Paul Quigley lives in Saratoga Springs but he’s played his guitar all the way from Los Angeles to New Zealand to Switzerland and beyond. In love with music since age 12 when he heard a recording of Andre Segovia, a legendary Spanish classical guitarist, Quigley found himself a featured performer on the Queen Elizabeth II World Cruise and the Queen Mary II and Crystal Symphony ships a few years ago. Scoring the gig alongside a flutist by word of mouth, Quigley said entertaining the seven seas was an amazing opportunity and something he’d love to do again someday.
We were treated as passengers. We got to stay in cabins, eat meals like a passenger and were actually encouraged to interact with them during the day. At night we’d do our performances, it was really great, said Quigley.
He is now firmly on land, for awhile at least, as a new professor at the College of Saint Rose, teaching electric guitar, jazz and a little classical for music industry students. Having performed around the world and the Capital Region, Quigley is putting most of his time and energy into his latest gig.
`I’m kind of new to this so I’ve been putting a lot of my energy toward preparing and teaching, which I’m really enjoying right now,` said Quigley.
Some people may recognize him from his concerts at Skidmore, Troy Music Hall, Saratoga Arts Center Theatre or St. Rose concerts and workshops where’s he’s center stage. But others might know him as more of a backseat performer at his most recent and frequent project: Quintessence Brunch on New Scotland Avenue in Albany.
`It’s a lot of fun because I get to see people on a regular basis, every week; this is the first time in a long time on classical guitar that I’ve had a steady weekly job,` said Quigley. `Since I spend a lot of time practicing electric guitar and learning more jazz since I’m teaching, every Sunday I know I’m going to get to play classical for three hours and I love that.`
Quigley said while he loves this gig it’s a totally different atmosphere than he’s used to.
`Concerts are definitely more satisfying because you’re preparing a specific repertoire that means something to you and you may spend weeks or months working on, and then when you get to the venue to actually perform it the audience is much more attentive and watching,` said Quigley. `Obviously it’s not an expectation for people to be attentive while they eat brunch.`
Even while he’s busy teaching, being a husband and raising a 16-year-old son, he said he’s anxious to perform another classical guitar recital and set up more performances in Saratoga and the rest of the Capital District. He plans to use this summer when he has more time, to make something happen.
`It’s definitely a goal to perform more. I want to perform classical and jazz, in some context, whether it’s some type of trio or band situation,` said Quigley, who has played area shows in a blues funk band and is currently rehearsing with a five piece jazz band, formulating a set list of jazz standards for the future. `I also still enjoy playing rock and roll and blues, so I’m sure some opportunities will come along and I’ll use the summer to help fate a bit; you have to have a product together first.`
Whether he’s teaching or playing, Quigley said he’s happy to be cultivating and evolving the passion he’s had since childhood: music.
`I have always enjoyed music and as I got older it was a very good expression tool for me. As a teenager in high school it was really the only thing that motivated me at all to study,` said Quigley. `You can never exhaust it, there’s always something to learn and you can always be better at the craft. Regardless of the venue or how big you get, all of us can always work at it and make ourselves better, so it’s endlessly interesting.`
Quintessence brunch is every Saturday and Sunday morning but Quigley entertains on Sundays only.
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