Tribute to Ida Presti by Ken Luk & Play List from the Red Room, April 15, 2019

Those of us who attended the April meeting of the Rochester Guitar Club were treated to a fascinating presentation by Ken Luk on the late Ida Presti, a child prodigy guitarist and part of the highly popular and successful Lagoya-Presti Duo. Ken’s visual presentation highlighted Presti’s virtuosity with the guitar illustrating some of the finer details of her technique including her extensive hand stretches, flexible hand style and use of vibrato. After her marriage to Lagoya, she discontinued her solo career and focused on their repertoire as a duo.

April was the appropriate time to reacquaint us with her skills, being the month in 1967 when she tragically passed away here in Rochester. Presti had been coughing up blood for several days during a U.S. Tour and was advised to remain in St. Louis. However, the duo decided to continue on to Rochester. Upon arrival, she was violently ill and was taken immediately to Strong Memorial Hospital where she sadly passed away on April 24 at the age of 42 from a massive internal hemorrhage due to a tumor in her lung, while doctors struggled in vain to control the bleeding. Lagoya was devastated by her death, and it was years befor he played again publicly.

At the time, there was some criticism of the Strong medical staff, but they were vociferously defended by Presti’s daughter and Alice Artz who wrote extensively to vindicate the hospital.

Ken’s enlightening presentation, was followed by an abbreviated round robin session. Following is the play list.

Tom Laiosa, “Loch Lomond” (traditional Scottish)
Lou Alano, “Hana” (flower) (Masaaki Kishibe)J
Joe Palumbos, “Eleanor Rigby” (Lennon/McCartney)
David Tamarin, “Soleá por Bulerias” (traditional Flamenco)
Jeremy Carter, “Dream a Little Dream of Me” (Fabian Andre & Wilbur Scheandt)
John Williamson, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (Norworth)
Ken Luk, “Manini” (Leanord Kwan)
Marty Pospula, “Surreal” (T. J. Baden)
Jeremy, “Missing the Mississippi” (Bill Halley)
David, “Sevillanas” (traditional Flamenco)

~Richard Taglieri

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