Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College to present International Guitar Night XXIII

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By Denise Leslie | Fort Lewis College 

The 23rd anniversary North American Tour of International Guitar Night will return to the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. 

The evening brings together the world’s foremost acoustic guitarists, who perform their latest original compositions and exchange musical ideas in a public concert setting. Performing on the Concert Hall stage will be Finnish guitarist Olli Soikkeli, Soloist and chamber musician Stephanie Jones, Flamenco master Jesus Guerrero from Spain, and Canada’s traditional jazz guitarist and vocalist Jocelyn Gould.

Soikkeli was born in Nurmes, Finland in 1991 and is now based in New York City. He started playing guitar at age of 12. After a few years of playing, Soikkeli was introduced to the music of great Django Reinhardt, and Gypsy jazz has been his main focus ever since. Soon Soikkeli was playing in jazz clubs and festivals all around Finland. After touring all around Europe with musicians such as Paulus Schäfer and Arnoud Van Den Berg, Soikkeli decided to move to New York City in 2014. Soikkeli has played legendary venues such as Birdland Jazz Club, Blue Note and the Lincoln Center.

 Jones is an active soloist and chamber musician who is currently based in Germany. She recently finished her master’s and is currently studying a konzertexamen in classical guitar performance with Thomas Müller-Pering at the prestigious University of Music Franz Liszt. Jones won first prize in both the Uppsala International Guitar Festival Competition and the Hannabach Guitar Competition. She was also a finalist in the Deutscher Gitarrenpries and the Salzburg International Guitar Festival. In 2014, through the Fine Music Network National Competition, Jones was awarded the Young Virtuoso of the Year. In 2012, she competed in the prestigious Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition and subsequently won second prize.

Guerrero was born in 1985 in San Fernando (Cadiz), Spain. He started playing guitar at the age of 11 under the tutelage of master teacher José Luis Balao. Guerrero’s natural virtuosity with the instrument and his musical creativity have led him to be one of the most sought-after figures of the current flamenco scene, performing with his trio, in duet with his wife Alba Carmona, and assisting many of the great singers, including Nina Pastori and Miguel Poveda, with their records and live shows. Guerrero graduated in teaching with a specialty in musical education at the University of Cádiz. He won the Premio Flamenco Hoy 2014 for Best Guitar Accompaniment. He has been the musical composer of numerous dance shows for artists like Merche Esmeralda “Last Stop”; Molina choro “Notice, Bayles Gypsy”; David Coria “Spiral ;” Ana Morales “ReciclArte” and “De-Heeled Sandal”; Eduardo Guerrero “Alley of Sins”; Andrés Peña “A Fuego Lento,” “Órdago To The Big” and “The Air That Brings Me”; and Joaquín Grilo “Belmonte.” 

Gould is a Canadian jazz guitarist. Passionate about the tradition of jazz guitar, she cites Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass as primary influences of the instrument. Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, Jocelyn holds a Bachelor of Jazz Studies from University of Manitoba and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Michigan State University. Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Gould’s passion for music began very young. Both of her parents played guitar throughout her youth, and Gould learned piano and voice at a young age with her father, who was an elementary school music teacher. After completing high school, Gould initially studied science before switching into the faculty of music at University of Manitoba to pursue a jazz studies degree on guitar. During her time at the University of Manitoba, she studied with guitarist Larry Roy, drummer Quincy Davis and saxophonist Jon Gordon. 

 Tickets are $50, $40 and $30, and are available online at www.durangoconcerts.com or by phone, Monday through Friday from noon until 5 p.m., at (970) 247-7657. Posted ticket prices include applicable service charges. All sales are final.

 The Community Concert Hall is a not-for-profit, multiuse performance venue located on the campus of Fort Lewis College. Its ability to bring a diverse spectrum of shows to Southwest Colorado is made possible through a partnership with the college, a state-supported, independent institution of higher education, and financial and in-kind contributions from generous members of the community.