BOONE—Classical guitarists from across the U.S. will perform during the 21st Annual Appalachian Guitarfest April 8-10 at Appalachian State University.

Concerts will feature Stephen Robinson and the trio Corde Cantanti April 8 at 8 p.m., Ricardo Cobo and Stephen Mattingly April 9 at 8 p.m. and a performance by the GuitarFest Guitar Orchestra April 10 at 11 a.m. The final round of Division I competition begins at 1 p.m. All concerts will be in Broyhill Music Center.

Individual tickets for evening concerts and the Division I competition final round are $25 for the general public and $15 for students with an I.D. from Appalachian. Tickets will be available at the door, or in advance through the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts box office or online at http://theschaefercenter.org/tickets.

Admission to the guitar orchestra concert April 10 is free.

Full package price for festival participants, including all concerts, master classes and workshops, is $75. Additional fees for competitors: $40 for Division I and II, $20 for Divisions III and IV. For more information, visit http://music.appstate.edu/news-events/guitarfest or email [email protected].

About the performers

Stephen Robinson is a professor of music at Stetson University in Florida and founding director of the university’s guitar program. He has appeared as guest soloist with orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony and Boston Pops Orchestras.

Corde Cantanti, which means singing strings, is an ensemble comprised of lutes, guitars, cello, percussion and voice. Its members are guitarist and lutenist Douglas James, vocalist and instrumentalist Hazel Ketchum, and cellist Corinne Cassini.

James is a professor of guitar at Appalachian and director of the guitar fest. Ketchum performs solo and song repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day, and resides with her family in Charleston, SC, where they operate the Hungry Monks music school. Cassini teaches the Alexander Technique at the Hayes School of Music and performs regularly with members of the music faculty.

Ricardo Cobo is director of classical guitar studies at University of Nevada in Las Vegas, where he co-founded the Allegro/UNLV Guitar Series. He is on the D’Addario roster of touring artists and has developed his own line of instruments with Alhambra Guitars.

Stephen Mattingly is an assistant professor of guitar at the University of Louisville and director of the University of Louisville Guitar Festival and Competition. He has performed nationally and internationally in New York City, Poland, Panama, Finland and Germany. As a Theodor Presser Award winner, he recorded the complete guitar chamber works by Franz Schubert.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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