The Shetland International Guitar Festival runs from 6-8 November this year and is curated by legendary guitarist Martin Taylor.
The festival will feature concerts at Mareel by Tommy Emmanuel (on Thursday 6), Martin himself (on Friday 7), and a line-up of Shetland Guitar Heroes (on Saturday 8), followed by a Festival Club in Mareel Cafe Bar after each concert.
This year Martin will also be basing his famous Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat (now SOLD OUT) in Shetland from 5-7 November.
Tommy Emmanuel CGP
Two-time Grammy nominee Tommy Emmanuel is one of Australia’s most respected musicians and will open the Festival with a concert on Thursday 6 November, with support from Norman ‘Girsie’ Goudie & Friends.
With a professional career spanning five decades, Tommy has garnered hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide. Performing live is extremely important to him and he has played over 300 concerts every year for the last seven years!
His live shows are known for their humour, performance, passion, and infectious joy. Chet Atkins honoured Tommy with the title of Certified Guitar Player (CGP) for his contribution to guitar music, a very rare distinction shared by only four other people in the world.
Dr. Martin Taylor MBE is a multi-award winning guitarist, composer, educator and musical innovator. As well as curating the Festival, Martin will play a headline concert with support from Brian Nicholson & Friends on Friday 7 November.
Widely considered to be the world’s foremost exponent of solo jazz and finger-style guitar playing, Martin possesses an inimitable style that has earned him global acclaim from fellow musicians, fans and critics alike.
He dazzles audiences with a signature style that artfully combines his virtuosity, emotion and humour with a strong, engaging stage presence. Completely self-taught beginning at the early age of four, he has invented and developed a unique way of playing the guitar that is greatly admired, and often emulated, by guitarists all over the world.
The line-up of the Shetland Guitar Heroes concert, presented in partnership with High Level Music Centre, includes Arthur Nicholson, Ewan Nowak, Alan McKay, Robbie Walterson, and special guests. Support on the night will come from The High Level Music Students – a selection of young guitarists currently learning guitar (and perhaps even a little ukulele!) in the High Level Music Centre practice spaces – and Martin Taylor’s Guitar Retreat Students.
All the guitarists will be backed up by the on-stage rhythm section: Bryan Peterson on bass and Archer Kemp on drums.
Shetland Arts’ Marketing Officer Lisa Ward said: “The Shetland Guitar Heroes concert will be a genre-spanning musical collaboration between some of Shetland’s finest home-grown guitarists, supported by the next generation of talented players, and showcasing the incredible talent that Shetland has to offer. It’s bound to be very popular!”
Festival Package Deal
Just £65 / £55! Includes tickets to all 3 concerts + Shetland International Guitar Festival 2014 branded t-shirt.*
Package deal is available to book now via Shetland Box Office over the phone on 01595 745 555 or in person at Mareel or Islesburgh. Online booking is not available. (T-shirt sizes are first come, first served, & subject to availability).
Festival Club: Mareel Cafe Bar, 10pm – 1am
Soak up the festival atmosphere in the Mareel Cafe Bar after the concerts where you can enjoy some informal sessions and performances and sample our selection of refreshing drinks, all the while admiring the gorgeous evening view across the waterfront.
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