Guitar and Other Strings Series
The Guitar and Other Strings Series, held every July, features all styles of music — jazz, bluegrass, folk, Celtic, flamenco, classical and blues.
Begun in 1992, the series has presented nationally and internationally acclaimed artists in concerts and workshops. Artists who have performed on this series include Leo Kottke, Mark O’Connor, John Hartford, John Jackson, the Washington Guitar Quintet, Charlie Byrd, the Tony Rice Unit, the Del McCoury Band, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Pierre Bensusan and Stephen Bennett. The VCU Community Guitar Ensemble also performs annually on this series.
Tickets are now available!
2013 Guitar and Other Strings Series – 21st Season
A Celtic Tapestry, with Maggie Sansone, hammered dulcimer, Andrea Hoag, fiddle, and Sharon Knowles, Celtic harp
Friday, July 12
7:30 p.m. 
General Admission: $15
Enjoy a celebration of the many sides of the Celtic experience. Maggie Sansone, Andrea Hoag, and Sharon Knowles bring their combined talents, energy and fun to a range of Celtic music from ancient times to the present.
Maggie’s music and band mates have been active in the exciting Celtic renaissance that combines many styles and influences like an intricate tapestry of sound. They combine the energy and spirit of traditional music with the harmonies and depth of classical interpretation and their own dynamic blend often called “chamber folk.”
Maggie Sansone, Andrea Hoag, and Sharon Knowles create a diverse blend of colors and sounds, just like a tapestry, where each thread contributes to the beauty of the whole. Its Celtic and Celtic-inspired using a variety of instruments and influences from world music to American folk. Their music has something for everyone.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Website: www.maggiesmusic.com
“ ...a unique blend of driving jigs, reels, harmonies, and on the spot arrangements in an improvisational style.”
Quatro na Bossa
Brazilian bossa nova and samba
Friday, July 19
7:30 p.m.
General admission: $15
Kevin Harding and Laura Ann Singh formed Quatro na Bossa in 2003. Drawing initially from early Brazilian bossa nova composers and performers, Quatro na Bossa's repertoire has expanded to include familiar classics, rare or forgotten pieces, and some original material. In addition to private functions and clubs, Quatro has performed at several music festivals around the country, and has been a guest artist at several universities. Quatro na Bossa comprises vocalist Laura Ann Singh, guitarist Kevin Harding, and Rusty Farmer on bass.
In 2011, Andy Brockman joined QNB on drums and percussion. Laura Ann has studied with sambista Fabiana Cozza in Sao Paulo and with Oscar Castro-Neves. Kevin, who teaches at the University of Richmond and the College of William and Mary, has studied with Brazilian guitarists Romero Lubambo and Toninho Horta, and in Rio de Janeiro with choro guitarist Bilinho Teixeira. Quatro has performed with many drummers and percussionists including Robert Jospe, Rogerio Boccato, Adriano Santos and Jorge Alabe.
The group has played many engagements at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center with guests Nilson Matta, Maucha Adnet, Romero Lubambo, and Harry Allen. Also in New York, they recorded the album Summer Samba for the Japanese jazz label Venus Records with Adriano Santos and Rodrigo Ursaia. In the fall of 2012, Quatro na Bossa participated in a concert series paying homage to the influence of bossa nova. Composer and performer Carlos Lyra shared the stage with QNB as they performed at the Berklee Performing Arts Center in Boston, the Olympia Theatre at the Gusman Center in Miami, the Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, and the Merkin Hall in New York. Quatro na Bossa's arrangements and unique style aim for authenticity while showcasing the power of Brazilian music to traverse culture and language.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Website: www.quatronabossa.com
“…they add the rich and satisfying flavor of Brazil to the Richmond music scene.”
Love Canon
String band performing rock hits from the 1980's in a bluegrass style
Friday, July 26
7:30 p.m.
General admission: $15
What do you get when you cross conservatory-trained musicians with raucous bluegrass, and the mega-hits of the 80's? You get Love Canon. Love Canon is an 80's cover band that arranges and performs all the tunes on traditional bluegrass instruments. Members of the group include Jesse Harper (of acoustic super group Old School Freight Train), Darrell Muller (also of OSFT), Adam Larrabee (jazz guitar/banjo virtuoso), and Andy Thacker (bluegrass mandolin phenom).
Click here to purchase tickets.
Website: www.lovecanon80s.com
“80’s tunes take on a new meaning with their expert picking… the transformative power of bluegrass lives on in this band.”
The VCU Community Guitar Ensemble 
25-member guitar orchestra with guest artists
Sunday, July 28
4 p.m.
Free admission; no tickets needed
Directed by John Patykula
The VCU Community Guitar Ensemble consists of 25 talented classical guitarists from Central Virginia. Established in 1986 by John Patykula, this ensemble has performed as part of the Richmond International Music Festival and Richmond’s Big Gig summer festival. It is the resident ensemble for VCU’s Guitar and Other Strings Series. The VCU Community Guitar Ensemble has been featured on local television and on WCVE-FM’s An Hour with the Guitar.
All concerts will be in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall in the Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Avenue.
For tickets and additional information, please email musictix@vcu.edu or call the VCU Department of Music Box Office at 804-828-6776.
