Credited as “one of the most important showcases for the contemporary guitar” by The San Francisco Chronicle, International Guitar Night (IGN) is a long-standing Bay Area tradition known for its friendly and informal ambiance, as well as its exceptional guitar performances.
The Italian guitarist Pino Forastiere will be one of the special guests at the upcoming International Guitar Festival to be held on January 22 in Livermore, a town just east of Oakland.
Italian steel string guitarist and composer Pino Forastiere has brought his classical guitar background to collaborate on projects from jazz and rock, to electronic and pop. He is revered for his unique mix of melody, improvisation and hand percussion.
Forastiere is a remarkable virtuoso and his techniques and musical ideas are a true mix of acoustic and classical guitar styles. His phrasing and tone is like a highly refined classical guitarist (David Russell, Manuel Barrueco) while using the techniques of modern acoustic guitar artists (Michael Hedges, Alex De Grassi).
Born in Latronico, a small village in Southern Italy, Pino moved with his family to Rome in his early childhood. In 1992, he graduated from Santa Cecilia Conservatory with a degree in classical guitar, taking his final exam with a ten-string classical guitar. In the following years, he used the ten-string guitar to play baroque, contemporary and original repertoires.
Pino lives in Rome, Italy; he performs in venues and festival in Italy, Europe, Canada and USA, for both finger-style and classical societies.
While it has grown in stature to become one of the most important acoustic guitar showcases in the world since it was started almost 20 years ago, International Guitar Night has retained an informal ambiance. Sponsored by Acoustic Guitar Magazine, IGN is the only production of its kind to have grassroots origins. It was originally founded as a series of small concerts featuring local acoustic guitar masters in a small Bay Area club, but quickly grew and eventually went on tour across North America.
Its success is attributed largely to founder and guitarist Brian Gore’s ability to elicit a warm spirit of collaboration between diverse guitar virtuosos who typically tour solo and often hail from different musical genres. The camaraderie on stage, described by one guitarist as a wonderful opportunity for a cultural exchange between peers, creates a rich musical experience for audiences as well.
Along Italian Pino Forastiere, this year’s special guests Mike Dawes, English and Argentine Quique Sinesi.
Now in its seventh season at the Bankhead Theater, LVPAC Presents offers audiences the opportunity to experience a range of acclaimed performers in music, dance and other performing arts. Appearances by such guitar greats as Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, Leo Kottke, Robert Cray and others have attracted audiences of all ages from throughout the Tri-Valley area and beyond, helping to establish Livermore as a popular destination for guitar enthusiasts and music lovers. The annual LVPAC Guitar Fest LIVE! and the concurrently held LVPAC Acoustic Guitar Competition bring award-winning performances, free guitar clinics, outdoor concerts, and an equipment showcase to the downtown area each September.
The Bankhead Theater, located at 2400 First Street in Downtown Livermore, is home to the LVPAC Presents series as well as performances by resident companies and touring performing arts groups. Rotating art exhibitions are also presented in the lobby and Founder’s Room throughout the year. The ticket office is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. On performance days the ticket office remains open for 30 minutes beyond the announced curtain time.
This is the third year IGN has appeared at the Bankhead Theater during its annual tour across the United States and Canada. Tickets for the single performance at 7:30 p.m. on January 22nd range from $25 to $45 for adults and $15 for students.
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