Gruca White Ensemble

Robert Gruca is an exciting guitarist who performs a wide range of solo, chamber, and concerto repertoire. In recent seasons he has toured throughout the US and into Canada.  Highlights of Roberts' seasons include touring the eastern United States and Europe with the Cleveland Orchestra, performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 under the direction of Franz Welser–Most. Other performances with the Cleveland Orchestra include Kurt Weill’s Little Three Penny Music, Igor Stavinsky’s Le Rossignol with Pierre Boulez and Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony with Howard Shore. Robert Gruca made his concerto debut performing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the Marquette Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Nuvi Mehta. Recent concerto performances include Concierto de Aranjuez and Fantasia para un Gentilhombre with the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra and the New Philharmonic both under the direction of Kirk Muspratt. Possessing powerful musical interpretation and complete technical command over his instrument, Robert Gruca has earned several first prizes in national guitar competitions. He won first prize in the Columbus State Guitar Symposium Competition, the Appalachian State Guitar Festival Competition, and the East Carolina University Guitar Festival Competition. He was a top prize winner in the Rantucci International Guitar Competition and a semifinalist in the Guitar Foundation of America Competition and the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. Other awards and honors include receiving the 2007 Distinguished Alumni award from Grand Valley State University, Department of Music. Robert Gruca has studied with John Holmquist and Jason Vieaux at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he received a Master of Music degree. Previous teachers include Brian Morris of Grand Valley State University and Roger Humphrey of Olivet College. He has participated in master classes with such prominent guitarists as David Russell, Lily Afshar, Judicael Perroy, Stephen Robinson, Sergio & Odair Assad, Hubert Kappel, Antigoni Goni, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. In a 2006 compact disc, Robert Gruca recorded solo guitar works by Bogdanovic, Koshkins, Dyens, Rodrigo, Schubert and J.S. Bach. He has recently completed a recording of several pieces by Handel including some original transcriptions. That compact disc was released under the MSR record label in 2012. Robert regularly performs with flutist Linda White as part of the Gruca White Ensemble. The Gruca White Ensemble engages audiences with their creative programming and energetic performances.  Featuring music from multiple cultures and genres, they seek out rarely-heard works from around the globe, foster their connections with local composers, and create unique renditions of rock, world, and Latin music.  Classical guitarist Robert Gruca and flutist Linda White are comfortable with both written and improvised musical forms and draw from the entirety of their musical experiences, including rock bands, conservatory training, jazz studies, and new music.  The ensemble earned rave reviews for their debut album A Different Take, released on Big Round Records in 2020.

A dynamic performer and versatile musician, flutist Linda White excels in an array of musical styles and plays the entire spectrum of flutes from the piccolo to the contrabass flute. Linda is an avid chamber musician and champion of contemporary music. She regularly collaborates with the composers of The Cleveland Composers Guild and performs on the annual Local 4 Musician’s Union She Scores series. Linda regularly performs with classical guitarist Robert Gruca as part of the Gruca White Ensemble. The duo stretches the boundaries of the standard classical concert with their improvisations and unique musical arrangements. In 2020, the Gruca White Ensemble released their debut recording A Different Take through PARMA Recordings Big Round label. Linda also enjoys performing with the flute quartet Idle Twittering along with fellow flutists Jane Berkner, Kyra Kester and George Pope. Linda is a founding member of the Blue Water Chamber Orchestra, and has also performed with the Cleveland Pops, Cleveland Ballet, Cleveland Opera Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Akron Symphony and Canton Symphony. Linda teaches at The Music Settlement where she teaches individual lessons, co-directs three flute ensembles and coordinates a program for adult amateurs to gather and play chamber music. She has been a guest clinician for the Interlochen Adult Flute Ensemble since 2020. Linda received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wyoming and a Master of Music degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music.