Guitarist-Composer Jeffry Hamilton Steel
Genre: classical
Location: Gloucester Massachusetts
Member since: May 01, 2000
Status: Regular Member
Webpage: http://jeffrysteele.com
Out of rock guitar beginnings, Jeffry Hamilton Steele developed into a solo recitalist on the classical guitar -- his principal teachers being Phillip de Fremery and David Starobin. While residing in Boston, he worked with singers and contemporary chamber ensembles (Griffin Ensemble, Tanglewood's Fromm Festival, Peter Sellars Productions, Dinosaur Annex), at the same time composing and transcribing many works for his own flute-viola-guitar trio Primary Colors. He produced a number of topical chamber pieces -- involving slides and dramatic readings -- which he brought to the public in a series of Central America benefit concerts. He formed Por la Paz to bring further topical pieces to schools and colleges. Shifting his focus to children, he taught music in the K-8 classroom for a few years and performed his 50 Ways to Play Guitar show for many schools around New England.
Currently, Steele devotes his time to performing, composing, recording and teaching guitar privately. He has returned to Gloucester, MA -- city of his birth -- where he belongs to the Unitarian-Universalist Church and preaches from time to time. His composition credits include television, film, theater and dance productions -- and he is particularly known locally for his collaborations with choreographer Carl Thomsen. He is on the Massachusetts Touring Roster (administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts) and has six CDs out -- five on his own Prism label and one on Centaur Records.