Name Ron Purcell | Role Guitarist | |
Died September 7, 2011, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, United States | ||
Jimmy Stewart Concerto no 1
Ronald Charles Purcell (October 5, 1932 – September 7, 2011) was an American guitarist, with degrees from the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, California State University, Northridge. He was Professor Emeritus of the Department of Music at California State University, Northridge and Director of the International Guitar Research Archive. His major teachers included Andrés Segovia, Emilio Pujol, Macario Santiago Kastner, Alirio Diaz and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, whose Hommage to Purcell, Op. 170, No. 38 is dedicated to him.
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Purcell was born in Santa Clara, California.
He produced recordings with Klavier Records and El Maestro Records and published two books and numerous performance editions with Chanterelle, Warner/Chappell (formerly Belwin-Mills) and editions with Mel Bay Publishing Co. including the complete works of Miguel Llobet and works by Laurindo Almeida. Purcell wrote many articles for various organizations and societies. He served as the first president and later as a board member for Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) and as editor for the American String Teachers Association, Guitar Division, ASTA Journal. He was the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the American Guitar Society and Director of The International Guitar Research Archive, IGRA. Purcell was elected Vice President to the Board of Directors for the Augustine Foundation in New York City.
Purcell resided in Sherman Oaks, and spent his free time playing golf and developing The International Guitar Research Archive. He suffered a massive stroke in June 2011. He succumbed to secondary infections and multiple organ failure on September 7, 2011 at the age of 78.