Guitar great Tommy Emmanuel comes to the ECC Arts Center
Tommy Emmanuel, a two-time Grammy-nominated guitar virtuoso, will grace the stage of the Elgin Community College Arts Center on Wednesday, Sept. 18. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Blizzard Theater in the Building H Arts Center, on the Spartan Drive Campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
Hailing from Australia, Emmanuel was mentored by the legendary guitarist Chet Atkins and has played with Les Paul, Eric Clapton, Richie Sambora and Frank Vignola (who performed at the ECC Arts Center last spring). Atkins called Emmanuel “One of the greatest players on the planet.”
Playing since age 4, Emmanuel began touring with his family’s band at the age of 6. He was an in-demand session player and sideman in the 1970s, playing on recordings for Air Supply, Men at Work and dozens of other popular bands and artists. Emmanuel gained worldwide notoriety following a performance with his brother, Phil, at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
In all, Emmanuel’s catalog includes more than 20 musical recordings of solos, duets, ensembles, cover tunes, originals, utilizing both electric and acoustic guitar. He has made six live performance DVDs, two nationally-televised PBS specials, six additional instructional DVDs, and he regularly teaches master classes on the road. He most recent release is “The Colonel and the Governor,” a jazz-inspired duet album recorded with guitarist Martin Taylor.
Among his accolades are Guitar Players Guitar Legend and Best Acoustic Guitarist awards, Acoustic Guitar magazine’s Gold Medal, and Rolling Stone’s Best Guitarist. Chet Atkins also honored Emmanuel as a “Certified Guitar Player” — an honor than only five people in the world hold.
Tickets for the performance are $36. A preshow dinner prepared by ECC’s award-winning Culinary Arts and Hospitality program and served in ECC’s Spartan Terrace Restaurant (just a few convenient steps from the theater doors) can be purchased for an additional $29. Dinners must be purchased in advance of or before Wednesday, Sept. 11.
Tickets for all performances in the ECC Arts Center are available online at tickets.elgin.edu, at the ECC box office in the Arts Center, or by calling (847) 622-0300. Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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