and music making?

I guess that for me, deep down, this is all about connection with audiences and future generations of artists. Creating unique experiences on stage so that audiences can experience something truly unforgettable goes hand in hand with providing opportunities for young players so that they can develop new ideas for themselves into the future. The guitar festival has no limits on genre and history so it really is a blank canvas for connection and the creation of new musical experiences.