Saturday, March 20
The Center for the Arts presents
Guitar Extravaganza XI
2:00PM Matinee
Students with ID $12 in advance, $15 at the door
Adults $20 in advance, $25 at door
8:00PM
$20 in advance, $25 at door, Limited VIP Seating - $35 includes:
Reserved seats, VIP lounge and 1 free drink ticket
4:30PM - Guitar Workshop

The eleventh Guitar Extravaganza will feature seven exciting latin, flamenco, classical and acoustic free style guitarists including Stephen Holland, Rex Richardson, Jamey Bellizzi, Ivan Najera, Ian Ethan Case, David McLean and a special appearance by Juan Manuel Najera from Ecuador, South America.

The concert will include solo, duo, and trio performances highlighting their individual talents. Concert producer Ivan Najera says, "This will be an unforgettable night of passion and flare. I'm particularly pleased to include the extraordinary sounds of Sage Po on harp for the matinee performance. A show not to be missed!"

Guitar Extravaganza began in 1994 as the brainchild of Ecuador-born guitarist/composer Ivan Najera. Previous concerts have featured world-renowned players including, Yani Riley, harpist Joanna Newsom, Emerald Mist, harpist Christine Bonner, and flamenco European champion Roberto Corrias. The concert includes solo, duo, and trio performances with accompaniment by a complete rhythm section.

Rex Richardson:
An Accomplished guitarist, composer and songwriter, Rex began his music career at the age of 12. During the 70’s he worked as artist in residence in over 30 schools from the Navajo reservations to Nevada City. He has toured across the country performing on campuses, civic centers fairs and on radio. Richardson has collected an extensive repertoire of his own compositions and is credited for his own unique 5-fingered guitar method.

Jamey Bellizzi:
A Graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University, Jamey Bellizzi has studied classical guitar with Jesus Silva and Abel Carlevaro from Brazil. Jamey has recorded and published “Anthologies” that contain transcriptions and arrangements from 13th to 18th centuries. The Guitar Foundation of America selected Jamey’s composition “Serenade of Gold” for publication in 1994. He is also a contributor to Acoustic Magazine and Soundboard.

Ian Ethan Case:
Acoustic double-neck guitarist Ian Ethan Case's new album "Into Open Land" is an exploration of new musical territory on his unique 18-string instrument. The Vermont musician employs a wide variety of highly-innovative playing techniques that take full advantage of 18 strings, two fretboards, and his experience as a drummer, bassist, pianist, and composer. Emmy-winning composer Peter Bruce Wilder says, "Ian Case represents something so new in musical approach that the result is near impossible to pigeon hole into a 'sounds like' statement. It has been my personal privilege to observe his unwavering and deep exploration of this new technique on a relatively rare instrument."

David McLean:
An emerging composer of contemporary flamenco, David began his musical studies at age 4 on piano. His musical wanderings converged in Granada, Spain, where he studied under Rafaelin Habichuela, Emilio Maya, Ramon del Paso, Pascual de Lorca, Paco Cortes (of Sevilla) and Jason McGuire. His 2007 debut CD release, "Found in Spain" (2007), is a series of original pieces rooted in traditional flamenco forms. The CD was produced by Jason McGuire and was largely recorded at the studio of rock legend and flamenco enthusiast, Jackson Browne. (www.davidmclean.net)

Stephen Holland:
A composer, writer, performer and teacher, Steve lectures at Sacramento State University and Solano Community College where he teaches World Music and the History of Rock and Roll. He has traveled extensively in Latin America and Europe performing and collecting songs. The rhythmic and harmonic invention of the music of Brazil and the romantic intensity of the Spanish-American authors of Nueva Cancion have informed his work, as have the ancient traditions of the French Troubadours. He currently has two CD releases: “Steve Holland” and “Nika’s Dreams”. http://stephenholland.info/index.html

Juan Manuel:
From Ecuador, child prodigy Juan Manuel started playing the guitar and singing at age four. At age nine he was selected as finalist for the Televised Talent Show: ”Gente Joven” (Young People). Juan went on to tour South America with selected group of artists as part of a Chanel 8 TV program. This concert will mark Juan’s second appearance at the Guitar Extravaganza since 2005.

Ivan Najera:
Ecuadorian guitarist Ivan Najera began performing for radio and television at the age of nine when he won a nationally televised star search. Ivan has shared stages with Jose Feliciano, Julio Iglesias, Alberto Plaza, Los Panchos and many other international artists. His music compositions have been quoted as “some of the most accomplished and innovative guitar works of recent times” by the Pulse Latino international magazine. Recently, Ivan was a guest artist at the California Hall of Fame hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shiver. www.ivannajera.com

Sage Po
Along with formal instruction in piano, composing, acting, and voice, Sage, age 16, has dedicated the last 8 years to the harp. Sage has studied with Lisa Stine and Laura Porter, principal harpist of the Fresno Philharmonic. Sage has earned numerous musical honors including being accepted as a finalist in the American Harp Society’s 18th National Competition. In 2008 she was presented with the Herb Alpert Young Artist Award, and in October 2009 she appeared on “From the Top,” the NPR program showcasing the nation's finest young classical musicians, where she was presented with the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award.

The eleventh Guitar Extravaganza will feature seven exciting latin, flamenco, classical and acoustic free style guitarists including Stephen Holland, Rex Richardson, Jamey Bellizzi, Ivan Najera, Ian Ethan Case, David McLean and a special appearance by Juan Manuel Najera from Ecuador, South America.

The concert will include solo, duo, and trio performances highlighting their individual talents. Concert producer Ivan Najera says, "This will be an unforgettable night of passion and flare. I'm particularly pleased to include the extraordinary sounds of Sage Po on harp. A show not to be missed!"