Per-Olov Kindgren - Classical guitarist and composer

Music for Classical Guitar

"- Silence is a key element in my music. Before the music starts, the silence is full of expectations and exitement. The silence returns when the music ends, but now it is filled with echoes that invade the silence. My thoughts remain immersed in pictures that linger beyond the sound of the guitar. These moments are vital to the creative process: nevertheless they last only a few moments".

To me, the sound from a classical guitar is the most beautiful sound I can imagine; the softness of the tone, the perfect decline of a plucked string, once described by the great classical guitarist Julian Bream as "the perfect death" and not least; the chords, harmonies created when several strings are plucked at the same time.

While many consider music and playing the guitar a "competition" or challenge how fast and loud you can play, I tend to look inwards in search for the feelings, expressions and moods one can create with music. With that in mind, the classical guitar is the perfect instrument and tool.

News

  1. 4th May, 2014

    NEW MUSIC Updated 23th April 2014

    Per-Olov Kindgren PlayBook Now with TABs!
    Air CD MP3/FLAC!! and complete scores/Tabs available for download
    Distant Love CD
    Complete list of 379 available pieces. [ Updated 20th April 2014 ]
    FREE iPhone and iPad App! Download at iTunes [Opens a new window]
    Dance
    Such a Beautiful Day (Usted esta perdido/You are missed)
    Dowland: Captain Digorie Piper's Galliard
    Route 66
    Complete Scores and Tabs for the Album AIR! An exact transcript of the CD/mp3
    An Opening in the Forest
    Wolfgang Vrecun: NEW Simple song 1
    Tribute to Monica
    I Miss Waking up with You
    Welcome Home
    Eduardo Diaz: Tenerte Cerca
    S. L. Weiss: Prelude in B-Minor (Original key G-Minor)
    Coffe Break in Dublin
    Your Waltz
    In an Open Field
    de Visee: Suite in D-Minor (Single movements available seperately)
    Going Back
    Let's Love Again
    So here we are...
    Dolce far Niente (The Sweetness of Doing Nothing)
    Coffee Break in Granada
    Above the Clouds the Sun is Always Bright
    When We Were Together
    Nothing Right - Nothing Left
    Portrait
    At Least I Knew You
    Psallein No 1 and 2
    Desperation

    2nd May, 2014

    My postings at vimeo.com is a great success. I have many new followers and friends there and many from YouTube are now posting their music on Vimeo. That is very nice for me to see and I enjoy listening to them in Vimeo's great sound and video quality.

    I have upgraded my website so it is now possible to visit all my pages with a secure connection. Just add an "s" to the http before my address. i.e https://www.per-olovkindgren.com Of course, the connection on my web shop is, and has always been, secure and using SSL (https)! As always I have many new compositions and arrangements you can listen to at vimeo.com/perolovkindgren All of them are also available at my web shop.

    My CD "Air" is unfortunately sold out but I can now offer it as mp3 and FLAC download from my shop. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is an audio standard with BETTER sound than a CD! I am providing Higher-resolution recordings: 4608 kbps (96 kHz/24 bit) FLAC files.

    Many have asked me to provide a 100% transcript of all the music on my CD "AIR". I am happy to let you know I made a sheet music version and a TAB version of the COMPLETE CD for download. Please be sure to order the correct version...

    My PlayBook is now available with TABs!

    I am also proud to announce I am (again) "Guitarist of the Month" at Guitar-Tube.com

    Don't forget to play your guitars!

    19th January, 2014

    Just before Christmas John Rogerson flew over from England bringing the 11-stringed altoguitar he made for me. Because of the smaller body (but larger fretboard) he could bring his toothbrush, underwear and clothes inside the guitarcase! :-) It is beautiful and will sound amazing once it is "broken in".
    What would one use that guitar for? Well, it is perfect for music from the periods around 16th-17th centuries. I love to play J. S. Bach, John Dowland and S. L. Weiss on it.
    The 5 extra bass strings are only used as open strings tuned in the key you are playing in and you never press the strings with your left hand. The "standard" tuning is: G D Bb F C G F E D C B. Just like a normal guitar with a Capo in 3rd fret (and five extra strings...).
    You can listen to my first recording with it here: A Man's Best Friend that I made for John's friend Miya in Beijing, China.

