VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL
JUNE 23-25, 2017
Vancouver, B.C. (January 17, 2017) Guitar builders, players, collectors and aficionados will gather in Vancouver June 23-25 for the first Vancouver International Guitar Festival (VIGF). The only festival of its kind in Canada, VIGF comprises three days of live music, master classes and special events during which thepublic will have opportunities to see, hear, play and purchase some of the world’s finest handmade stringed instruments. The festival will take place in the heart of Vancouver at the historic Chinese Cultural Centre.
- June 23: Canada’s first Luthier Conference, including presentation of the Industry Builder Award to Jean Larrivee.
- June 24-25: Open to the public, the Guitar Exhibition including instrument demonstrations, master classes and more.
The opening day Conference is a ticketed event for professional luthiers and guitar enthusiasts, with opportunities to meet legendary guitar makers and to network with industry leaders. The full day’s program includes keynote speakers, seminars, roundtable discussions, a social mixer and presentation of the VIGF Industry Builder Award to Jean Larrivee on the occasion of his company’s 50th anniversary.
The two-day Exhibition celebrates the art and craft of contemporary guitar making, acoustic and electric. More than 80 master luthiers from Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia will be on site for one-on-one discussions and demonstrations. All instruments on display (acoustic, electric, ukuleles and basses) will be available for purchase; commissions welcome.
Festival co-producers Shaw Saltzberg and Meredith Coloma bring decades of expertise to the VIGF team. Saltzberg spent 30 years shaping the live careers of Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan and more as Senior Vice-President of The Feldman Agency. “Writing, recording and performing live music takes talent, creativity and hard work,” says Saltzberg, “and these same qualities are present in the work of VIGF’s master luthiers. Artists working at the highest level possible.”
Coloma is one of the leading next-generation guitar builders in North America. She studied in New York with renowned electric builder Roger Sadowsky and apprenticed with master acoustic builder Michael Dunn in Vancouver. “The festival fills a void in Canada that created when the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ended its Guitar Show in 2013,” says Coloma.. “Luthiers from around the world loved visiting Canada and VIGF now provides a world-renowned destination in which to exhibit their artistry.”
Tickets are on sale now. Purchase and registration take place at vancouverguitarfestival.com
Visit: vancouverguitarfestival.com
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Contact: media@vancouverguitarfestival.com
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