Mak Grgic
Guitar
A classical guitarist bringing a new concerto for guitar and orchestra to US stages.
In short
Mak Grgic is a classical guitarist appearing as soloist with several US orchestras, most notably in performances of Austin Wintory's "Interactive Concerto for Guitar." His upcoming engagements pair this contemporary work with orchestral showpieces like Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," suggesting a soloist comfortable bridging new music and the standard repertoire.
What to listen for
Listeners coming to these concerts will hear Grgic featured in Austin Wintory's "Interactive Concerto for Guitar," a work whose title suggests some element of real-time exchange or flexibility between soloist and orchestra, a departure from the fixed scores of older concertos. This piece is programmed alongside Wagner's festive overture to "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," a symphonic suite built from long, singing melodic lines depicting stories from the Arabian Nights. The pairing suggests programs built around storytelling and legend, with the guitar concerto serving as the modern centerpiece between two orchestral scores that lean on vivid color and narrative sweep. Audiences should expect a guitar amplified or balanced carefully against full orchestra, since the instrument is naturally quiet next to a symphonic ensemble.
Written by OrchestraFinder, reviewed September 2026.