Larry Snitzler has had an extraordinary career as a classical guitarist. He has studied in Europe with legends such as Andres Segovia and Nadia Boulanger. He has played in 20 countries, recorded on several labels, lectured at the Smithsonian and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was a long-time contributor to National Public Radio.
But it was the 41 years Snitzler spent as an adjunct professor at George Mason University that made him choke up, especially as he explained why it is time to retire.
“This is my last semester,” he said. “It really has hit me hard a couple of times. I didn’t understand until I settled down here how much I was really going to enjoy teaching.”
His colleagues and students enjoyed him, too.
“He will be deeply missed,” said Linda Monson, managing director of George Mason’s School of Music. “His legacy will live on forever through the many, many students he has trained in the art of guitar performance.”
“His stories alone,” said junior guitar performance major Mike Carraciolo, “are worth the price of tuition.”
Snitzler, 71, who in 2014 received Mason’s Adjunct Faculty Service Award, said he does not teach by rigid template, but diagnoses each student’s challenges and needs. And he lets students explain their approaches, Carraciolo said: “He’s always right, but he lets you try.”
Mason’s Guitar Ensemble, which Snitzler led from 2011 to 2013, will dedicate to him its April 23 end-of-semester concert at Dewberry Hall in the Johnson Center. Many former students will attend. One, Anthony Williams, MM Music Composition ’13, arranged Franz Schubert’s “An die Musik,” written for piano, into a composition for four guitars that will be played.
The piece, “To the Music” in English, couldn’t be more appropriate, said classical guitarist Matt Trkula, MM Music Education ’10, an adjunct faculty member who took over the Guitar Ensemble.
“As far as being a musician he is top notch, world class,” said Trkula, who also took lessons from Snitzler from ages 12-18. “When non-guitarists hear him play, the comment I hear is, ‘I didn’t know a guitar could sound like that.’ ”
Snitzler won’t disconnect from the music world. He and his wife, Soledad, will relocate to her native Santiago, Chile, where he will finish his book about Spanish composer Joaquin Malats. He expects to continue playing in Europe and the United States.
“I have a lot of pieces of music that are also ready for publication, and I realized I’m never going to get all that work done if I don’t stop teaching,” Snitzler said. “I’ll have more time to practice and prepare performances.”
“The guitar does move me,” he added. “After all these years I’ve been at it, it does still move me. When I pick up the instrument, I think, ‘Yes, what a joy that I’m still able to do this.’ ”