Dana Chivers (Guitar)

Born: Los Angeles, California, USA

The American virtuoso guitarist, Dana Chivers, has, since the 1960's, lived and performed in Europe. In addition to performance studies with José Tomás in Spain, where he also attended the Segovia Masterclasses, he studied composition, theory and interpretation with Nadia Boulanger and Jean Catoire and later interpretation with Miriam Solovieff in Paris. His active career spans thirty years during which he has played concerti, many recitals and chamber music concerts.

During the 1970’s Dana Chivers briefly flirted with a career in writing film music, signing notably the score for Pour Memoire by Jean Daniel Pollet that was chosen in the French contingent of films and seen at the Festival International de Cannes. His interest in theatrical works have led him to conceive evenings of guitar and voice around the works of Juan Ramon Jimenez’s, Platero y Yo.

Dana Chivers' London debut in 1985, featured three impromptus written especially for him by the Polish composer, Piotr Moss. Often aware of currents before their time, his interest in early 19^th century guitar chamber music led to the world premier of Wenzl Thomas Matiegka recording, in London, for Erasmus in 1987. The recording has been highly regarded on both sides of the Atlantic. He has recently recorded Matiegka's Op 19 & 22 for guitar and violin with David Chivers.

Dana Chivers has been heard on live and pre-recorded programmes on syndicated radio in the USA, Classic FM and the BBC in Great Britain, Radio Suisse Romande.

Over the last decade Dana Chivers has performed more that 300 concerts with his son the violinist David Chivers under the name of the Chivers Duo in Europe and the USA.

Source: CD Baby Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (February 2009)

Dana Chivers: Short Biography | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

The Chivers Duo (Official Website)

David Hartland Chivers (Official Website)