Catch several of the world’s top acoustic guitarists as the city of Kent Spotlight Series presents International Guitar Night at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 1, at the Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center, 10020 SE 256th St.
Tickets are $28 adult, $25 senior and $15 youth. Buy tickets at kentarts.com, by calling 253-856-5051 or in person at the Kent Commons, 525 Fourth Ave. N. Hours for phone and in-person sales are Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Box office is closed on Sunday..
San Francisco-based guitarist, Brian Gore founded International Guitar Night in 1995. Each tour, a new cast of guitar luminaries comes together for an evening of solos, duets, and quartets that highlight the virtuosity and diversity within the world of acoustic guitar, according to a city of Kent press release.
For International Guitar Night’s 19th year of touring, guest host Luca Stricagnoli, Italy’s explosive contemporary showman, whose arrangements of heavy-metal songs have made him huge fan-favorite, returns by popular demand. He will be joined by two of France’s acclaimed young prodigies, Swing guitarist Antoine Boyer and Flamenco guitarist Samuelito, as well as the ground-breaking Turkish fretless guitarist Cenk Erdogan.
• Stricagnoli, born and raised in Italy, is known for his unique style and innovative playing techniques. His original approach to music has garnered him more than 100 million views on YouTube and sold-out shows around the world. Using self-conceived stratagems, modified capos, and up to five guitars in the same piece, Luca continually leaves his audiences in awe and wondering what’s next for the up-and-coming guitarist.
• Boyer drank from the most authentic sources of gypsy jazz, being a disciple of such masters as Mandino Reinhardt and Francis Moerman, with whom he recorded his first CD-DVD in 2009. The album was acclaimed by French and American critics (Jazzman, Vintage Guitars). In 2012 Boyer was named “Guitarist of the Year” by Guitarist Magazine, the first gypsy jazz guitarist to receive the honor.
• Rouesnel first picked up a guitar at age 7. He followed a dual path of classical and flamenco guitar, studying at the prestigious Conservatoire de Caen in Normandy. Samuelito’s first concert took place on his 16th birthday, on the national stage of Caen and was broadcast by French television. It was the beginning of an international career that has led him throughout Europe, the United States and beyond. Deeply attached to the flamenco tradition, both as an interpreter and composer, this young guitarist plays very personal music. He has been sought for film scores, album collaborations, master classes, and magazine tutorials. Samuelito has won many prizes for classical and flamenco guitar including the European Guitar Award with Boyer.
• Erdoğan was born in Istanbul in 1979. He won a four-year scholarship at Istanbul Bilgi University for Music Composition, from which he graduated with First Class Honors. Cenk has performed around the globe playing Turkish fretless guitar. He has also been a leading fretless guitar educator. In 2008, Cenk recorded his first album ILE. He later moved into film composition, writing music for the Turkish romance Issiz Adam. In 2016, he arranged and conducted orchestra music for Sezen Aksu, the queen of Turkish pop.
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