30th Annual Jazz Guitar Festival: Stanley Jordan

Denison’s Jazz Guitar Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary with a Thursday night concert featuring festival creator Tom Carroll and guitarist William Flynn, followed by a Friday night performance by headliner Stanley Jordan. 

Thursday evening’s concert will take place in Burke Recital Hall and is free and open to the public; no tickets are required. Friday night’s concert will take place in Sharon Martin Hall and is also free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets will be available beginning Oct. 5. 

Both concerts will take place at 8 p.m. In addition, Jordan will lead a masterclass on Friday at 3 p.m. in the Eisner Center. This class does not require registration and is free and open to the public. 

Jordan is a groundbreaking guitar virtuoso whose revolutionary two-handed “touch technique” redefined the possibilities of the instrument. His 1985 breakthrough album, “Magic Touch,” topped the Billboard jazz chart for a record-breaking 51 weeks and established Jordan as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary jazz. A classically trained pianist and graduate of Princeton University, Jordan has earned four Grammy nominations and performed in more than 60 countries, collaborating with artists across jazz, rock, classical and popular music. In addition to maintaining an extensive international touring schedule, he is an artist spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association and has given numerous lectures and demonstrations on the healing applications of music. 

Schedule 

• Tom Carroll and William Flynn in Concert: Thursday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m., Burke Recital Hall 
• Masterclass with Stanley Jordan: Friday, Oct. 30 at 3 p.m., Eisner Center 
• Stanley Jordan in Concert: Friday, Oct. 30 at 8 p.m., Sharon Martin Hall 

The masterclass is free and open to the public; no tickets or registration are required. Musicians are encouraged to bring their guitars.