  2. 5th January, 2014

    I have made a new, updated list of all my pieces on the shop. You can still click the title in the PDF and it will take you directly to the ordering page on my site. Please download it from this link
    My PlayBook is still available! Free Shipping and handling. (no shipping to China). Order here!

  3. 18th December, 2013

    My decision to move my activities to vimeo.com has been very well received. Many friend have followed me and created their own user profile there. The clean and nicer interface with higher sound and video quality is perfect for the classical guitar. Please check it out and sign up. Here is my channel: vimeo.com/perolovkindgren I would love to see more of you over there.
    This Christmas will be the first in 7 years that I am not going to be in Miami, FL. I will spend the holiday with my father and my new 11-stringed guitar. Hopefully I will compose something nice and also post it on Vimeo.
    I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!
    Per-Olov

  4. 21st November, 2013

    I have been away from YouTube for over seven months. Many think I am not posting on YouTube because I am mourning my mother… That is not the case. I miss her a lot but she was old and I am OK with her passing. It is part of life and we all have to go that way sooner or later. I cannot be sorry about that.
    But I also lost another person that I loved very much only 2 weeks later and it kind of tilted my world.
    My second reason for not being in YT as much: YouTube is a mess!! Especially now with the new Google+ system! Why ruining a good community and making it very hard to comment and reply if you are not used to or using Google+. I will still be on YT but less than I have before.
    I am now posting my new compositions and arrangements on www.vimeo.com instead. It is a clean and nicer place with higher sound and video quality! Please check it out and sign up. Here is my channel: vimeo.com/perolovkindgren I would love to see more of you over there. Let's not be a part of Googles need to compete with Facebook! I was even contacted by YouTube staff asking me to be a partner. They promised me US$20.000 a year in revenue. I declined because I don't want to have ads before my music starts! I treasure my listeners and friends more than that money. Please support me by using Vimeo instead. (I have no deals with Vimeo! I just think it is a nicer place).
    All this time I have been composing and playing solo concerts so I am still active! I went to South of Spain in October visiting Málaga, Granada and Sevilla. I even ordered a new guitar from a luthier in Granada. Thomas Holt Andreasen is a brilliant luthier and is making a guitar for me with 640mm. mensura. I will hopefully get it in June/July 2014. Please check his site out.
    I have many new compositions and arrangements you can listen to at Per-Olov Kindgren Most of them are also available at my web shop. I am still working via a law firm in Austin, Texas to get the copyrights for my Beatles arrangements. They are working incredibly hard for me! But they are up against SONY, EMI, Hal Leonard, Sir Paul McCartney and the estate after Michael Jackson. But they are getting there! Cross you fingers!

  5. 30th August, 2013

    As many of you may know, I lost my mother on July the 18th. 2013. I miss her but I am OK with it. It's a fact of life and we all have to go that path sooner or later.
    After her death, I went to Miami for two weeks. It was not a nice trip and back in Denmark, I have to deal with life's realities again. Many things in my life has changed this summer and I need to plan what I want out of it. I will always keep playing and composing of course! Here is my composition for my mother.

  6. 20th May, 2013,

    A South Korean fan of my music has made an App about me for my listeners. It is currently only available for iPhone and iPad! With this App you will get instant notifications of my new uploads on YouTube. With playlists, most viewed videos, search function, order my first CD and much more! You can download it for free at iTunes App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/andantelargo/id576686614?mt=8 or make a search on iTunes for "Andantelargo" or "Per-Olov Kindgren". I hope all of you will check it out and use it!

  7. 7th March, 2013

    Today I received a new guitar by luthier Benham Shirazi, Copenhagen. You can see images of it here: My New Guitar 2013
    I am very pleased with it! It has a very soft sound but yet powerful.

What People Say...

“Per-Olov: Your modest work is moving away from the modest boundary and reaching the benchmark status. Whoever ask me about tips on classical guitar learning will get you as a important part of the answer. Keep up with your serenity.”

— Alberto a Canadian/Brazilian listener

“Per-Olov you are the most accomplished guitarist in our generation. Your technical skills and techniques are only matched by your own marvelous sensitivity and tenderness to each song rendition that you have arranged. Your choice of music is rich and varied and places emphasis on the guitar's rich heritage as a solo instrument. I love your music and I am your biggest fan.”

