Throughout the week of May 22, Cervantes Fundación Hispanoamericana de Arte (Cervantes Hispanic-American Arts Foundation) will be presenting the International Guitar Festival. The fourth-annual festival will take place at various locations around New Orleans and on Tulane’s campus, showcasing the diversity of guitar music and the musicians who have brought originality to the craft. The festival, themed “Promoting the Importance of Mentorship in Music,” will celebrate the diverse use of guitar across genres and cultures including classical, blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, folk, jazz, mariachi, punk, metal, soul, reggae and pop.
Cervantes Fundación Hispanoamericana de Arte was founded as a nonprofit in 1982 by Guillermo de Bango with “the mission to promote modern and classical Hispanic arts and cultural traditions which include music, dance, literature, fine arts, and culinary arts, among others.” Aside from the International Guitar Festival, the organization runs other events to enrich Louisiana with Latin culture including Que Pasa Fest, Christmas of Hope/Navidad de Esperanza, and Mardi Gras Mambo. Since 2014, the International Guitar Fest has celebrated the diversity of guitar music from within and beyond Latin America.
American guitar virtuoso Eliot Fisk will headline this year’s festival with a performance Friday evening at Dixon Hall on the Tulane University campus. Originally hailing from Philadelphia, Fisk has made a name for himself internationally with his expert technique, adventurous repertoire, and genre-blending influences. For decades, Fisk has performed with orchestras worldwide and engaged in numerous crossover projects melding flamenco, jazz, classical, and Turkish guitar.
Other performances will welcome talented musicians from all over the world, including Steve Masakowsi, Geovane Santos, Isaac Bustos, Jay Kacherski, Lina Morita, Rafael Padron, Dan Kyzer, Javier Olondo, Eliza Gonzalez, Gaspar Rodriguez and a special appearance by Maestro Elias Barreiro.
The master classes, panels and youth competition are family-friendly and open to the public. Admission is free with the exception of Eliot Fisk’s concert and the final evening at Rock n Bowl. Tickets for Eliot Fisk are for sale online at Eventbrite.com and Rock N Bowl admission will charge $10 at the door.
The full schedule of events for the 2018 New Orleans International Guitar Festival is as follows:
Tuesday, May 22
Opening Night: 300 Years of Musical Influences
7 p.m. New Orleans Jazz Museum (Old US Mint) 400 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans
Javier Olondo Quartet, Classical Guitar
Steve Masakowski with special guest Geovane Santos, Jazz Guitar
Free
Wednesday, May 23
7:30 p.m. Tulane University – Dixon Recital Hall (Dixon Annex) Free Admission
Dan Kyzer, Classical Guitar (1st prize winner of the 2017 Young Artist Competition NOIGF)
Jay Kacherski, Classical Guitar
Lina Morita, Piano
Thursday, May 24
9 a.m. – Noon & 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Tulane University –Dixon Recital Hall (Dixon Annex)
Young Artist Competition: 1st Round
Free
6 p.m. Tulane University Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, 6th Floor
Guitar legends Eliot Fisk, Elias Barreiro and Steve Masakowski discuss the importance of mentorship in the development of the artist. Javier Olondo will moderate.
Free
7:30 p.m. Tulane University- Dixon Recital Hall
Rafael Padron, Classical Guitar
Isaac Bustos, Classical Guitar
Free
Friday, May 25
10 a.m. Tulane University –Dixon Recital Hall (Dixon Annex)
Young Artist Competition: Final Round
Free
7:30 pm Tulane University- Dixon Hall
Eliot Fisk, Classical Guitar
$20 advance tickets $25 at the door
Saturday, May 26
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tulane University-Dixon Recital Hall (Dixon Annex)
Master Class with Eliot Fisk
Open to the Public
GUITAR FIESTA
9 p.m. Rock n Bowl, 3000 South Carrollton Ave., New Orleans
Eliza Gonzalez and Gaspar Rodriguez, Flamenco
Javier Olondo & AsheSon with guest artists
$10
