Brothers Take the Stage at Edgar Cruz Guitar Forum
Published: 2007-09-07
TAHLEQUAH For brothers Edgar and Mark Anthony Cruz, a single strum of the guitar starts an evening full of energetic, eclectic music not to be missed.
The brothers return to the Tahlequah music scene on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Northeastern State University Center for the Performing Arts in the Edgar Cruz Guitar Forum, the opening show of the 22nd Annual Galaxy of Stars Series presented by the Sequoyah Institute. The concert is sponsored by BancFirst.
Edgar Cruz is no stranger to Oklahoma and is best known for his energetic and diverse delivery of an exceptional guitar performance, said Megan White, director of the Sequoyah Institute. He returns to Tahlequah after a five year hiatus with three of the finest guitarists in the world, including his brother Mark Anthony Cruz.
Dubbed Oklahomas Best Performing Artist/Acoustic Guitarist for five years by the Oklahoma Gazette, Edgar gives over 200 live performances a year, mesmerizing audiences from coast to coast and internationally.
Over 10 years, hes been an honored headliner at the annual Chet Atkins Festival in Nashville, the greatest gathering of solo guitarists in the world. An accomplished solo artist, Edgar engages in collaborations with industry luminaries, orchestras and Flamenco dance troupes.
With 15 recordings and two DVDs, Edgar displays the versatility and complexity of an array of genres, from Latin to classical, rock to jazz. Edgar is a master technician whose abilities on one instrument have been compared to the sound delivered by an entire symphony orchestra.
Mark earned his bachelor of music degree in guitar performance at Oklahoma City University and master of music degree from Southwest Texas State University where he is currently a professor of guitar.
He is active as a performer and has twice been a feature artist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and Ballet Oklahoma. Mark was also a top prize recipient at the National Fingerpicking Championship during the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas in 1993 and 2001.
Mark performs regularly throughout the Midwest and the East Coast and has produced numerous independent recording in various styles. In August 2005, he performed in Italy, Germany, Bosnia and Austria for the troops on leave from the war in Iraq.
The brothers will be joined on stage by fellow guitarists Michael Kelsey, a progressive acoustic guitarist from Indiana, and Richard Smith, a finger style master from England whom the legendary Chet Atkins called the most amazing guy I know on the guitar.
Tickets for the show are $20 for adults, $18 for NSU alumni, $16 for NSU employees, $14 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children, and $5 for NSU students. To purchase tickets, contact the NSU Box Office at 918-458-2078. Ask about full season tickets to see all the shows at a discount.
Additional funding for the 22nd Annual Galaxy of Stars Series is provided by the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.