“Astounding technical proficiency and artistic delicacy”
– Boston Music intelligencer
Biography
"Aaron is a unique talent not to be
missed"
– Washington Post
Acclaimed international recording and touring guitarist and composer Aaron Larget-Caplan is an exciting and innovative leader in classical music. Noted as a "master guitarist" by Fanfare and for his “astounding technical proficiency and artistic delicacy” by the Boston Musical Intelligencer, Larget-Caplan has performed throughout the USA Europe, Russia, and Taiwan, including El Palacio de Linares in Madrid, Spain, Sheremetev Palace in Russia, and Palazzo del Te & Ducale in Mantova, Italy.
At 16 he made his debut at the Tabor Opera House and has since premiered over 120 solo and chamber compositions, soloed with orchestras, directed concert series, created commissioning endeavors, curated and published three anthologies of scores, arranged over 35 solo and chamber works, and brought classical music into schools and communities. A gifted performer and speaker, he is sought for his deft programming of new and standard repertoire, while connecting with audiences with a Bernstein-esque ease. In 2019 Aaron received a medal from the Société Académique Arts-Sciences-Lettres of Paris, France for his trailblazing work in music, and in 2020 was Musician in Residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity.
Mr. Larget-Caplan has 11 critically acclaimed solo albums and over 6-million streams on Tiger Turn and Stone Records (UK): Spanish Gems (2024), Spanish Candy (2023) God's Time: Music of J.S. Bach on Guitar (2022) honey cadence (2022), Drifting (2021), A Guitar Holiday (2021), Nights Transfigured (2020), John. Cage. Guitar. (2018), The Legend of Hagoromo (2015), New Lullaby (2010), Tracing a wheel on water (2006), and he is featured four others as a soloist and chamber music for record labels Albany, Navona, and the American Composers Alliance. The recordings have received critical acclaim from Audiophile, Fanfare, American Record Guide, Guitar Magazine and many more with such response as “stunningly played” (Fanfare), "eclectic and endlessly rewarding release" (Classical Guitar), “A Significant Recording” (Classical Guitar UK), "Master Guitarist" (Fanfare).
Larget-Caplan is the founder of numerous commissioning and performance endeavors, including the New Lullaby Project, which bridges the chasm of fear audiences towards contemporary music and composers to writing for guitar, for who's afraid of a lullaby?! Since 2007 Aaron has premiered 73 new lullabies by 68 different composers from eleven countries. In January 2021, Mr. Larget-Caplan in partnership with the American Composers Alliance began publishing the award winning multi-volume anthology collection ofscores of the New Lullaby Project: volume 1 'Nights Transfigured' and volume 2 'Hushed' features 16. Three albums have been recorded: New Lullaby, Nights Transfigured, and Drifting.
Mr. Larget-Caplan's first album of his own compositions, honey cadence, was released in April 2022 on Tiger Turn, featuring six meditative solos written in December 2021 and January 2022. A score collection is published by the American Comopsers Alliance. The album has become Aaron's most popular with over 3-million streams to date.
His groundbreaking 3 volume series John Cage Guitar arrangements are exclusively published by Edition Peters and are the first officially sanctioned arrangements of Cage for guitar.and include violin-guitar, guitar solo, and prepared guitar duo. The American Record Guide called his transcription of Cage's 'Bacchanale' for two prepared guitar "marvelous". The Guitar Foundation of America wrote: “I would strongly advocate these [Cage] compositions to be performed by young guitarists before they start working on any other contemporary composers." Edition Peters released Aaron's arrangement of 'Mystic Flute' by Alan Hovhaness in April 2024.
Larget-Caplan also performs his own arrangements of Bach, Scarlatti, Rodrigo, and many Spanish composers. Larget-Caplan recently received exclusive permission from the estate of Reynaldo Hahn and Édition Musicales Alphonse Leduc to perform his own arrangements of Hahn’s “Mélodies” for voice and guitar. Upcoming publications include music of Cage, Hahn, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Pascual Marquina.
