Event

Tony McManus

Tony McManus has been hailed by English guitar legend John Renbourn as 'the best Celtic guitarist in the world' and by BBC Scotland as 'the finest guitarist Scotland has ever produced.' To find a unique voice in so ubiquitous instrument as the acoustic guitar is quite an achievement; to do so within a centuries old idiom where the instrument has no real history is truly remarkable. From early childhood Tony's twin obsessions of traditional music and guitar have worked together to produce a startlingly original approach to this ancient art. In his hands the complex ornamentation normally associated with fiddle & pipes are accurately transferred to guitar in a way that preserves the integrity and emotional impact of the music. Over the course of a 20 year career Tony has appeared on over 60 albums, the soundtrack of the Neil Jordan film Ondine and performed around the world at guitar specific festivals where but for him reels and jigs would be unheard of. Among his albums are notable duo recordings with Alasdair Fraser and Alain Genty while Tony's solo CDs, Ceol More and The Maker's Mark were chosen by Acoustic Guitar magazine as 'Essential Recordings Made in the Past Two Decades.' Tony's new release, 'Mysterious Boundaries,' is an excursion into classical music, of which Renbourn enthused, 'The playing is phenomenal. It;'s a masterpiece. I'm reeling.' For more, visit www.tonymcmanus.com.