Adelaide Guitar Festival’s award-winning program On the Road is heading to Keith, Naracoorte, Coonawarra, Robe and Mount Gambier in South Australia’s South East for the very first time.
Australia’s finest guitarists, plus a special guest from Canada, will be visiting these regional communities for a series of specially curated live performances from October 2 to October 12.
Adelaide Guitar Festival’s On the Road brings free, family-friendly, live performances by leading guitarists and musicians to regional South Australia. Working with councils and organisations across the state, the festival program incorporates everything from workshops to micro festivals.
Adelaide Guitar Festival Artistic Director Slava Grigoryan: “It’s a thrill to bring Adelaide Guitar Festival out into South Australia’s regional areas with On the Road. I thank our supporters and partners for the opportunity to deliver this exceptional group of musicians to the region and hope you can join us as we explore communities in the South East for the first time”.
On the Road will start in Keith on October 2, followed by Naracoorte (October 3), Coonawarra (October 4), Robe (October 5) and Mount Gambier (October 9 to 12).
Musicians in Keith include local artist Leah Briggs, jazz and Brazilian influenced guitarists Alain Valodze and Mike Bevan, singer-songwriter Kelly Menhennett and soulful country singer Rob Edwards. All performing at the Keith Institute.
Naracoorte Town Hall welcomes local artists The Boyington Sisters, Rob Edwards, Canadian roots/rock musician Mitchell Makoons and fiddle player Caitlin Baker and Adelaide Guitar Festival favourite, Kathleen Halloran, Kate Ceberano’s lead guitarist.
Artists heading to Coonawarra include iconic South Australian duo, The Yearlings, Mitchell Makoons, Kelly Menhennett, local favourite Tommy Collins, folk artist A.P. D’Antonio with Winston Robinson, blues/folk performer Jimmybay and award winning indie folk songwriter Laura Hill.
Multiple venues in Robe will host Jimmybay, A.P. D’Antonio with Winston Robinson, Laura Hill, The Yearlings, Kelly Menhennett and Mitchell Makoons in a musical take-over of the main street.
Mount Gambier venues and locations will be jumping October 9 to October 12 with artists including folk/rock guitarist Alana Jagt, Chapman stick player Andy Salvanros, NSW based songwriter Aimee Volkofsky, experimental folk and post-rock artist Anya Anastasia, ARIA award winning jazz guitarist Carl Orr, international touring singer-songwriter Glenn Skuthorpe, Queensland singer-songwriter Darren Hanlon, local artists Dee Leggett, Kim Marie B, Niko Rex, Stokes and Scarlett, musical all-rounder Lucas Day, acclaimed folk/country singer-songwriter Ryan Martin John, Yuwaalaraay artist Warren Mason and Adelaide based blues rock band Wanderers featuring Dusty Lee Stephensen. Plus, some special community performances by members of Blak Country and Australian Guitar Quartet including Grigoryan Brothers and Jess Hitchcock.
Mount Gambier will feature a mighty 36 free performances over multiple venues and locations. In addition to the free events, there will be two exclusive ticketed events in Mount Gambier, at Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 October with tickets now on sale.
On the Road proudly brings Blak Country to Mount Gambier’s Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre on Friday October 10 for the very first time. Blak Country delivers powerful First Nations voices from across generations and across the globe to the stage. Featuring Nancy Bates, Jess Hitchcock, Mitchell Makoons, Yawuri Penny Bonney and more.
On Saturday October 11, Australian Guitar Quartet will make their South Australian debut at Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre. Fresh from their debut European tour which included the iconic Córdoba Guitar Festival in Spain this exclusive Mount Gambier concert will bring together four of Australia’s most acclaimed and internationally award winning guitarists, each renowned for their virtuosic technique and genre-defying performance; Slava Grigoryan, (Artistic Director of Adelaide Guitar Festival) Leonard Grigoryan, Andrew Blanch, and Vladimir Gorbach. Australian Guitar Quartet blends the precision of classical guitar with the flair of contemporary music from across the globe.
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO Kate Gould: “Thank you to Slava and the team for putting together a wonderful program of events across the stunning South East. We hope that the musicians and audiences all enjoy Adelaide Guitar Festival’s On the Road program.”
Minister for Arts the Hon. Andrea Michaels MP: “The Malinauskas Government is proud to support Adelaide Guitar Festival’s On the Road regional initiative. With workshops and live performances by exceptional guitarists heading to our state’s South East and Limestone coast regions, there will be much to enjoy. I encourage everyone in the region to get along to a performance and soak up the atmosphere of Adelaide Guitar Festival’s On the Road.”
Adelaide Guitar Festival’s On the Road is supported by Government of South Australia through Create SA, Creative Australia’s Music Australia, City of Mount Gambier, John Bishop AO and the Jean Bishop Fund through Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation and the South Australian Tourism Commission’s Regional Events Fund. Plus community support from Tatiara, Lucindale Naracoorte Council , Wattle Range and Robe councils.
For information on Adelaide Guitar Festival’s On the Road click here.
High-res images for On the Road here.