Mr. Larget-Caplan is currently collaborating with composer Vineet Shende of Bowdoin College for his multi-movement choir & guitar work Pravasa (migration in Sanskrit) and his 12 Carnatic Preludes, After J.S. Bach, a re-imagining of Bach preludes from the Well-Tempered Clavier as if Bach were from South India (Carnatic music). Each prelude is paired with an Aaron's arrangement of Bach's keyboard prelude.
Larget-Caplan is the founder of the ensemble ¡Con Fuego! (With Fire!), a passionate cross-fertilization of flamenco dance and Spanish classical music featuring acclaimed dancer La Conja and guest cellists.
Larget-Caplan is the diretor and curator of Now Musique, which explores the new and neglected in the recital format. After a sucessful debut in 2019, it has since held over a dozen performances and received multiple grants. From 2010-2014 Aaron directed Greater Boston House Concerts presenting 23 international artists.
Larget-Caplan's published articles include: “Have Guitar, Will Travel – To Russia With Love”, The Triangle of Mu Phi Epsilon, and “Meet the Luthier with Sicilian Builder Franco Marino”, Boston Classical Guitar Society Quarterly. Interviews of Aaron include “Building a career through talent and savvy”, The Triangle, and “On the Trail with Lullaby Hunter, Aaron Larget-Caplan”, Fanfare Magazine where he was noted for his “enthusiasm and virtuosity”. He has given lectures Being an Artist Entrepreneur in the 21st Century, John Cage Guitar, Writing for Guitar, and Creating Commissioning Projects at universities as well as the Guitar Foundation of America, the 21st Century Guitar Conference, New Music Gathering, and for the international music fraternity ΜΦΕ. His John Cage Guitar and Legend of Hagoromo lectures were accepted to the IGRC in 2019 in Hong Kong. Aaron has appeared on numerous radio and television stations across the US including Conducting Conversations, and Classical Guitar Alive, and held online roundtables on Composing for Guitar.
Mr. Larget-Caplan has received awards and grants from the Société Académique Arts–Sciences–Lettres of France, American Composers Forum, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, New England Foundation for the Arts, American Composers Alliance, New England Conservatory, D’Addario Foundation, Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation, numerous Local Arts Councils, he was awarded as an I.D. LOTT – Identifying Future Leaders of Today and Tomorrow for his artistic and community work in Dorchester, and he was named an ACME Honoree as a distinguished Artist and Educator by the international music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon. A proponent of live classical music in society and arts in education, he gives enrichment programs and artist residencies alongside formal concerts throughout the country and internationally.
Faculty appointments include the Boston Conservatory at Berklee School of Music and the University of Massachusetts Boston. Beginning in autumn 2024, Aaron is on the Adult Education faculty of the New England Conservatory. He gives artist residencies, masterclasses, workshops and lectures across the country, including in Canada, Italy and Russia, for the Guitar Foundation of America, 21st Century Guitar Conference, the International Music Fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon, and the Banff Centre for the Creative Arts. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory where he studied with David Leisner and Eliot Fisk, his principal teacher was Dmitry Goryachev. Larget-Caplan performs on guitars by the French master luthier Olivier Fanton D’Andon and a historic 1957 Manuel Velazquez. He uses Hannabach strings exclusively. Larget-Caplan lives in Boston where he enjoys espresso with his wife, healer and muse, Catherine.
