• Home
  • Membership
    • Join Today!
    • Manage Account
    • Guitar Salons
  • Donate
  • All Events
    • PCGS 2023-24 Season
      • Listen to Season Artists
    • Annual Festival
    • 2023 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Competition Awards Announced!!
      • Past Competitions
    • Past PCGS Events
    • Other Classical Guitar Events
  • Guitar Salons
  • Concert Ensemble
  • Teachers / Luthiers
    • Teachers
    • Luthiers
  • About
    • About PCGS
      • Mission
      • Bylaws and Policies
    • Officers and Board of Directors
    • Past PCGS Events
    • Contacts

PCGS Blog

PCGS Events

  • Beijing Duo
    Sun Oct 22 2023, 04:00pm EST
  • Lovro Peretić
    Sun Nov 12 2023, 03:00pm EST
  • Alec Holcomb
    Sun Jan 14 2024, 03:00pm EST
  • Ziggy and Miles
    Sun Feb 4 2024, 03:00pm EST
  • Andrea Gonzalez Caballero
    Sun Mar 3 2024, 03:00pm EST
  • David Russell - Grammy Award Winner @ the 2024 PCGS Festival Concert
    Sat Apr 13 2024, 07:30pm EDT
  • 2024 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Festival
    Sun Apr 14 2024, 09:00am EDT

Other Events

  • Lea Desandre, mezzo - Thomas Dunford, lute
    (PCMS concert)
    Fri Nov 3 2023, 07:30pm EDT
  • Anthony Heald, Actor - David Leisner, Guitar
    (PCMS concert)
    Fri Nov 10 2023, 07:30pm EDT

Recent Posts

  • In Memoriam: Robert Page
  • July 2023 Member Spotlight: Gregg Tashker
  • 2023 PCGS COMPETITION AWARDS ANNOUNCED!
  • A Message from Dr. Eric Zillmer, PCGS new President
  • PCGS Board of Directors Elections 2023

Archives

  • July 2023
  • April 2023
  • January 2023
  • October 2022
  • February 2022
  • October 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021

In Memoriam: Robert Page

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Philadelphia Classical Guitar SocietyAugust 1, 2023
Bob receiving the PCGS’ Lifetime Achievement Award from Joseph Mayes in 2017

Dear Friends, I wanted you to know of the passing of Robert Charles Page, the former owner of the Classical Guitar Store, former Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society (PCGS) board member, and a person who was very much responsible for advancing the classical guitar culture in Philadelphia and beyond. He died in the early morning on Wednesday, July 26th at the age of 85.

Bob Page bought the guitar store in 1973 and turned it over to William Newman in 2013. The store, located at 2038 Sansom Street in Philadelphia has served as the official “office” address for the PCGS. In fact, in the early days of PCGS, established in 1967, all meetings of the society would be held at The Classical Guitar Store. 

Bob Page dedicated his life to his love of music and became an industry leader in the acquisition, selling and promotion of classical guitars on an international scale.

Below are some personal notes.

I know Bob because of his cool guitar shop. Bob was highly intelligent, witty, and funny. Buying a guitar from him (I bought two) was an adventure, more like a wine tasting. He spoke elegantly on any topic that might fill the room, from the French Revolution to esoteric books which he loved; … have you read …?

He was the first to systematically research, mostly through his travels, classical guitars from France. For me, it was the first time that I would see, hear, or play a DuPont, a Delarue, or a Giambattista classical guitar, the latter which I purchased from him. 

There is a wonderful interview with Bob in Guitare Classique magazine (2012) that illustrates his love for French culture, anything French actually. This is how GC describes The Classical Guitar Store at the time; “On the first floor a computer stands beside a French dictionary, its pages dog-eared with use, while the spicy odor of a Moroccan tagine floats through the room gently illuminated by the autumn sunlight.”  

Bob was singularly smart, creative, and interesting. He was global before it became fashionable. Yes, he could lecture people, as he once did when a poor soul entered his store and wanted to buy a guitar pick. But ultimately Bob was a compassionate, friendly, and irresistible soul, someone who on a very personal level created culture around music and guitars, which is not an easy thing to do. 

I had the pleasure of being invited to several dinners with Bob along with other guitar aficionados. He also had an interesting taste for culinary adventures and over dinner he liked holding court. Being with Bob was always interesting. He spoke English, the King’s English, as it was intended to be spoken, probably related to his background as an English teacher. And he loved to be surrounded by friends over a meal. My last dinner with him was in his home in Philadelphia two years ago and the conversation was about guitars and books. He was frail but alert and of course he sat at the head of the table. It was a fun evening. It reminds me of how much Bob loved life and how much I will miss him.

Eric Zillmer

President of The Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society

Memorial service for Bob Page
Saturday, August 5 2:00-3:00 pm

Laurel Hill West – 225 Belmont Avenue
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

Please arrive about 1/2 hour early to park. Invitation to stroll to the Nature Sanctuary after the service, where Bob will be interred.

GoToOlder PostAll Posts

Comments are closed.

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Membership
  • Directory
  • Events

Contact

Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society
Address: 2038 Sansom street – Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: +1 (215) 567 2972
Email: info@phillyguitar.com 

Instagram  Facebook  YouTube

Membership website powered by MembershipWorks