Brookfield, WI – Guitar competitors of all ages have a chance to win their share of $22,000 in prize money as part of the international Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival taking place August 18-20, 2016, at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts (Wilson Center). Now in its fourth year, the Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival is the only guitar competition and festival in the world to feature four different genres—Rock/Blues, Jazz, Classical, and Fingerstyle—with simultaneous live competitions, master classes, guitar industry exhibits, and ticketed concert events.
For each of the four genres, the first-place cash prize is $3,000; the second-place cash prize is $1,500; and the third-place cash prize is $1,000. First-place winners in each genre will also open for Festival headliner Al Di Meola on Saturday, August 20. All applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. (CDT) on Tuesday, May 31, 2016. Competitors may apply online at www.wcguitarfest.com for a maximum of two categories; the registration fee is $50 for one category or $80 for two categories.
“The Guitar Competition & Festival was created to bring together people and ideas that do not ordinarily share the same environment—that’s where creative sparks fly,” said Wilson Center Festival Manager Don Sipe. “In the past three years, we have welcomed more than 200 competitors from more than 16 different countries to the Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival, and it is our goal to make sure that they receive a life-changing experience. From the connections they make with their fellow competitors to the opportunity to jam with fellow guitarists to the master classes offered by seminal performers, this weekend is a tremendous stepping stone in each of their careers.”
The initial preliminary round of judging will take place via YouTube video. From the pool of YouTube and DVD applications, jurors will select semi-finalists who will be invited to the live semi-final round at the Wilson Center on Friday, Aug. 19. The number of competitors advancing to the final round at the Wilson Center on Saturday, Aug. 20, will be determined by the semi-final round adjudicators; semi-final and final round performances will be judged by a panel of renowned artists from each genre, including 2016 Festival headliner performers and music industry experts.
Opportunities to participate in the Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival are not limited to competitors. In addition to the competition rounds that are free and open to the public, the 2016 festival will include free master classes and workshops, leading industry vendors and the latest and greatest in guitar gear, jam sessions and performances by local artists in the beer garden, and three ticketed headliner concerts featuring classical guitar prodigies Duo Montesinos Tamayo on Thursday, Aug. 18, fingerstyle virtuoso Andy McKee on Friday, Aug. 19, and bona fide guitar hero Al Di Meola as part of his Elegant Gypsy & More Electric Tour on Saturday, Aug. 20.
“The Wilson Center is celebrating a 15th Anniversary Season this fall, and the Guitar Competition & Festival is an exciting part of our offerings,” said Wilson Center Interim President & CEO Kathryn R. Martin. “This one-of-a-kind international celebration of guitar aligns with our mission to be the catalyst for lifelong discovery and exploration of the Arts and offers something for everyone!”
The 2016 Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival is sponsored by Cascio Interstate Music, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, Marcus Theatres, the Wilson Family Foundation, and Krause Funeral Homes & Cremation Services.
To learn more, visit www.wcguitarfest.com
About the Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival
Now in its fourth year, the Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival is an annual, multi-genre festival that features four different competitions—Rock/Blues, Fingerstyle, Jazz, and Classical—open to all ages, with $22,000 in cash prizes. In addition to the evening performances, the festival weekend also includes master class and clinic opportunities for participants and auditors. The entire festival—including semi-final and final competition rounds, master classes, vendor booths and a stage filled with local young guitarists—is open to the public.
To learn more, visit www.wcguitarfest.com
About the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts is one of the finest multi-disciplinary cultural arts centers in the United States, with a mission to be the catalyst for lifelong discovery and exploration of the Arts. As a year-round hub of activity, the Wilson Center presents performances by world-renowned artists and ensembles; offers arts education opportunities; curates the Ploch Art Gallery, which features both national and Wisconsin-based fine artists; and is committed to extending the arts beyond the walls of the Center through Lynn Chappy ArtsPark—a vibrant, outdoor sculpture landscape that will engage and inspire the broader Southeastern Wisconsin Community. In August, the annual Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival celebrates the world’s leading classical, rock/blues, jazz, and fingerstyle guitarists. The Center nurtures lifelong learning through innovative programs and classes for all interests, ages, and abilities in state-of-the-art studios and classrooms. Some of Southeast Wisconsin’s finest arts organizations offer professional instruction at the Wilson Center, including First Stage Theater Academy, Trinity Irish Dancers, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. From performances and recitals to meetings and special events, our beautiful spaces are available for rental to individuals, schools, organizations, and corporations throughout the community.
To learn more, visit www.wilson-center.com
For more information, contact:
Nichole Cooper, Vice President-Marketing & Public Relations
773-398-3252 (c) | 262-373-5034 (w)
Don Sipe, Guitar Festival Manager
262-373-5064
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Website: http://www.wilson-center.com/guitar-competition-festival/