[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 134 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO FRANCESC DE PAULA SOLER

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. JOS[Eacute] E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2002

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I welcome, once 
again, Mr. Francesc de Paula Soler, the gifted and prolific guitarist 
who played for us last fall at the Library of Congress. He is a world-
renowned instrumentalist who will grace the Library of Congress for the 
second time on October 29, 2002.
  Last year's concert soothed and lifted the spirits of those who 
attended, and this one will no doubt have the same effects. We learned 
first-hand why de Paula Soler is known throughout the world as the 
``Poet of the Guitar.''
  Born in Spain, to a family of artists, Francesc de Paula Soler grew 
up with the guitar. He received a rigorous and intense training with 
the classical instrument. As the student of two legendary guitarists, 
And[eacute]s Segovia and Narciso Yepes, de Paula Soler has become a 
legend in his own right.
  He has played music halls and auditoriums throughout the United 
States and Europe, mesmerizing audiences of all ages and from all walks 
of life. Francesc de Paula Soler has been hard at work on his second 
album and CD called ``El Polifemo de Oro,'' which is dedicated entirely 
to Spanish music for guitar. The musician has also been working on his 
next book ``Guitar Technique Manual,'' because he takes his role as a 
mentor and teacher as seriously as his role as a guitarist. Amazingly, 
Mr. Soler has managed to work on his album and book while filling a 
busy tour schedule. He also instructs students in Master Classes and 
Seminaries that he offers in the ``Ctedra Ferran Sors'' and in the 
``Escola Catalana de Guitarra.''
  I am grateful that Francese de Paula Soler has returned to 
Washington, DC to play for us again and urge all of my colleagues to 
come and enjoy an afternoon of his enchanted melodies.

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