A Classical Bridge to Metal— From Classical Symphonies to Screaming Guitars

When:
Saturday, Jan 10, 2026 5:00p -
6:30p

Where:
Follen Church
755 Massachusetts Ave
Lexington, Ma 01776

EventScheduled OfflineEventAttendanceMode

Admission:
$20

Hosted by:
portella Angel

Categories:
Good for Groups, History, Lectures & Conferences, Music

Event website:
https://lexingtoncommunityed.org/class/tim-pence/

How did we get from the 18th Century Symphonies of Mozart and Hayden to the Classically influenced harmony and scales of Savatage and Uli John Roth in the late 70s? What connects the violin and bow of Paganini to Yngwie Malmsteen’s Stratocaster and Marshall stacks? What laid the groundwork musically and what set the path in terms of instrumental technique? There are so many connections and commonalities between heavy metal and Western classical music: some examples include certain aspects of rhythm and harmony, the use of percussion, vocal styles, and a whole range of lyrical themes including spirituality both dark and bright, political promotion, political protest, and storytelling of epic grandeur! Through lecture and performance we will explore various pieces and excerpts and demonstrate techniques on various guitars from classical guitar to 8-string electric. Tim will bring it full circle by giving a demonstration of a classical work played on electric guitar, a practice in certain styles of metal, most overtly showing connection and homage!


Tim Pence is a guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator, who has performed throughout the U.S. and whose music has been performed around the world. His music has been performed by groups such as the Galveston Symphony, The Chagall Performance Arts Collaborative, The Triton Brass Quintet, and The New Lullaby Project, in venues from Boston’s Jordan Hall to the Lyon Opera House in France. His guitar music has been performed across the U.S. and also in Canada, France, Greece, and Russia by numerous guitarists including Robert P. Sullivan, Socrates Leptos, and the ALC Project whose recording Drifting featured one of Pence’s pieces, The Sleeping Guitar, called by the American Record Guide (Jan/Feb 2022 Edition) “lovely, very welcome.” He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he majored in classical guitar performance under the tutelage of David Leisner. 


Share this event

Add to:

Reddit
01/10/2026 17:00:00 01/10/2026 18:30:00 America/New_York A Classical Bridge to Metal— From Classical Symphonies to Screaming Guitars <p>How did we get from the 18th Century Symphonies of Mozart and Hayden to the Classically influenced harmony and scales of Savatage and Uli John Roth in the late 70s? What connects the violin and ...

https://www.thebostoncalendar.com/events/a-classical-bridge-to-metal-from-classical-symphonies-to-screaming-guitars Follen Church, Lexington, Ma 01776 false MM/DD/YYYY

Sponsored events