The Edgar Cruz Guitar Forum will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21 in the Conference Center at The University of Texas at Dallas.
Cruz, whose performance at the University last year was the season’s most popular, returns with guitarists Michael Kesley, Mark Anthony Cruz and Richard Smith. The concert is co-sponsored by the School of Art & Humanities, the Multicultural Center and the Student Union Activities and Advisory Board.
Cruz has appeared on numerous national and cable television outlets. He performs more than 200 concerts yearly, both internationally and in the United States. He has released 15 albums and two DVDs showcasing his talent for a variety of genres, including classical, jazz, flamenco, mariachi, Latin and rock. Brian May, guitarist and founding member of the band Queen, deemed Cruz’ DVD Arranging for Solo Guitar: The Queen Titles, “excellent.” Cruz’s repertoire consists of more than 400 songs ranging from The William Tell Overture to Bohemian Rhapsody.
In 2004, Michael Kelsey won Guitar Center’s Guitarmageddon competition, facing off against 3,000 other guitarists to be declared “the nation’s best unsigned guitarist.” He has opened concerts for the musical groups Blind Melon, The Bodeans, Dishwalla and Cowboy Junkies. Kelsey has performed with artists such as Santana, Eric Clapton, B.B King, Adrian Legg, Tim Reynolds, Jeff Beck and Pat Metheny. Acclaimed folk artist David Wilcox has described Kelsey’s performance as “Cirque Du Soleil on acoustic guitar.”
Mark Anthony Cruz has twice been a featured artist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and Ballet Oklahoma, and was the guitarist for the Baylor University film project A Most Significant Journey. In 2005, he performed in Germany, Italy, Austria and Bosnia for U.S. troops. In addition to performing, Cruz composes and arranges works for solo and ensemble guitar and has published numerous scores. Famous classical guitarist Christopher Parkening declared, “I appreciate his fine arrangements and playing of them.”
Richard Smith has toured throughout the world, performing various styles including classical, bluegrass, country, jazz, pop and rock. He has an hour-long radio show in Nashville each Monday. Influential guitarist Chet Akins proclaimed Smith “the most amazing guy I know on the guitar. He can play anything I know, only better.”
More information about the concert is available at http://ah.utdallas.edu/season0708/cruzquartet.htm.
Tickets for the show are $20 for general admission and free at the door to UT Dallas students with a valid Comet Card. UT Dallas ticket office hours are from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at the door one hour prior to show time. For advance ticket purchases using Visa, MasterCard or Discover, please call 972-883-2552.
For information about the many musical, arts, theatre, dance and other performances and exhibitions held throughout the year at UT Dallas, please call 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787) or e-mail utdarts@utdallas.edu. Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations may call 972-883-2982, Texas Relay Operator: 1-800-RELAYVV.
About the Student Union and Activities Advisory Board
The UT Dallas Student Union and Activities Advisory Board (SUAAB) is a student-run board that offers cultural, educational, recreational and social programs on the UT Dallas campus that foster a sense of community, pride and the promotion of school spirit.
About the Multicultural Center
The UT Dallas Multicultural Center is committed to providing a variety of quality cultural programs, educational resources, leadership opportunities and support services that enhance the ability of UT Dallas students to achieve success in their personal and work lives to positively impact a rapidly changing and diverse world.
About the School of Arts & Humanities
The School of Arts & Humanities at UT Dallas offers a dynamic and integrated approach to education that fosters the critical, creative and communicative skills necessary for success in the culturally diverse, technologically rich and change-intensive environment of the 21st Century. For additional information about the School of Arts & Humanities, please visit the Web site at http://ah.utdallas.edu.
About UT Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 14,500 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UT Dallas, please visit the university’s Web site at www.utdallas.edu.
News Contact: Kristi Barrus, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2972, kristi.barrus@utdallas.ed