INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT Returns to Harris Center, Feb 22

Folsom, CA -- International Guitar Night returns to Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom with some of the world's finest guitarists/composers performing their newest work and sharing musical ideas with their peers in public concert.

International Guitar Night (IGN) is the world's premier touring guitar festival. For each tour, IGN founder Brian Gore invites a new cast of guitar luminaries to join him for special evenings of solos, duets, and quartets that highlight the dexterity and diversity within the world of acoustic guitar. Brian founded IGN in 1995 as a forum for the world's finest guitarists/composers to play their latest original songs and share musical ideas and talent with their peers. In this year IGN's North American tour Brian Gore will be joined by classical innovator and fellow Californian Andrew York; Brazilian jazz master Diego Figueiredo and contemporary Iranian-Canadian steel string prodigy Maneli Jamal.

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT will be presented Sunday, February 22, 2015 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are priced at $19-$29; Premium $39; Students with ID $12. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

Diego Figueiredo (pronounced fig-a-reed-o) is considered one of the most talented guitar players in the world today. He is the winner of several important competitions including the Montreux Jazz Competition and the VISA Prize. Diego has released over nineteen albums to date, three DVD's and several instructional books. His music is a fusion between jazz, Bossa Nova and classical. Diego's unique interpretations, his phenomenal technique and emotion has created an explosion of adoring fans and concert goers. Diego has performed in over forty countries around the world. Besides being a guitar player, Diego is a producer, arranger, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist and has recently produced and arranged the double album As várias caras de Drummond for which Belchior, the first Brazilian pop musician to reach mainstream success in the 1970's, wrote the music for Drummond´s poems, and which was released in CARAS Magazine. With a variety of works already released, Diego is doing shows on the most important stages around the world - enchanting and charming the public wherever he goes with his unique touch.

Andrew York is one of today's most visible and innovative classical guitar composers, winning a GRAMMY with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet during their sixteen-year partnership. Andrew's discography includes "California Breeze," a recording for Sony Japan, three solo CDs for the GSP label, ten CDs with the LAGQ on Delos, Sony and Telarc labels, as well as inclusion on Rhino Records Legends of Guitar and numerous other compilations. Besides his classical performance and compositional accomplishments, Andrew also has an extensive background as a jazz guitarist, studying with jazz legends Joe Diorio and Lenny Breau. As a classical musician, Andrew received a grant from the Del Amo Foundation for study in Spain. Andrew received his Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California and is the only USC graduate in the school's history to twice receive the Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award - in 1997 as a member of LAGQ and in 2003 as the sole recipient.

Acoustic guitarist and composer Maneli Jamal has lived in five different countries (Iran, Belarus, Germany, USA, and Canada) and had moved twenty times by the time he was 18. The young artist gained a sense of musical maturity rarely seen among his peers especially when he transformed his nomadic life experiences into musical movements using extended guitar techniques. There aren't many players in his style that have Jamal's balance of power and sensitivity, nor his breadth of ideas. His rhythmic concepts can be alternately short and dense, or explored carefully through several movements. He has won countless music competitions around the world including placing in the top 3 at Guitar Idol, a worldwide guitar competition held in London, UK. Having been brought up in a purely artistic and musical family has contributed to shape his unique story-telling approach. He has performed all over the world, including tours in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Europe and Africa.

San Francisco guitar poet Brian Gore is gaining a reputation as one of the most interesting and influential performers of "the next generation" in finger style guitar. A musical romantic, his compositions draw inspiration from myth and modern literature. Hailed as having "...one of the most unique new acoustic guitar styles on the scene today (News and Review)," his lyrical, understated compositions integrate classical and percussive techniques that display what the Los Angeles Times calls "a characterful bounce and spaciousness all his own." Gore's style of playing offers strikingly beautiful tone and dynamics ? qualities that are often hard to find in steel string players. His melodic, evocative songs rely heavily on the use of open tunings, extending the "stream of consciousness" style of guitar composing he grew up with in Northern California. "Music started out as a kind of therapy for me," says Gore. "Consequently, I am a very emotional player. Now, my style of playing has also become a well-honed craft. I am very grateful I can share this with people." His buoyant personality and odd sense of humor help add lightness to his shows. "By the time I'm done with a performance," explains Gore, "people really know the meaning of the term 'extroverted introvert'." While Gore integrates some of the flashier percussive techniques into his pieces, the poetic quality of his music is preserved. Gore's recent CD + postcard release is called Santa Cruz in Song and Image. He is currently expanding upon his work with illustrator Bill Russell on an online series of videos and original songs plus multimedia show called "Wine Country: A Pairing of Music and Art." He has two additional solo releases, including "Legacy" and "Path of Least Resistance."

GREAT SHOWS. UP CLOSE. IN FOLSOM! The Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College is a $50 million facility built with a combination of state, regional, local and private funds. Harris Center has three intimate theaters, an art gallery, a recording studio, elegant teaching spaces, plenty of safe parking and all the other amenities of a state-of-the-art performing arts venue. The Harris Center presents touring artists from around the world; partners with the best regional arts organizations, and supports productions by FLC students and faculty.

The Harris Center for the Arts (formerly Three Stages) is named to honor Brice Harris, Chancellor Emeritus of the Los Rios Community College District, for his many contributions to the capital region, including the vision and leadership he provided in opening this regional arts center.

To post a comment, you must register and login.