About the Event

The six-guitar “phenomensemble” formed by California Guitar Trio and Montréal Guitare Trio delivers groundbreaking, highly entertaining shows, filled with innovative arrangements of each other’s repertoire alongside new music for guitar sextet. When they join forces, the result is an unforgettable concert experience that could include rock classics from The Beatles, Radiohead, and David Bowie or even spaghetti western themes. 

California Guitar Trio 

Since 1991, California Guitar Trio (CGT) has enthralled listeners with a singular sound that fearlessly crisscrosses genres. The trio’s questing spirit drives it to explore the intersections between rock, jazz, classical, and world music. It even throws in the occasional surf or spaghetti western tune for good measure. 

Composed of Bert Lams, Tom Griesgraber, and Paul Richards, the group has established a unique, personal connection with audiences. In addition to dazzling musicianship and interplay, CGT’s shows are full of captivating stories and humor that enable concertgoers to feel like they’re part of the music, not just spectators. In fact, the group’s goal is to transcend their instruments, so people focus on the music first and its considerable technical prowess a distant second. 

CGT’s 17 albums, streamed more than 80 million times on Pandora, offer diverse snapshots of the group’s mercurial muse. The trio’s most recent release, Elegy, showcases its acoustic side, with lush originals and innovative covers. The trio’s output has made a major global impact, having served as the soundtrack for Olympics coverage and programs on CNN, CBS, NBC, and ESPN. They have fans in high places too: NASA used their music to wake the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. 

Montreal Guitar Trio 

Described by the CBC as the “hottest” guitar ensemble in Canada, Montréal Guitare Trio (MG3) has quickly established itself as a force to be reckoned with. For more than 20 years, the trio’s virtuosity, rigor, creativity, and impressive stage presence—where humor and interacting with the public go hand in hand—have been winning over audiences around the world. Composed of guitarists Sébastien Dufour, Glenn Lévesque, and Marc Morin, the trio has given hundreds of concerts in some of the most prestigious venues across North America, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. 

Winner of the 2011 Opus Award for Concert of the Year in the Jazz & World Music category, MG3 has released six albums, including Der Prinz, which earned a nomination at ADISQ 2014 for the Instrumental Album of the Year. In January 2017, the trio released its seventh album, Danzas, which pays tribute to the great composers of Spanish music, including Paco de Lucia and Manuel de Falla. Danzas was also nominated for the album of the year at the ADISQ Gala 2017. 

Throughout the years, the trio has collaborated and shared the stage with world-renowned ensembles and artists, such as the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Jorane, Solorazaf, and Don Ross.