Solid pick: UofL Guitar Festival and Competition to take the stage

Some of the nation’s leading classic guitarists will gather at the University of Louisville Sept. 15-18 for the UofL Guitar Festival and Competition.

The four-day festival, now in its sixth year, includes concerts, master classes, youth ensemble showcases and an international competition with a first prize of $1,000.

Stephen Mattingly, UofL guitar instructor and festival director, said the event is open to all enthusiasts and playing levels and draws players from around the world.

“The festival offers stylistically varied concerts for all guitar fans and an array of workshops for guitarists of any age or level,” he said.

Concerts will be held in the Margaret Comstock Concert Hall, School of Music, on UofL’s Belknap Campus. The opening concert will feature the award-winning French guitarist Thibaut Garcia. Later concerts will present an array of virtuosic solo guitar music.

Highlights include:

• Sept. 15, 7 p.m. evening concert: Thibaut Garcia
• Sept. 16, 4 p.m. afternoon concert: Tantalus Quartet; 7 p.m. evening concert: Marek Nosal
• Sept. 17, 4 p.m. afternoon concert: Stephen Lochbaum; 7 p.m. evening concert: Kevin Manderville and Emma Rush
• Sept. 18, 1 p.m. competition final round; 7:30 p.m. University Orchestra concert: Mattingly performs “Concierto de Aranjuez”

Tickets are $50 for concert series, $20 for individual concerts and free for UofL students. The general registration fee for participants is $150 for adults or $75 for a youth weekend fee. Tickets and registration forms are available at the door or online.