Guitar World Magazine called her one of the world’s “greatest female guitarists,” and Guitar One Magazine called her one of the “top ten shredders of all time.” The Great Kat, whose videos have received over one million hits on YouTube, has released her eleventh album. Appropriately titled “Beethoven Shreds,” is a speed demon version of five revered classical tracks served up Great Kat style on guitar, with two original songs.
The disc includes her version of the iconic classics “The Flight Of The Bumble Bee,” Beethoven’s “5th Symphony,” Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto #3” and “The Art of the Fugue,” Paganini’s “Caprice #24.”
Kat also edited, arranged and orchestrated the scores.
Also included are two original tracks, “IslamoFascists” and “Torture Techniques.”
An accomplished musician, The Great Kat graduated as a violin virtuoso from the prestigious Julliard School of music. She started playing at the age of nine.
After touring and coming to a conclusion that classical music is “dead,” the New York based guitarist began transcribing violin solos to guitar, and playing them at lightening speed. Working with instruments and midi, she has recorded and put a heavy metal touch on a large range of classical works. Combining her love of all things metal with her knowledge of classical music, the album is a whirlwind look at Beethoven gone metal.
Her Beethoven’s “Guitar Shred” DVD is featured on the official website for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
“Beethoven Shreds” also features two tracks with harpsichord. In addition to guitar, she can also be heard playing violin on the disc.
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Phyllis Pollack is a longtime music journalist and music publicist. Her articles have appeared in many publications, including The Village Voice, Billboard Magazine, Counterpunch and MTV News. She has been quoted in numerous magazines including Rolling Stone, NY Daily News and the L.A. Times. Phyllis has interviewed a wide range recording artists, a few of whom include The Rolling Stones, Metallica, reggae artist Lee "Scratch" Perry, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. Phyllis has received several gold and platinum albums for her work. She is a voting member of the Recording Academy (The National Academy of Recording Arts And Sciences) (NARAS), which presents the Grammy Awards.
