Tonar Music, the Baltimore-based record company that specializes in guitar music, has an impressive track record for attracting Grammy attention.
Tonar's first release, Manuel Barrueco's "Solo Piazzolla," received a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Soloist in 2008. In 2009, "Inca Dances," a work by Gabriela Lena Frank included on a Tonar release called "Sounds of the Americas" featuring Barrueco and the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, won a Latin Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.
And now, Tonar has just earned another Latin Grammy nomination for Best Classical Contemporary Composition, this time for "Maracaípe" by Sergio Assad, a piece written for, dedicated to and performed by the Beijing Guitar Duo of Meng Su and Yameng Wang. They teamed up while studying at the Peabody Conservatory, where they were mentored by Barrueco. You can hear a clip of "Maracaípe" on the Duo's Web site.
Meanwhile, here's a sample of the elegant guitarists playing some Scarlatti: