Guitars to fill theatre’s airways

     (NWPR-IN) – As part of the Art Place’s 2010-11 performance series, “Aural Alchemy,” on Friday, January 21, 2011 at 7:30 pm, they will present “International Guitar Night” (IGN) in Hall-Moser Theatre in Portland. Founded eleven years ago by San Francisco steel-string fingerstyle player Brian Gore, IGN is comprised of the world’s acoustic virtuosos, who tour play their latest original songs and share musical ideas with their peers in public concert.  Today, it is the world’s premier touring guitar festival. 

     The most decorated performer on the upcoming tour is Clive Carroll.  With an honors degree in composition and guitar from Trinity College, Carroll racked up countless awards during his university career, including the John Halford Prize for Composition, the Gladys Puttick Memorial Prize for Extemporisation, the Ivor Mairants Guitar Award and the Montagu Cleeve Prize for Guitar.  In 1999, he was also first guitarist to ever win the Essex Young Musician of the Year Award.

     Alexandre Gismonti, who is the son of the Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti, has developed his own unique voice on his instrument by incorporating elements of flamenco and jazz. Gismonti has represented Brazil at the 2003 “Entre Cuerdas” international guitar festival in Chile; performed as a soloist in the 41st Villa-Lobos Festival in Rio de Janeiro; and been selected for the 7th Visa Award of Brazilian music in São Paulo.

     Pino Forastiere earned a degree in classical guitar from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and has released four solo albums on the Candyrat label. Pino also premiered on “Why Not?” which is an epic concerto for electro-acoustic guitar and string orchestra. This past March, he debuted with Guitar Republic, an acoustic ‘made in Italy’ guitar trio featuring himself, Sergio Altamura and Stefano Barone.  As an Italian maestro whose sound is totally unique, Guitar Player magazine says, “He employs a dazzling blend of slapping, tapping, strumming, altered tunings and harmonics, combined with classical phrasing and a focus on distinct and addictive melodies.”

     Described as having one of the most unique new acoustic guitar styles on the scene today by News and Review, Brian Gore is a ‘guitar poet’ who blends classical and percussive techniques.  “His well developed melodies and intriguing chord sequences set him apart from the myriad of steel-string fingerstylists, who compose in open tunings,” wrote Ron Forbes Roberts of Acoustic Guitar.  “His finely crafted poetic ‘songs without words’ take the listener on a spellbinding emotional ride.”

     For more information on IGN, including their new album being released in conjunction with the tour, see www.internationalguitarnight.squarespace.com.  Tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for students, and can be purchased at the box office, by phone at 260.726.4809, toll-free at 866.539.9911, or online – www.artsland.org.