A Grammy-winning artist with island roots is just one of many musicians joining the lineup for this year’s Whidbey Island Guitar Festival on South Whidbey.
The annual festival is the brainchild of Andre Feriante, a Langley resident and multi-instrumentalist who is known internationally for his music. His event has come a long way from its early days in an open-faced barn in 2017.
This year, 2023, marks the third year the festival has been hosted at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, or WICA. It spans three days, July 21-23, and features “the many voices of the guitar,” Feriante said. It brings musicians together, six strings at a time.
“Someone who’s into electric guitar might not be into baroque guitar, but they’re going to be sitting next to each other,” he said.
Guitarists hail from the Pacific Northwest and primarily play notes with their fingers, rather than a plectrum. Their music is instrumental and does not include any singing, which highlights the guitar.
Eric Tingstad, the Grammy winner who resides in Sammamish, Washington, is set to perform on Whidbey Island for the first time since 2020. The Coupeville High School alum has ties to the island, including family members who still live there.
“This just sounded like a lot of fun, and it is kind of like coming home,” he said.
In 2003, he won a Grammy for Best New Age Album as the artist, engineer and producer of “Acoustic Garden,” an album he created as part of the musical duo Tingstad and Rumbel. He will perform as a solo artist at the Whidbey Island Guitar Festival, and is scheduled for 5 p.m. on July 22.
Throughout his musical career, Tingstad has played a range of genres and styles, from smooth jazz to folk to acoustic to country to rock and roll.
He plans to play the Mississippi hill country blues on electric guitar during his upcoming performance.
“The old traditional blues is kind of a sound, it’s kind of a vibe,” he said. “It’s kind of like the music you would experience if you were traveling from New Orleans to Memphis.”
He said it is similar to New Orleans jazz, with elements of ragtime and stride. More than anything, he said, it’s about creating a sense of place.
Other musicians in the Whidbey Island Guitar Festival lineup include such locals as Troy Chapman, Keith Bowers and Kristi O’Donnell, who will all be playing on opening night. Marceline Keene will join the locals. Tingstad, Milo Peterson, Hilary Field, Gus Denhard, Maxi Larrea and Michael Powers are performing the other two days.
And of course, the Italian-born Feriante himself is planning to play all three days of the festival. During the 7:30 p.m. concert on July 21, he will play flamenco and classical guitar. During his other two performances that weekend, he will introduce audiences to some lesser known string instruments.
In “Stringstories” at 3 p.m. on July 22, Feriante will play a variety of instruments from different parts of the world, including the Middle Eastern oud, the Indian sitar, the Chinese zhongruan and the Bolivian ronroco.
A special performance at 2 p.m. on July 23, called “Old Men with Lutes,” features Feriante, Chapman and Denhard. Between the three men, Feriante said, they are between the ages of 60 and 70 and play some unique instruments, like the long-necked theorbo.
“The three of us have assembled an arsenal of lutes, and we’ve assembled a fun show,” Feriante said. “I’m sure there will be lots of jokes about walkers and canes and stuff like that.”
A full festival pass costs $115 for individuals and $200 for couples. Prices range from $20 to $45 for the Friday night performance. A day pass is $50 for Saturday and $45 for Sunday. A ticket for each show on Saturday and Sunday costs $15 per show.
To purchase tickets and to view the full schedule, visit wicaonline.org for more information.
Photo provided Elizabeth Brown played in 2022’s Whidbey Island Guitar Festival.
Photo provided Troy Chapman and Andre Feriante played together in 2022’s Whidbey Island Guitar Festival.
Photo provided Troy Chapman, left, plays the long-necked theorbo with some support from Gus Denhard. The two guitarists will play with Andre Feriante in a performance at this year’s Whidbey Island Guitar Festival called “Old Men with Lutes.”
