User:Ric Ickard

Growing up in the Philippines, Richard Alcoy, who adopted the stage name Ric *Ickard, started playing guitar at the age of eight by studying the recordings of Andres Segovia, Laurindo Almeida, Charlie Byrd, Jim Hall and Chet Atkins. At seventeen, he began performing guitar concerts. Until he began formal studies at St. Paul College in Manila, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in music education, he was entirely self- taught. At graduation, his alma mater presented him a special award in musical performance. He won first prize in both classical and jazz guitar competitions in the 1980 Philippine Guitar Festival, and was the first guitarist to ever win both categories - all on the same day. Ric's talents blossomed as a young artist. The Philippine government granted him a scholarship to study classical guitar. Ric have performed in many five-star hotels and cruise ships. Aside from performing around the world, Ric is a regularly featured artist at the annual Chet Atkins Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, the Pasadena's Guitar Nights, as well as the Association of Fingerstyle Guitarists. After moving to the United States, based in Los Angeles, Ric continued to pursue his music career doing solo concerts, arranging/producing/performing with artists such as Charmaine Clamor, Florante, Tateng Katindig, Mon David and at the same time, expanding to other activities such as playing master classes to such notables as Scott Tennant and David Grimes.

In 2006, Naxos took his talent into world attention by releasing a CD called "Popular Guitar Music Of The Philippines". He currently has four CDs available, all of which contain wonderful guitar REVIEWS:

"You got a great technique and your classical expertise is excellent!" - Nato Lima of "Los Indios Tabajaras" "Ric excels in both Chet style and classical music. He first brought his talents to Chet Atkins Appreciation Society in 1992 and has impressed us with his gentle and articulate guitar styles. - Chet Atkins Appreciation Society "Ric Ickard is now gaining an international reputation establishing a concert career in United States and abroad. He is a unique and passionate guitarist with ample technique and musicality" - Douglas Back, concert artist

"Ric is a delight to listen to and very talented. He made his playing look easy. He had everyone cheering and hollerin' with delight. - Association of Fingerstyle Guitarists (www.afg.org)

"Ric Ickard deserves congratulations on an outstanding projects. They are excellent in every way - the playing, choice of material and superb sound quality. His CDs represent a tasteful blend of styles from classical to folk to jazz. He is talented many times over. - Pat Kirtley, guitarist and producer

"His varied repertoire covers a broad musical spectrum, amply demonstrated on all his CDs. In public, you never know what to expect next from him. One moment he will be picking like Chet Atkins, the next like Lenny Breau or Segovia. - Burt Zeldin, guitarist and scientist (Cassini Project-Saturn)

"It's a wonder how anyone could evoke so many moods and feelings from a guitar. And to move a listener!! Wow! That's a real gift. And the agility of your fingers and the wit of your sounds, playful one time, haunting the next. Where have you been hiding? ... More people should hear your musical genius