Premieres
| COMPOSER | COMPOSITION | Premiere Year |
| Dennis Bathory-Kitsz | Lullaby for Justin at 21 | 2022 |
| Gregory Biss | Lullaby (after Schumann) | 2016 |
| Hayg Boyadjian | Mi Tango (ver. 2010)* | 2010 |
| Cancion de cuña | 2011 | |
| Stephanie Ann Boyd | Esperanza* | 2018 |
| Lou Bunk | Being and Becoming, guitar-sine wave | 2007 |
| Canary Burton | Whispers* | 2011 |
| John Cage | Six Melodies* (1944), violin-guitar, arr. ALC, Edition Peters, 2015 |
2013 |
| Piano Music for Guitar* (1933-48), arr. ALC I. Three Pieces II. A Room III. Chess Pieces IV. Dream V. In A Landscape Edition Peters, 2017 |
2016 | |
| Bacchanale*, two prepared guitars Edition Peters, 2022, Revere Award winner |
2018 | |
| Wonderful Widow of 18 Springs, voice-guitar | 2019 | |
| Agustín Castilla-Ávila | Perseiden* | 2019 |
| Sam Cave | ...in the soft dark welling... | 2023 |
| Jeannette Chehile | Duo, shakuhachi-guitar | 2015 |
| Carson Cooman | Unfolding the gates of dawn * | 2009 |
| James Dalton | A world of your own* | 2013 |
| Gerard Drozd | Le belle addormentate* | 2011 |
| Jose Elizondo | Lullaby | 2002 |
| Roger Éon | Berceuse* | 2019 |
| Nomi Epstein | Lulebiye | 2008 |
| Lainie Fefferman | Carousel, guitar+max/msp | 2021 |
| Jonathan Feist | No Time* | 2009 |
| Leaky Roof * | 2009 | |
| Daniel Felsenfeld | Only Winter Certainties | 2023 |
| Tom Flaherty | Steps & Leaps, guitar+max/msp | 2021 |
| Alan Fletcher | Lullaby in Three Voices* | 2011 |
| Anthony R. Green | Counting Backwards* | 2020 |
| Kurt Erickson | Whatever you want me to be | 2005 |
| Joshua Hahn | Lullaby | 2009 |
| Reynaldo Hahn | Mélodies, medium voice and guitar | 2018 |
| Colin J.P. Homiski | From From Calamus to Atlantis, narrator and guitar | 2024 |
| Stanley M. Hoffman | Naomi's Lullaby | 2017 |
| Alan Hovhaness | Mystic Flute, arr. ALC | 2019 |
| Curtis Hughes | Lullibule | 2021 |
| Barbara Jazwinski | Dreams, Interrupted... | 2020 |
| Lynn Job | The Sixth Night * | 2009 |
| John Johnstone | Blue Lullaby | 2015 |
| Patricia Julien | After Many Days Without Rain * | 2011 |
| Aaron Larget-Caplan | moving still*, honey cadence*, sweet nuance*, minding play*, hidden anticipation*, slight nuance* Published by American Composers Alliance, 2023 |
2022 |
| Stuff at Night | 2024 | |
| David Leisner | Disturbed a lullaby * | 2007 |
| Stefanie Lubkowski | Drifting* | 2020 |
| Jacob Mashak | Rest, Madrid | 2009 |
| Lulubye* | 2011 | |
| John McDonald | Chamber work 2003 | 2003 |
| Rachel * ensemble | 2003 | |
| You are alone to sleep * | 2009 | |
| Upward * | 2011 | |
| Two Hesitant Duets, op. 566 guitar-shakuhachi | 2015 | |
| Donald McDonnell | Sonata for Alto Flute and Guitar * | 2020 |
| David McMullin | Sleeping Light, Spinning World * | 2016 |
| Kota Nakamura | Sui-hou * | 2010 |
| Koji Nakano | Three Lullabies, from 'Spiritual Forrest' | 2018 |
| Lior Navok | Six for a Dance * | 2001 |
| Tom Nazziola | Lull-a-by-the-sea | 2021 |
| Luis J.R. Obregon | Lament for Guitar | 2021 |
| Ricardo Odriozola | Lullaby for Children of the New World * | 2011 |
| Barnaby Oliver | The Pillow That You Dream On * | 2010 |
| David Patterson | Counting Sheep | 2010 |
| Lullaby for Ewe | 2012 | |
| Ronald Pearl | Berceuse Inquiète | 2021 |
| Tim Pence | The Sleeping Guitar * | 2016 |
| Daniel Pinkham | Two Wind Dances * | 2003 |
| Green Wall & Little Marble Boy, tenor-guitar | 2004 | |
