Acclaimed guitarists to perform, instruct at Oakton Guitar Festival

Internationally acclaimed musicians will perform and demonstrate string bending sorcery during Guitar Festival on Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m., at Studio One, Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines.

The festival kicks off with a concert by local artists including Oakton’s own Tom Clippert, a classically trained guitarist and a graduate of the Yale School of Music. Singer-songwriter Faraz Chaudry, Larry Pilotto, a critically renowned fingerstyle player, and Marco Rios, who plays with a Caribbean influence, round out Friday’s show.

Headlining Saturday’s concert is Don Ross, the only player to have twice won the U.S. Fingerstyle Championship. Celebrated jazz guitarists Freddie Bryant and Roddy Ellias will also take the stage. Bryant is a New York jazz performer and recording artist who plays with the Monk Legacy Septet, the Mingus Orchestra and his own band, Kaleidoscope. Ellias, called a “genius” by jazz legend Bud Freeman, has performed with some of the biggest names in jazz, as well as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets for each concert are $8 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors. To order tickets, visit www.oakton.edu/tickets or call 847-635-1900.

In addition to the concerts, individual artists will host free seminars during the festival. Ross will hold a technique workshop at 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16. Guitar workshops are also scheduled Saturday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. (with Chaudry); 12 p.m. (with Ross); 2 p.m. (with Bryant); and 4 p.m. (with Ellias).

“These gifted artists do not make it to the Chicago area often, so having them assembled in one place makes this an extraordinary event,” said Clippert, Oakton guitar lecturer. “The guitar workshops will cover a wide array of topics, providing skills and information essential for any dedicated musician.”