Solo guitar great Alex de Grassi at opera house

Grammy-nominated guitarist Alex de Grassi performs a solo concert at the Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe at 8 p.m. Oct. 23.

Often cited as one of the world's top fingerstyle, steel-string guitarists, de Grassi brings a unique voice to the art of acoustic guitar with his evocative compositions and arrangements, a highly orchestrated sound, and sheer virtuosity.

The Wall Street Journal has called his playing "flawless" and Billboard hails his "intricate fingerpicking technique with an uncanny gift for melodic invention."

Using a broad palette of techniques and driven by a unique sense of composition, his performances take the listener beyond the instrument. New York Guitar Festival director David Spelman says "Alex de Grassi is a treasure … his technical wizardry as well as his vibrant and poetic music-making make him one of the most distinctive steel-string guitarists performing today."

Alex's most recent recording, "Three Themes for Guitar and Strings," was recorded with co-composer and violinist Jeremy Cohen and his string quartet, Quartet San Francisco. He is best known for his solo recordings "Turning: Turning Back" and "Slow Circle" on the Windham Hill label and "The Water Garden" and "Now and Then: Folk Songs for the 21st Century" on his own Tropo Records label.

His solo performance at the Mauch Chunk Opera House will encompass original compositions, as well as his unique arrangements of Gershwin, Hendrix, jazz standards, traditional folk songs and more.

Tickets are available 24/7 on the opera house website, www.mcohjt.com, by visiting Soundcheck Records in downtown Jim Thorpe or by calling 570-325-4009.

The opera house box office is open from noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at 570-325-0249. The venue is open from noon until 5 p.m. on show days. Tickets are available for most shows at the door at showtime.