Praised by Gramophone for his "stunning technical skill and unfailing musicality" and characterized by Classical Guitar magazine as "a fully enlightened musician of our time," Michael Nicolella is recognized as one of America's most innovative and eclectic classical guitarists. He will perform music for classical and electric guitar, including works by Steve Reich, J.S. Bach, Hans Werner Henze, Jimi Hendrix and himself.

Kevin Gallagher, winner of both the 1993 Guitar Foundation of America Competiton and the 1997 Francisco Tarrega competition, will premiere his new “avant-pop” group, Electric Kompany. The group arranges, composes and commissions music for rock quartet. For this concert, they will perform compositions by Arvo Part, Jacob Ter Veldhuis, Marc Mellits, and others. www.guitar69.com

Celebrated guitarist, singer, songwriter & producer Daniel Lanois brings his music and experimental film images to NYC for the first time. Glorious pedal steel guitar playing and innovative sonics will make for an electrifying night. Of his last NYGF performance, The NY Times wrote: "In a rare performance playing solo pedal steel guitar, Mr. Lanois, who has produced albums by U2 and Bob Dylan, used the instrument for hovering meditations. Liquid chords welled up behind folky melodies, making music that was expansive yet humble, as if contemplating wide-open spaces."

Guitarist/composer Stephen Griesgraber will present Redhooker, an evening of music for guitar and live electronics. Inspired by his interest in hypnagogia and the altered auditory experiences reflected in various dream states, Stephen will perform music for solo guitar, guitar with live electronics and samples, as well as music for guitar and ensemble. The work will be representational as well as interpretive in its exploration of states of semi and unconsciousness.

A giant in the field of Delta country blues, Charley Patton (1887-1934) was an acknowledged celebrity and seminal influence on musicians throughout the Delta. His music embraced blues, ballads, ragtime, to gospel, and his influence can be heard in the music of Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Son House, and Robert Johnson. Five amazing artists will interpret the music of this great blues figure.

Learn how chamber ensemble Slow Six integrates live audio processing intoits performances via custom applications designed on a Mac using the Max/MSPenvironment.

The Grammy Award-winning guitarist and composer Bill Frisell performs new work for his string ensemble & special guests plus the world premiere of a new, short multi-media piece created in collaboration with visual artist Jim Woodring. Deceptively mild-mannered and soft-spoken, Bill Frisell has been described by Spin magazine as the “Clark Kent” of electric guitar who “coaxes and slams his hovering split-toned ax into shapes of things to come.” Jim Woodring has been called everything under the sun, but we like "Nuts" and "Genius" the best.

Guitarist/composer Alex de Grassi (“The level of de Grassi’s accomplishment is astonishing” wrote Jazziz Magazine) performs music to accompany the 1934 silent film A Story of Floating Weeds. Celebrated Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu weaves a tragic tale of rekindled love, showing how it profoundly changes the lives of a retired actor, his present girlfriend, his ex-lover and the son he never knew he had.

Guitarist and research diver Henry Kaiser joins us to share exciting work captured while exploring the Artic. Henry will discuss how his PowerBook is essential in both his scientific and creative endeavors.

As part of ourAlternative Guitar Summit, we present a tribute to the jazz guitar legend Jim Hall. Each act will perform either Jim Hall compositions, tunes associated with him, or improvisations in his spirit.

A series of alt-guitar music curated by the guitarist/composer/arranger/bandleader Joel Harrison.

A series of alt-guitar music curated by the guitarist/composer/arranger/bandleader Joel Harrison.

What makes steel guitar and Dobro player Cindy Cashdollar's musical journey stand out is a combination of restless creativity and an uncanny ability to understand and add to a wild array of styles. She has worked with the likes of Leon Redbone, Graham Parker, Bob Dylan (on his Grammy winning "Time Out Of Mind" CD), Jorma Kaukonen, Peter Rowan, and the stellar Cajun group BeauSoleil.  As the steel guitarist for eight years with western swing kingpins Asleep At The Wheel, she logged many road miles and won five Grammy Awards.

Among the earliest and most influential Delta bluesmen to record, Skip James (1902-1969) influenced everyone from Robert Johnson to Eric Clapton. These five distinctive artists will honor the musical legacy of this American original in a special tribute concert. www.SonnyLandreth.com  |  www.cindycashdollar.com  |  www.mojomusic.com/alvin |  www.chocolate-genius.com  | www.garylucas.com

Stephen Aron, has been a featured artist for many years at nearly every major American classical guitar festival. The artistic director of the Guitar Foundation of America  Convention 2005 at the Oberlin Conservatory, Aron's recordings have been described as "breathtaking" (Guitar Review), and as "one of the best discs to cross my desk" (Soundboard). He will play a program of Chopin and Mendelssohn transcription as well as a selection of works by Spanish and South American composers.

Guitar Player magazine’s “Guitar Hero of 2006” Dominic Frasca shows you whyhe leaves all the heavy audio equipment at home in favor of his 17-inchPowerBook and Logic Pro software.

The David Bromberg Band live show is an extraordinary event, and follows no set patterns. A singular performer/writer/arranger, Bromberg's remarkable versatility has earned him vast acclaim. Peter Rowan, a major cult bluegrass artists, enjoys a devoted, international fan base. A skilled singer/songwriter, Rowan also yodels, and plays numerous stringed instruments. A maverick of the flat-picked acoustic guitar, Tony Rice was the first instrumentalist, in the context of a bluegrass band, to seize upon the innovations of guitarists like Doc Watson and propel them into new flights of virtuosity.

Guitarists Laura Oltman and Michael Newman have received acclaim for their 10 CDs and have been featured widely in the national media. Their concert tours and collaborations with such artists as fiddler Eileen Ivers (Riverdance), Turtle Island String Quartet, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes), have taken them to forty-nine states and five continents. They will perform new duets they have premiered in the past few years by Roberto Sierra, Augusta Read Thomas, Dusan Bogdanovic, Lowell Liebermann, Rami Vamos and Randall Avers.