Romanza Fantasia by Rex Willis

“…an unashamedly romantic composition from a highly skilled composer… seductive… charming… an absolute gem of a piece… highly desirable… for duos of this instrumentation. Loved it!”
Steve Marsh - Classical Guitar Magazine

MP3 of a live performanceMP3 Audio

"Two beautifully sonorous instruments, cello and classical guitar, are combined in a balanced, romantic and playful work that allows both players to indulge in solo and accompaniment roles.

In addition to his excellent musical-performance ideas, cellist Sasha von Dassow supplies fingering for the cello part."

Rex Willis

About the composer

Willis’ original compositions have been described as “haunting and high-energized . . . fun . . .” Sound Board Magazine, “accessible . . . skillful . . . and brilliant” Les Cahieve de la Guitare, France, and “very powerful”, Classical Guitar.

Rex Willis is a member of the music faculty at Manatee Community College, where he has taught guitar, composition and music theory since 1987. A published composer and professional classical guitarist, he recently wrote the music and lyrics for the new musical, In Ybor City, which premiered at Manatee Community College in January, 2007, with future performances in the planning for the Tampa Bay area. Mr. Willis’ compositions for guitar and orchestra have been performed in cities around the world, including Washington D.C., Dallas, Miami, Prague, London and Tokyo. His CD, Suite Florida and original sheet music is distributed by Clear Note Publications and other scores, including his popular The Floating Ancillary Ants, are published by Tuscany Publications.

Mr. Willis holds bachelors and master’s degrees in music composition from Florida State University. He also has studied with world-renowned guitarists Bruce Holzman, Pepe Romero and Christopher Parkening. While attending FSU, he participated in master classes with legendary composer Aaron Copland.

In addition to teaching at MCC and conducting guitar and composition workshops at other colleges and universities, Mr. Willis created and since 2003 has hosted, Guitar Unplugged, a weekly show on Manatee Educational Television (METV). In 2004, he was a featured lecturer, conductor and teacher at the International Guitar Festival Brno in the Czech Republic and will perform the opening concert of this same festival in 2007 with Solea Musica. In the 2006 Festival, a commissioned work by Mr. Willis received its premiere. Published by Clear Note, Balatta di Brno, was written in homage to Czech folk music of that region. In 2005, Mr. Willis wrote the original music score for The Southernmost Point, a film by MCC colleague Doug Osman, which premiered at the CineWorld Festival in Sarasota and was selected for inclusion in the Sedona Film Festival. Mr. Willis recently completed the score for a new film, currently winning awards at festivals around the world, The Ghosts of Ybor, by Paul and Pete Guzzo, themselves, award-winning independent film makers.