Classical Guitar - Amanda Cook

Dubbed ‘the queen of the guitar’ by Brazilian guitarist and composer, Nato Lima, classical guitarist Amanda Cook is fast establishing herself as a leading performer. She has played the Wigmore Hall and the Southbank and been critically acclaimed for the eclectic breadth of her repertoire. Tonight she comes to Lewes as the finale to the all day guitar show at the All Saints. Cook first picked up the guitar when she was just seven, she tells me over the phone from her house in London. “My father was a blues guitarist”, she says, “so there were always guitars lying around the house, and records which I loved to listen to”. Soon, after starting lessons, she found her niche with the classical guitar, and Cook credits her current skill with the strength of teaching which she received at such an early age. “Most people start off playing a bit of rock but I was really lucky to have a teacher that made me realise the scope of classical guitar”. Is she also unusual in being a female in her field? I ask. “Yes, but it’s not just with classical guitar” she says. “There are more male guitarists generally. Guitars are still quite male-oriented instruments. But I also play in a trio with two other girls which is great fun and it’s good for people to see three female guitarists on stage”. Tonight though, Cook will play solo, and promises a “mixed programme”. “I like to give audiences a range, so there will be a real variety of styles - from Mozart to Latin American”. As for the venue? “I love Lewes”, she says enthusiastically. “In fact, I’m actually thinking of moving here”. ER