Sharon Isbin to Perform at Bankhead Theater 2/25

Grammy Award-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin unites her classical technique and stylish approach to jazz in "Guitar Passions," an evening of exhilarating Latin music at the Bankhead Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25. Three guitar virtuosos will join together in an exquisite evening of Latin-inspired jazz.

Isbin and jazz master Stanley Jordan will join together with Brazilian jazz guitarist Romero Lubambo to present an eclectic and contemporary blend of the musical influences of Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Colombia and Spain. Tickets for the single performance of "Guitar Passions" range from $36 to $55 for adults and $15 for students.

Named "Best Classical Guitarist" by Guitar Player magazine, Isbin is universally acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility. She has released more than 25 albums from Baroque, Spanish/Latin and 20th Century styles, to crossover and jazz-fusion. A three-time Grammy Award winner, she won her first for instrumental soloist performance on "Dreams of a World" in 2000, becoming the first classical guitarist to receive a Grammy in 28 years. She followed that with a second Grammy for the world premiere recording of concerti written for her by Christopher Rouse and Tan Dun, and a third for "Journey to the New World" with folk legend Joan Baez and violinist Mark O'Connor, which spent 63 consecutive weeks on the Billboard charts in 2009.

Isbin's collaborations have included work with numerous musicians across multiple genres, and she was the featured soloist on the soundtrack for Martin Scorsese's Academy Award winning film "The Departed," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Isbin began her guitar studies at the age of nine and went on to receive both a Bachelor's and Master's degree from the Yale School of Music. She is the author of The Classical Guitar Answer Book and director of the guitar departments at the Aspen Music Festival and The Julliard School.

Released in 2011, Isbin's latest album, "Sharon Isbin and Friends: Guitar Passions," features Jordan and Lubambo, with whom she will be performing in Livermore, as well as such other guitar greats like Steve Vai, Steve Morse and Nancy Wilson.

Jordan has become known for a style that is infused with openness, imagination and versatility, as well as sheer maverick daring. Whether expressing himself in bold reinventions of classical masterpieces, soulful explorations of pop-rock hits, blazing straight-ahead jazz forays or ultramodern improvisational works, he takes his listeners on breathless journeys into the unexpected.

Lubambo arrived in the United States from Rio de Janeiro in 1985 bringing a fresh new sound in jazz guitar. Comfortable in any musical setting, he unites the rhythms of his native Brazilian musical heritage with a fluency in the American jazz tradition, forming a distinctive sound. A composer and a performer, Lubambo demonstrates both the ability to express creative musical thoughts through improvisation, as well as the virtuosity to deliver them.

"Guitar Passions" offers audiences an unmatched opportunity to hear this powerhouse trio of guitarists as they fill the Bankhead Theater with their own classic and contemporary twist on Latin music.

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