International Guitar Night celebrates 19 years of touring by returning to Cowichan for another incredible night of guitar showmanship.
Brian Gore, series founder, said in his literature about the show, “IGN owes a debt to one place that isn’t LA, Paris or New York. It’s Duncan, one of the first cities to embrace the project contributing greatly to its success!”
They’re back at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre on Friday, Jan. 25, starting at 7:30 p.m.
This event is the world’s premier touring guitar festival: each show bringing together interesting acoustic guitarists to exchange musical ideas in a public concert setting.
For each tour, Gore brings together a new cast of guitar luminaries for special evenings of solos, duets, and quartets that showcase the world of the acoustic guitar. He 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.
But it has gone way beyond that.
Luca Stricagnoli, born and raised in Italy, is an acoustic guitarist known for his unique style and innovative playing techniques. His original approach to music has garnered him over 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, Stricagnoli continually leaves his audiences wondering what’s next, Gore says, adding, “In addition to his musical abilities, Stricagnoli brings an enthusiastic energy to the stage that captivates audiences everywhere.”
Antoine Boyer loves gypsy jazz and is a disciple of such masters as Mandino Reinhardt and Francis Moerman, with whom he recorded his first CD-DVD in 2009. Boyer shared a stage with such musicians as Philip Catherine, Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, and Christian Escoudé. In 2012 Boyer was named Guitarist of the Year by Guitarist Magazine, the first gypsy jazz guitarist to receive the honour.
Samuel “Samuelito” Rouesnel first picked up a guitar at age seven.
He followed a dual path of classical and flamenco guitar, studying at the Conservatoire de Caen in Normandy. Rouesnel’s first concert took place on his 16th birthday and was broadcast by French television. It was the beginning of an international career that has led him across Europe, and to North America.
He really enjoys the flamenco tradition, both as an interpreter and composer, but this guitarist plays very personal music, so his artistic talents have been sought for other kinds of projects such as film scores, album collaborations, master classes, and magazine tutorials.
Cenk Erdogan was born in Istanbul in 1979. In 1997 he won a four-year scholarship at Istanbul Bilgi University for Music Composition, he graduated with First Class Honours. In the years since, Erdogan has performed around the globe playing Turkish fretless guitar. In 2008 Cenk recorded his first album ILE. He later moved into film composition, writing award-winning music for the Turkish romance, Issiz Adam. In 2016, he arranged and conducted orchestra music for Sezen Aksu, the queen of Turkish pop. The next year, he released his latest album, Lahza, with Swedish drummer Mehmet Ikiz.
Tickets are $35 for adults. Students and CFG members get in for $30. Get them in person at the Cowichan Ticket Centre, by phone at 250-748-7529 or online at cowichanpac.ca.