| Kincaid Rabb | Water Lilies | 2020 |
| Štěpán Rak | Lullaby | 2021 |
| Thomas L. Read | The moon through the window shines down * | 2010 |
| Capricci * guitar-string quartet | 2012 | |
| Concert Champêtre *, guitar-cello | 2014 | |
| Traveller's Frolic, guitar-viola | 2020 | |
| Tales From The Virtual World | 2022 | |
| Antonio Celso Ribeiro | Three Vintage Portraits of Exquisite Ladies Expressing Their Frame of Mind, guitar-viola | 2019 |
| Vain Lullaby | 2022 | |
| Boris Rivchun | Dreams of Childhood* | 2015 |
| Dean Rosenthal | Sewing Piece | 2022 |
| Alejandro Rutty | Down with Those Guitars | 2021 |
| Kathryn Salfelder | Whispering into the night | 2013 |
| Scott Scharff | Lullaby* | 2014 |
| Brian Schober | A Winter Lullaby | 2021 |
| Martin Schreiner | Lullaby for Restless Times* | 2010 |
| Two Japanese Idylls * | 2014 | |
| Synchronicity in Dakota, + shakuhachi | 2014 | |
| Eric Schwartz | Song softly sung in trying times*, + white noies | 2009 |
| Thomas Schuttenhelm | Wiegenlied* | 2011 |
| Garrett Ian Shatzer | Lullaby for D---* | 2015 |
| Vineet Shende | Pravasa – Travels of the guitar, SATB-guitar | 2012/2024 |
| Reva's Lullaby* | 2017 | |
| Carnatic Preludes N's. 1, 8, 12, After J.S. Bach | 2017 | |
| Jeffrey Shivers | Pentagraph, guitar-shakuhachi | 2015 |
| Kevin Siegfried | Tracing a wheel on water * | 2003 |
| Cradle Song * | ||
| Mark Small | Descent to a dream * | 2009 |
| Demetrius Spaneas | A Child Sings at Thanksgiving* | 2011 |
| Laurie Spiegel | Watching Rain | 2020 |
| Remembering | 2022 | |
| Nolan Stolz | Lullaby for Sam * | 2009 |
| Pasquale Tassone | Ninna Nanna | 2024 |
| Francine Trester | My Darling’s Slumber * | 2009 |
| Dreamcatcher* | 2011 | |
| Borrowed Blue, viola-guitar | 2019 | |
Mineral Spirits: Black Obsidian, Sulfur, + baritone |
2019 | |
| Lullaby for Our Time* | 2020 | |
| Charles Turner | White Potatoes* | 2013 |
| Lullaby for Lahore | 2024 | |
| Ken Ueno | Ed è Subito Sera * | 2013 |
| David Vayo | Berceuse * | 2008 |
| Michael Veloso | Little Dancer* | 2011 |
| Ryan Vigil | Home Sweet Home | 2003 |
| Quartet | 2003 | |
| Wedding party ensemble | 2007 | |
| Shhhh * | 2008 | |
| Untitled | 2019 | |
| Frank E. Warren | Canción de Niñez* | 2015 |
| Scott Wheeler | Nachtlied * | 2009 |
| Ian Wiese | Seeketh Not Its Own* | 2017 |
| Midnight Train | 2022 | |
| Milad Yousufi | Kabuli Lullaby | 2018 |
| * Commercially Recorded |
Instruction
Beginning in the Fall of 2024, Aaron joined the Adult Education and Prepartory School faculty of the New England Conservatory. A 45min trial lesson can be registered HERE.
Lessons at Aaron's private studio are held at his home on Virginia Street in Boston. Multiple means of public transportation and ample free parking.
ABOUT: With over twenty-five years of private teaching experience including at the Boston Conservatory, University of Massachusetts Boston, and multiple community music schools, Aaron Larget-Caplan has established himself as an important and forward thinking instructor who can connect with students of all backgrounds, levels, and abilities.
As he began his classical studies at age 16, Aaron is very aware of the process that goes to creating beautiful sound, technical understanding, and freedom of movement. Having to deal with multiple sports injuries of his own, he is also one of the few instructors to teach body awareness from the perspectives of survival and success.
