Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
April 10, 2008 issue
Appalachian GuitarFest and Competition This Weekend
Story by Anna Oakes
Solo guitarists from all over the East Coast will compete this weekend as part of the 13th annual GuitarFest at Appalachian State University.
In addition to the competition, the festival—taking place Friday to Sunday, April 11 to 13—features concerts by guest guitar artists, master classes and workshops.
Concerts by Alexander Dunn, Elliot Frank, William Kanengiser and Stephen Robinson are open to the public and take place Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 8:00 p.m. in Rosen Concert Hall. Admission to the concerts is $20 for the public and $10 for ASU students.
“The evening concerts are really spectacular,” said Doug James, coordinator of GuitarFest and guitar professor at ASU.
Frank and Robinson perform on Friday, April 11.
Frank is a frequent guest performer and teacher at guitar festivals throughout the Americas. His recent performance highlights include the 2006 Guitar Foundation of America Festival, the 2006 Classical Minds Guitar Institute and the Alexandria Guitar Festival. He is on the faculty at East Carolina University.
Robinson is professor of music at Stetson University in Florida. He has been a top prize winner in five major international competitions, including the XXIII Concours International de Guitare in Paris and the VI Concurso Internacional de Guitarra in Venezuela.
Dunn and Kanengiser will perform Saturday, April 12.
Dunn directs one of Canada’s top guitar programs at the University of Victoria and the Victoria Conservatory of Music. He has performed to enthusiastic acclaim in Canada, the United States, Cuba, New Zealand, Mexico, Brasil, Southeast Asia, China, South Africa, and western and Eastern Europe.
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet founder Kanengiser is recognized as one of America’s most brilliant guitarists. He has developed a unique repertoire for his instrument, ranging from arrangements of Mozart, Handel and Bartók to his innovative excursions into the music of Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. He is a member of the guitar faculty at the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles.
The GuitarFest Guitar Orchestra and Appalachian’s Guitar Ensemble will perform on Sunday, April 13, at 11:00 a.m.
The festival’s solo guitar competition takes place throughout the weekend. More than 30 guitarists have entered, James said. Competitors include performers from New York, Ohio, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, as well as three ASU students, he said. Last year’s winner was from Los Angeles.
The Division I Competition semifinal round will be held Saturday, April 12, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. The Division I Competition final round and awards reception is open to the public and will be held Sunday, April 13, at 1:00 p.m. in Rosen Concert Hall. Admission to the final round and reception is $20 for the public and $10 for ASU students.
The event has expanded to include two youth divisions, one for grades 8 and under and one for grades 9 to 12.
The judges for the preliminary and semifinal rounds include guitar professionals, college faculty and guitar teachers. The featured guest artists will judge the final round of the solo guitar competition on Sunday.
Registration for the entire festival, including workshops and master classes, is up from last year, James said. The entire festival package price is $60.
Tickets are available in advance at the Farthing Auditorium box office, by calling 828- 262-4046 or at the door. For more information, click to www.music.appstate.edu/guitarfest/.
Want To Go?
What: GuitarFest Concerts
Date: Friday to Sunday, April 11 to 13
Time: 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday/11:00 a.m. Sunday
Location: Rosen Concert Hall, ASU
Cost: $20 general admission/$10 ASU students
Want To Go?
What: Solo Guitar Competition Finals
Date: Sunday, April 13
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Rosen Concert Hall, ASU
Cost: $20 general admission/$10 ASU students