Schedule / Past Festivals

New Ergonomics in Guitar Design; with Saul Koll, Ola Strandberg,Harvey Valdes, Joe Ravo, Jeff Doctorow and Ed Keller

In recent decades an increasing number of luthiers have addressed the challenges surrounding ergonomic guitar design. Shape, weight and playability are part of this; the greater availability of new materials and manufacturing processes have played a substantial role also as builders use carbon fiber, synthetic materials, laminates and aerospace glues, and CNC milling machines for fabrication.

Creation: A panel discussion on trends in composition,  commissioning,  performing and publishing new music for classical guitar. Featuring Robert Cuckson,  Marco Cappelli and Andrew McKenna Lee. Moderated by Michael Newman and Laura Oltman, of the Newman Oltman Duo.

A Conversation with Kid Millions, Don Bikoff + Jeff Conklin

A discussion on American Primitive presented by Tompkins Square, featuring Don Bikoff, Jeff Conklin and and moderated by Kid MillionsThe Tompkins Square Label has released many essential recordings by first-gen cosmic guitar players like Harry Taussig, Michael Chapman, Peter Walker and Max Ochs, as well as young gun slingers in t

Contemporary Improvisation and The Electric Guitar

Liberty Ellman, Grey McMurray and Gyan Riley in conversation with Alternative Guitar Summit founder/curator Joel Harrison. A loose, wide-ranging discussion on the incredible breadth of guitar styles and approaches that have proliferated in new music and jazz in the 21st century. 

Hosted by the Center for Transformative Media at The New School, with Mannes College of Music.

Nigel North: The French Lute of the 17th-century

A presentation by Nigel North on the instrument, tuning, tablatures, and music that a lutenist lived with 350 years ago. 

Hosted by the Center for Transformative Media at The New School, with Mannes College of Music.



About Nigel North:

Derek Gripper in conversation with Banning Eyre

The South African guitarist/composer Derek Gripper in conversation with author, guitarist, broadcaster Banning Eyre.  Eyre has spent years exploring the guitar styles of Africa, and is the author of four books, including In Griot Time: An American Guitarist in Mali.

Our all-day, immersive Guitar Marathon at The Met Cloisters

Perched atop North Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park, with a view of the Hudson River below and cliffs of the Palisades across the way, The Cloisters houses one of the world's finest collections of medieval European art.

featuring Rez Abbasi, Derek Gripper, Kaki King and Glenn Jones

An evening of music and conversation with Rez Abbasi, Derek Gripper, Kaki King and Glenn Jones. Hosted by WNYC New Sounds' John Schaefer.

 

 

Performances include:

Curated by Joel Harrison

This year, the Alt Guitar Summit launches a new annual series entitled "While We're Still Here," celebrating living composers. For this inaugural, the honorees will be none other than jazz big-band leader Carla Bley and the widely influential Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.
 

Curated by Joel Harrison

Beauty and Noise is devoted to players who inhabit electronic frontiers, creating sonic rapture, sometimes absent of notes. Listeners will be immersed in wild, mysterious textures rarely imagined. Some artists will play solo, others will have accompaniment, some of the music will be composed, some improvised.

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