Students learn stretches and strengthening of the hands, arms, and shoulders, mental preparation, and practice and performances techniques for whichever stage we choose to perform on.
All-ages and levels are
welcome to contact.
A studio recital is held once/ twice a year.
In-person and online lessons available.
*Contact Aaron for availability, policies, and pricing: info@alcguitar.com
Awards
Since his teenage years on the speech team, Aaron has received awards for his music, creativity, projects, and community work.
| Hall of Fame for the Arts & Humanities of Cherry Creek High School, Englewood, Colorado (Press Release) | 2024 |
| Boston Opportunity Fund Grant Award, Creating Art for Boston, Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture | 2024 |
| Revere Award from the Music Publishers Association of the US, Bacchanale by John Cage arranged for two prepared guitars, published by Edition Peters • Music Notesetting (2nd) READ | 2023 |
| Massachusetts Cultural Council – Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations for Now Musique | 2023 |
| Opportunity Grant, Boston Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture - Now Musique | 2022 |
| Community Music Residency for the Kirkland Arts Center, Clinton, NY | 2022 |
| Revere Awards from the Music Publishers Association of the US, Nights Transfigured Vol. 1 Score Anthology, published by the American Composers Alliance • Guitar Music Notesetting (1st), Book Design (2nd), Cover Design (2nd), READ | 2021 |
| Robinson Recital Award | 2020 |
| Banff Musician in Residence, Banff, Canada | 2020 |
| Provost Recognition, John. Cage. Guitar. University of Massachusetts Boston | 2019 |
| Socièté Académique Arts-Sciences-Lettres, Médaille D’Etain, Paris, France | 2019 |
| British Airways features John. Cage. Guitar. on all flights | 2018 |
| Southbridge Cultural Council Grant | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| American Composers Alliance, New York | 2017 |
| Edition Peters, First Official Solo Publication of John Cage for Guitar | 2017 |
| ACME Honoree, Professional Music Fraternity MU PHI EPSILON | 2016 |
| Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation Betty Lou Scandlin Hubin Scholarship World Music | 2016 |
| Southbridge Cultural Council Grant | 2016 |
| Edition Peters, First Official Publication of John Cage for Guitar | 2015 |
| Educational Bridge Project Scholarship for the America in Russia Festival | 2015 |
| American Composers Alliance, New York | 2015 |
| Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation Eleanor Hale Wilson Summer Scholarship | 2014 |
| Educational Bridge Project Scholarship for the America in Russia Festival | 2014 |
| I.D. LOTT, Identifying Future Leaders of Today and Tomorrow, Boston | 2014 |
| Educational Bridge Project Scholarship for the America in Russia Festival | 2013 |
| Grant-In-Aid, Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation | 2013 |
| Faculty Development Grant, Boston Conservatory | 2013 |
| 3rd place, Denver Classical Guitar Society Debut Competition | 2007 |
| LCC Grant Recipient, Natick, MA | 2007 |
| Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant for Performance & Arts in Education | 2006 |
| Encore Grant, American Composers Forum | 2005 |
| Youngest Solo Artist, Young Audiences of Massachusetts | 2002-04 |
| D’Addario Guitar Scholarship Award, Chautauqua Institute, NY | |
| New England Conservatory, Bachelors in Music, Guitar Performance, Diploma | 2001 |
| Outstanding Artist in Residence Award, Dorchester, MA | 2001 |
| Outstanding Chamber Group, NEC Chamber Music Gala at Jordan Hall, Boston, MA | 2001 |
| Mu Phi Epsilon, Beta Chapter President, New England Conservatory | 2000 |
| MU PHI EPSILON Chautauqua Summer Music Festival Scholarship | 1999 |
| Nancy Plummer Faxon Award, Music Fraternity, MU PHI EPSILON | 1999 |
| D’Addario Guitar Scholarship Award, Rome Festival, Italy | 1998 |
| 3rd in the State of Colorado, Interpretation of Poetry | 1996 |
| Speech & Debate Team, Cherry Creek High School, Englewood, CO | 1992-96 |
