Classical Guitarist, Raziel Gonzalez

I was planning a memorial service for my late husband and decided I wanted to hire a classical guitarist for the event, specifically one who could perform both Baroque pieces and perhaps something lively and Brazilian. I also had a particular piece by Handel in mind, to be performed during the service. I chose Raziel because of the video on his website in which he described his approach to teaching and because of the rave reviews he received from his students. I liked the fact that he was an educator and figured he would be patient, professional and sensitive to my needs.

After several back-and-forth conversations, we settled on a playlist. He was always quite happy to accommodate my requests and suggestions. He even agreed to learn the Handel piece, something not in his repertoire, specifically for the event. I was also impressed that, several days before the service, he paid a visit to the church where it was to be held to check out the facilities, something I had not asked him to do but which I greatly appreciated. The staff there found him to be polite and charming.

All the attendees spoke about how particularly beautiful the service was. One of the guests, a classical guitarist himself, spoke highly of Raziel's musical abilities. For me, the his musical contributions were the high-point of the afternoon. Raziel played with great musical sensitivity and was a graceful, dignified presence during the service. At the end, he thanked me, saying it had been an honor for him to perform at such a moving event.