The Guitar Festival will return to Troy for its second year this weekend.
Robert Gibson, lecturer of guitar, said he organized the event to spread awareness.
“We just wanted to bring awareness to the active classical guitar community in central Alabama,” Gibson said.
“There are no other guitar festivals in this state. It’s the first of its kind here.”
The festival brings together performances, competitions and master classes.
Students ranging from middle school to collegiate levels will be involved in the events.
The festival will begin at 11 a.m. with performances from Michael Boyd and Andrew Stroud in Sorrell Chapel.
The next public event at the festival will be the master classes that will be taught by the members of the Texas Guitar Quartet.
These classes will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Smith Hall. The classes are available to anyone who would like to attend.
At 4:30 p.m. the large ensemble will perform at Long Hall in the choir room.
The large ensemble doesn’t feature only college-level students, but also students from middle school and high school.
A student composer, Tucker McKee, a junior music industry major from Leroy, has his pieces featured in the large ensemble performance, which are titled “Emerald Skye” and “Orange.”
McKee has been playing guitar for eight years, and this piece isn’t his first work since he’s started at Troy.
“In freshman year, Dr. Gibson asked me if I wanted a special project,” McKee said. “I said no.”
McKee said that later he showed Gibson one of his guitar quartet compositions, and Gibson said that was the project.
Ever since then, McKee said he has tried to produce a new piece that he was proud of every semester.
Also joining the guitar festival is the Texas Guitar Quartet, which is known around the country for its talent.
Gibson said that it was easy to get the Texas Guitar Quartet to perform at Troy. He went to graduate school with the current members of the quartet, and that he was one of the founding members of the quartet.
The group started as a graduate ensemble, and then became one of the premiere quartets in the country.
With the help of the Troy Arts Council, Gibson brought these critically acclaimed artists to Troy University.
The quartet recently released its debut album, “RED,” in 2012, and it was featured on the international radio show “Classical Guitar Alive.” Members of the quartet have commissioned works and arranged their own during their time together.
“In their performance they will feature some original works, as well as arrangements made by the people in the quartet,” Gibson said.
The performance will be on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. in Claudia Crosby Theater. General admission is $20, and student tickets will be $5.
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