International Guitar Night Brings a Hot List of Artists to the MAC

Four incomparable guitarists showcase the diversity of the acoustic guitar as International Guitar Night’s 2024 North American Tour makes its exclusive Chicago-area stop at the McAninch Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 10. Innovative acoustic rock interpreter Luca Stricagnoli (Italy), Vietnamese classical guitarist Thu Le, blues slide guitarist and singer Minnie Marks (Australia), and – on his farewell tour – Brazilian solo guitarist/composer Marco Pereira share the stage for a night of solos, duos and quartets. WDCB 90.9 FM is Media Sponsor for this concert.

International Guitar Night (IGN) brings together the world’s foremost guitarists to perform their latest original compositions and exchange musical ideas in a public concert setting. Each tour, IGN founder Brian Gore invites a new cast of guitar luminaries to join him for special evenings of solos, duets and quartets that highlight the virtuosity and diversity within the world of guitar. The line-up for this tour includes three IGN favorites – Luca Stricagnoli, Thu Le and Marco Pereira – and an exciting newcomer, Minnie Marks.

Stricagnoli is a world-renowned guitarist known for his innovative fingerstyle techniques and genre-blending musical arrangements. Hailing from Italy, but now based in Nashville, Tenn., Stricagnoli’s mesmerizing performances have earned him a massive social media following and critical acclaim from fellow musicians and critics alike worldwide. He performs songs from contemporary rock, film scores and mind-bending originals with double and triple neck guitars he has personally designed.

Thu is an international award-winning classical guitarist and certified guitar teacher from Vietnam whose wide-ranging repertoire includes Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern and Latin American music. At the age of seven, she became the youngest student ever admitted to the National Conservatory of Music, Hanoi. Thu’s passion for the guitar has taken her around the world, hosting successful master classes and performing solo. Regularly featured in prestigious festivals, she remains close to her cultural roots, performing regularly in her native Vietnam.

Pereira, an internationally renowned Brazilian composer, is a brilliant solo guitarist who has collaborated with top Brazilian singers and composers. Influenced by jazz, Latin-American, and Brazilian music, Pereira’s compositions have won international acclaim. His compositions, published globally, have been played and recorded by countless guitarists, including Yamandu Costa and the Assad Brothers. Pereira is a professor emeritus at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. This will be his last tour with IGN.

Marks, an Australian Blues slide guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, recently joined IGN. Armed with an old Goldtop and a revolutionary Farmer Foot Drum, Marks consistently pushes musical limits with her guitar wizardry and powerful voice. Marks’ honors and awards include winning the world-renowned Bluesfest Busking Competition, the People’s Choice Award at both Blues at Bridgetown and Nannup Music Festival, plus earning the winning place of “Best Guitarist” at the Open Arms Festival competition.

The McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, presents International Guitar Night, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 10. Tickets are $48-$58. For tickets or more information visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000. A free post-show discussion with members of the ensemble takes place immediately following the performance.