Winding Road by George Sakellariou

Composed by: LAWRENCE W. LONG
Guitar: GEORGE SAKELLARIOU

GEORGE SAKELLARIOU was born in 1944 and began playing the guitar at an early age in Athens, Greece. He went on to receive
formal training at the esteemed Conservatory of Music in Athens, where he graduated with honors and ultimately studied with the great master Andres Segovia. Upon completion of his studies at the age of twenty, George joined the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he became Chairman of the Guitar Department. He has performed around the world in many concert halls including the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the National Concert Hall in Taiwan. An article in Classical Guitar Magazine featuring a video of George playing Toccata by Bach was the most-read story for the magazine in 2015. His album, Sound of Torres, was chosen as one of the top ten albums of 2018 by Classical Guitar Magazine.

LAWRENCE LONG (1935-2023) “Larry” Long’s love of music began before grade school as he listened to classics on the radio while his mother ironed. He was fortunate enough to play in his elementary school band which led him to the Tennessee All Star Band,
the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and eventually the 76th US Army band in Orleans, France. Upon completion of his military
service and then his college work, he set up his own studio where he taught for over 60 years, while simultaneously teaching for 30 years as an adjunct guitar instructor at the University of Tennessee. His career as a teacher, performer, and composer ushered in many successes for him, such as his founding of the Knoxville - Oak Ridge Guitar Society, his acclaimed compositions, his collaborations with numerous singers, and the accolades of which he was most proud, the “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” and the prestigious “Outstanding Teacher Award” from the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts.

GEORGE and LAWRENCE met at one of George’s concerts in Knoxville in the late 1970s. During intermission, Lawrence came
backstage, introduced himself, and mentioned he was a composer who had written several pieces for guitar. George asked if he had any pieces with him and he said, “No, but let me check the car.” He went to his car and came back with “Janice’s Dream.” To Lawrence’s
surprise, George played it that very night as an encore and that was the start of their long and wonderful collaboration and friendship!
This album is dedicated to the loving memory and music of Lawrence “Larry” Long.

GEORGE SAKELLARIOU was born in 1944 in Athens, Greece. He went on to receive
formal training at the esteemed Conservatory of Music in Athens, where he graduated with honors and ultimately studied with the great master Andres Segovia. At the age of twenty, George joined the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he became Chairman of the Guitar Department.

GeorgeSakellariou.org