SIU is hosting its fourth annual guitar festival Friday and Saturday, featuring daytime masterclasses and night performances for the public.

Headlining the festival is Moacyr Teixeira Neto, a famed classical guitarist from Brazil. The North American release of Teixeira’s latest album, titled “Over the Time,” will take place during the festival and also involves music from Italian-Brazilian composer Marcus Vinícius.

Neto will be performing and teaching a masterclass, according to the festival website. Though the classes are closed to the public, all are welcome to attend the lecture, the website says.

Returning to the festival is Zvonimir Tot, a jazz guitarist from Serbia who will also be teaching a masterclass and performing. Tot will also be presenting his latest book “Jazz Guitar Harmony: The Melodic Approach.”

Two more masterclasses will be taught by Gregory Wendt, whose class is called “Video Basics for Musicians”, and Christopher Walczak, whose class is titled “Composing for Guitar.”

Tot, along with Isaac Lausell, Wayne Goodwin and SIU professor Phil Brown, will be performing a jazz ensemble at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Quigley Hall.

“The repertoire is going to draw a little bit from [Lausell and Tot’s] cultural heritage,” Lausell, the festival’s organizer, said. “It’s jazz but it’s going to have some Hispanic heritage. In my case, and in the case of Dr. Tot … it also is going to feature European roots.”

There are a variety of different tickets for the event, which include a 2-day pass, a 1-day pass or single event pass. Students, faculty and staff from the School of Music can attend events for free.

The complete schedule for the festival is as follows:

Friday, November 10th, 2017

• 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.: Late Registration Table, OBF Recital Hall lobby
• 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Masterclass: “Jazz Guitar Harmony” with Zvonimir Tot, Altgeld Hall 111
• 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.: Masterclass: “Video Basics for Musicians” with Gregory Wendt, Altgeld Hall 114
• 7:30 p.m.: Opening gala concert with Zvonimir Tot and the Isaac Lausell Trio – Quigley Hall

Saturday, November 11th, 2017

• 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Classical guitar masterclass with Moacyr Teixeira Neto, Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall
• 2:30 p.m.  – 3:30 p.m. – Masterclass: “Composing for Guitar” with Christopher Walczak, Altgeld Hall 114
• 7:30 p.m.: Classical Guitar CD Release concert of “Over the Time” by Moacyr Teixeira Neto featuring the music of Marcus Vinícius, OBF Recital Hall

Staff writer Kitt Fresa can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kittfresa.

To stay up to date with all your southern Illinois news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.

Advertisement