— Antonio, Mexico

“Mr. Kindgren, For me music is a gift to man. it reflects the emotions and the spirit of the player. your music reflects your personality, your spirit. And I can say that you have a good and calm spirit. keep it up sir! Mabuhay ka po Ginoong Kindgren (that is long live to you Mr. Kindgren in Filipino).”

— From a fellow guitarist, Seikun

“Peo, YOU are THE gem. You touch us with your beautiful music. And that beautiful music comes directly from your heart. Your honesty, your joy, your sorrow...and your passion for life and love. It's all there in your music. Keep playing and keep inspiring us the way you do. There is no one like you. You're a very precious gift to this world.
The light on the bookshelf is the light of happiness. In this case, happiness (the light) found you. (no pun intended) It moved to you and was shining brightly on you toward the end of the video. "Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." -Nathaniel Hawthorne Congratulations again on your CD, happiness, and success. You deserve it. ”

— Rina Lee

“Hi Sir, I have been playing guitar for more than 10 years. I must admit this, you play with so much feelings, smoothness, dignity. I wish one day ill be able to play a song with as much deepness as you Sir. You almost made me cry with these so wonderful songs, you play with so much talent, we can actually tell you put everything you have into it. Wich is everyone playing music should do. No feeling = No song. But you Sir make any song a masterpiece.”

— Anonymous listener on YouTube

“I never commented on music before, but your music is just so captivating that i cant help myself but to comment and show my support 4 u. Your music is truly magical and filled with emotions. I wonder will i ever be as good as you are someday. For now, I’m learning to play cavatina as well as you do. Until then, Thanks a lot mr. Kindgren. Fight On”

— Dick on YouTube

“Hey Per-Olov! You are living proof that original masterpieces CAN come from the 21'st century. I’ve listened to your music for quite a while, and it is timeless. Being a fan of mostly 80's metal, and the romantic period, this is some very inspiring music even though it’s not exactly metal :). In the future I believe you will have a huge impact on the current trash heap of the music industry! You've truly inspired a metal head like me! Best wishes for your bright future!!!”

— Wilson on Vimeo

“You are an inspiration. As an incompetent amateur I should not express an opinion but I have to say - you have such technical ability but always you deliver pure music, from the heart, never ever putting technique first. I recently bought "After Silence". Every time I play it, I hear more, something new, learn more. I have CD's of Williams, Bream and others. I listen to them occasionally but already I have played yours more times than any of those.
I'm learning Tarrega's E-minor Study. Have you recorded it? I thought I had seen you play it on YouTube, but I can't find it, maybe I was wrong (I can see your "easy" version).
Kindest regards”

— Bill A.

“Hay artistas que pueden interpretar a un solo compositor, otros que pueden interpretar musica del periodo barroco, otros el romantico pero hay muy pocos que pueden interpretar toda la musica escrita, cualquiera sea el periodo, el pais, el instrumento elegido o la edad del compositor del compositor.
Per-Olov es sin duda uno de ellos!
There are artists that can interpret a single composer, others that can interpret music of the Baroque, other period the romantic one but there is very few that can interpret the whole written music, anyone is the period, the country, the elected instrument or the age of the composer's composer.
Per-Olov belongs without a doubt one to them!”

— from California, USA

“Per-Olov, I have to tell you, you have cost me several thousand pounds. Here is the sequence of events... I started playing guitar about 2 yrs ago at the tender age of 58, using my wife's rarely used steel stringed instrument.
Then I heard you on YouTube and decided I needed an appropriate instrument to learn my kind of music - first thousand gone.
Then my wife saw that I was getting serious, practicing whenever I could, but that the house was rarely quiet enough, cat, dogs, television, phone... And she had heard me comment on how some of your videos were in what appeared to be a bare, wood-paneled room of some sort and understood that our house was too softly furnished, absorbing everything, deadening.
So then came to us the idea we might like a small log cabin in the garden - potentially useful when Scottish weather try’s to spoil a barbecue. At least that was what we said. It arrives this week - another three thousand gone.”

— from London, England