“International Guitar Night” made its stop at Sauder Concert Hall on Saturday, March 9. It was an exciting event featuring guitarists across the globe, as artists from Brazil to Australia graced the stage with a wide variety of musical stylings and groovy instruments. 

Luca Stricagnoli and his acoustic-style guitar opened the show with a vibrant cover of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” Stricagnoli says this is the fourth time he has hosted the show. 

The audience was mesmerized by his inventive fingerstyle techniques that provided a new and unique sound to his music. Stricagnoli then brought his own three-necked guitar onto the stage to perform his next two songs. 

“I wasn’t expecting to see the three-necked guitar,” said Theresa Rodriguez, a junior nursing major. “It was cool to see how the third neck was in reverse from the regular guitar and how he used his fingers for the percussion piece.” 

Thu Le then came out onto the stage to perform three original songs from her latest album, “Amor.” Le’s Vietnamese Classical style was fast-paced, yet elegant. 

Along with expert playing, artists frequently cracked jokes about how all of them have gotten closer to each other over the many months on tour.

“We had two days to figure out all of our pieces and get to know each of our personalities as well which is different, exciting, and scary,” said Minnie Marks, Australian Blues slide guitarist and singer, “but we’ve definitely grown like a family over the tour.” This became apparent once the audience got the chance to see each artist use their own unique elements in their music and come together to perform at the end.

Marks’ musical style was bluesy with the addition of her “Farmer Foot Drum” in her performance. 

“My favorite artist hands down was Minnie Marks,” said Abigail Aldrich, a sophomore elementary education major. “I loved how she made the songs come alive with her detail, both lyrically and instrumentally.” Marks shared a whimsical backstory for a few of her songs, which gave her act a rugged and funky feel.

Marco Pereira, self-proclaimed “grandpa” of the tour, gave a strong finish to the first half of the night with his Latin-American inspired sound. He used his acoustic-style guitar to perform a few of his original songs, captivating the audience with their dreamy and romantic style.

It was especially impressive to witness how all four artists, with their differing styles and instruments, performed together as a team. 

This group of spectacular musicians learned to bring their music together into one naturally flowing symphony in just two months’ time. It was a huge success, as both students and members of the community came together to enjoy a night of international guitar playing.