[370] 8TH ANNUAL TENNESSEE GUITAR FESTIVAL KICKS OFF AT MTSU

8TH ANNUAL TENNESSEE GUITAR FESTIVAL KICKS OFF AT MTSU
Public Invited and Encouraged to Attend Free Concerts March 21-25

(MURFREESBORO)—The 8th annual Tennessee Guitar Festival, with five consecutive nights of guitar concerts by some of America’s finest guitar virtuosos, will kick off Saturday, March 21, with concerts at 8 o’ clock nightly in Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“This festival is the largest of its kind in the state," said William Yelverton, MTSU faculty and guitar studies director.
Opening night, March 21, will feature a brief introductory performance by Yelverton playing solo guitar. MTSU graduate and an award-winning doctoral student at Indiana University, Lucas Finney, will follow Yelverton in the same concert, playing Baroque and modern guitars. The second half of the March 21 concert will feature guitarist/composer and MTSU faculty member Roger Hudson performing on guitar and the Arabic stringed oud, with percussionist and MTSU faculty member David Pruett.
"The Sunday, March 22, concert will feature a an array of musical variety, including flamenco guitarist Mir Ali and the Carolina String Duo, who will perform everything from bluegrass and gypsy jazz to Brazilian," Yelverton said.
Monday, March 23, Ben Bolt, a former student of Andres Segovia, and Erol Ozsever, an award-winning MTSU graduate, will perform. Then, the concert on Tuesday, March 24, will feature Spanish guitarist Virginia Luque, who will perform both classical and flamenco guitar.
Festival concerts conclude on Wednesday, March 25 with a concert by the Rucco-James Duo performing on authentic nineteenth century period guitars.
"We are fortunate to have received sponsorship from the Tennessee Art Commission’s Community Foundation, the D’Addario Foundation and The MTSU Faculty Evaluation and Development Committee," Yelverton said. "That is why we can present this festival free and open to the public … (and) all are welcome, enjoy!"
For more information on the Tennessee Guitar Festival, please access the festival link on the calendar events page at www.mtsumusic.com or call (615) 898-2493.

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