International Guitar Night (IGN) 2023 hosts a fresh and exciting lineup of talented artists from all over the world, curated by IGN founder Brian Gore. Performers Stephanie Jones (Australia), Jesús Guerrero (Spain), Jocelyn Gould (Canada) and Itamar Erez (Israel) will bring their guitars, their talents and a good time to the Farquhar on January 25, 2023.
Newcomers and returning veterans of the tour will combine their unique styles to create an unforgettable series of performances. The audience can expect to enjoy a mosaic of classical guitar, modern fingerstyle, flamenco, jazz, gypsy jazz stylings and much more.
“2023 marks a year of firsts for IGN: our very first guitarist from Australia, our first Juno Award-winner, and our first player from Andalucia. Combine these elements with gypsy jazz and you’ve got the makings of a mind-blowing musical extravaganza,” says Gore.
Stephanie Jones, originally from Australia, is an active soloist and chamber musician who is currently based in Germany, studying a Konzertexamen in classical guitar performance with Thomas Müller-Pering at the prestigious University of Music Franz Liszt. She won first prize in both the Uppsala International Guitar Festival Competition and the Hannabach Guitar Competition, and in 2014, through the Fine Music Network National Competition, she was named Young Virtuoso of the Year. She has released two albums, Colours of Spain (2015) and Bach, the Fly and the Microphone (2009), and is a member of the renowned Weimar Guitar Quartet.
Jesús Guerrero was born in 1985 in San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain. He started playing guitar at the age of 11 under the tutelage of master teacher José Luis Balao, and later graduated in teaching, specializing in musical education, from the University of Cádiz. His musical creativity and natural virtuosity with the guitar have made him one of the most sought-after figures in the current flamenco scene, performing with his trio, in duet with his wife Alba Carmona, and assisting many great singers, including Nina Pastori and Miguel Poveda, with their records and live shows. In 2016, Guerrero released Calma, his first solo album, which beautifully displays his musical versatility.
Jocelyn Gould is a Canadian guitarist who is passionate about the tradition of jazz guitar, citing Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass as her primary influences. Originally from Winnipeg, she holds a Bachelor of Jazz Studies from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Michigan State University. Upon graduating, she worked as a guitarist in New York City until moving to Toronto in 2019 to begin a professorship at Humber College. She has played alongside many acclaimed musicians, including Grammy-nominated vocalist Freddy Cole, DownBeat’s Rising Star trombonist Michael Dease, and the legendary Etienne Charles. In 2021, her debut record Elegant Traveler won a Juno Award for Jazz Album of the Year.
Itamar Erez’s music holds a depth and sensitivity that touches listeners deeply. He blends the delicateness of Middle Eastern music with the freedom found in jazz and the passion of flamenco, creating a unique sound all his own. The recipient of the 2014 ACUM Prize for Special Achievement in Jazz and the prestigious 2014 Landau Prize, Erez is an internationally renowned composer and guitarist who has shared the stage with such musicians as Jean-Louis Matinier and Zohar Fresco. In 2018 he made his debut at Carnegie Hall with the Omar Faruk Tekbilek Ensemble. His most recent album, Mi Alegria, was nominated for the 2020 Instrumental Artist of the Year Award from the Canadian Folk Music Awards. He is on the guitar faculty at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music, and is currently working on new material for his next album.
IGN 2023 takes place at the Farquhar Auditorium at UVic on January 25, 2023 at 7:00 pm. Tickets ($40 general, $28 for students/alumni, and $140 for a four-ticket pack) are on sale at the UVic Ticket Centre at 250-721-8480 or tickets.uvic.ca.
Learn more at internationalguitarnight.com