Biography/History
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"At
turns mesmerizing, playful, humorous and wistful, Gilewitz is a master
of moods when he speaks to audiences through his guitar. He's always
at the service of his inner voice, which has a sneaky way of connecting
directly to the listener's heart."
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Composing and performing a kaleidoscopic
mixture of instrumental selections for the guitar, Richard Gilewitz is an
internationally acclaimed 
soloperformer
who forges a new voice to include the expanse of his influences. His complex
and energetic original works become stories from the guitar and deliver invitations
to each listener to take a journey with him through the past and present realm
of guitar music.
Incorporating his own personality and orchestration into a sound tunnel of timeless musical history, Richard delivers a musical pallet filled with colorful imagery of samples from European, Contemporary, and Spanish Classical works to the Traditional Folk, Blues and American Primitive eras. Combining both standard and unique tunings with his interpretations, every single note is treated as an individual character in a society of notes. As he achieves a sound that is very distinctive, it is apparent that Richard's own DNA is reflected in his playing.
He began honing his skills both as a performer and composer during the late 1970's at the University of Alabama, playing the local coffeehouse circuit while pursing degrees in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Music. Following graduation, Richard placed his music career in the background and joined the business world of flight simulation design, telemetry and satellite systems. Soon the pull of his passion for music was so compelling that Richard left corporate life to teach and perform full time.
The 1980's brought Richard to Florida where he released his first LP recording, Somewhere In Between. He has released four more CD recordings; Voluntary Solitary, Synapse Collapse, The Music of David Walbert and Thumbsing, plus an instructional guitar video, and a self produced solo instrumental collection. In collaboration with Mel Bay Publications, some of Richard's new and on-going projects include regular contributions to Guitar Sessions, his new Acoustic Fingerstyle Workshop Book, an instructional/performance DVD, and inclusion in the Master Anthology of Fingerstyle Guitar Solos Volume 3.
As an educator as well as a performer, Richard is sought after for his popular Dealer Clinic Program Series on behalf of several major instrument and sound manufacturers. Crisscrossing the world for the last decade, Richard combines this concert and workshop schedule with his Meet the Artist -- Music in the Schools Enrichment Program ® as he meets in intimate class room settings and assemblies with elementary, middle school, high school and college students. Richard also continues to offer private lessons to students as well as opportunities for in-residence workshops.
He continues to be a contributing writer for Mel Bay Publications on-line magazine, Guitar Sessions®, and for a number of trade magazines. International Public Radio fans often sample Richard's wit and zany outlook on life on syndicated shows such as RTE Lyric Radio of Ireland, BBC radio of Northern Ireland, National Radio New Zealand, as well as numerous local radio shows in the United States.
States the May/June 2002 issue of Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, "To say Richard Gilewitz has a unique personality would be an understatement. His quick wit and twisted sense of humor has made him an entertainer as well as a fine guitarist. He interacts with his audience as he puts it; ‘the whole room is in concert.’ Whether it’s a workshop or concert, Richard leaves his audience with a unique experience."
As one of the most graceful fingerstyle guitarists on the contemporary acoustic scene, Gilewitz stands out in his command of the 6 and 12-string guitar. His offbeat sense of humor and amazing tales from the road captivate audiences whether he is playing a solo performance or sharing the stage with other artists. He has appeared in concert with John Renbourn, Mose Allison, John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Norman Blake, Kenny G, Adrian Legg, The Little River Band, David Bromberg, Taj Mahal, Greg Brown, John Hammond, Steve Morse, Patty Larkin, The Indigo Girls, Joe Ely, Rory Block, America, Mike Cross, Sonny Landreth, Maria Muldaur, Jane Siberry, and Jorma Kaukonen.