Creative Mercury Bay is hosting a public performance, followed by a two-hour guitar workshop, with American guitar fingerpicking wizard Richard Gilewitz on August 30.

Committed to facilitating, fostering and celebrating the arts, Creative Mercury Bay is hosting the afternoon event at Monkey House Theatre, which also offers a rare opportunity to study with the master teacher.

Creative Mercury Bay is hosting American guitar fingerpicking wizard Richard Gilewitz on August 30. Photo by Tom Ford Photography.

Described by 20th Century Guitar Magazine as 'a powerhouse of eclectic guitar styles and genres”, Richard is a professional touring musician inspiring players and fascinated listeners worldwide with his six and 12-string finger gymnastics for more than three decades.

Richard's signature playing style delivers a technical diversity of banjo-style patterns and classical arpeggios with a rhythmic percussive approach, exploring the history of guitar with sounds of folk to Americana, blues to classical, ragtime to pop, and somewhere in between.

As a youngster, Richard embraced such diverse artists as The Beatles, Andres Segovia, Kraftwerk, Leo Kottke, J.S. Bach, Arlo Guthrie, John Fahey and Flatt & Scruggs.

As he soaked up a wealth of inspiration, Richard welcomed the challenge of mastering and adapting many styles of music for the acoustic guitar.

He began honing his skills as a performer and composer during the late-1970s at the University of Alabama, playing the local coffeehouse circuit while pursing degrees in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Music.

Following graduation, Richard placed his musical calling in the background and joined the world of flight simulation design, telemetry and satellite systems.

The 1980s brought Richard to Florida, where he released his first LP recording ‘Somewhere In Between'.

As the pull of his passion for performing and recording strengthened, Richard left corporate life to teach and perform full-time in a career that's propelled him onto the international music arena –and he's gone onto release seven more recordings plus a number of educational materials.

In addition to his concert performances, Richard offers his GillaCamp Guitar Workshops to inspire players worldwide and provide opportunities for music lovers to hone their craft and young players to learn finger-style techniques and tips of the trade.

The Whitianga workshop will be broken into two sessions; the first focusing on the basics of fingerpicking, and the second on open D-string tuning and slide guitar.

Sessions comprise individual and group study, and are designed for all levels from beginners to advanced players.

Creative Mercury Bay's Richard Gilewitz Guitar concert is from 3pm-4pm on Saturday, August 30, at Monkey House Theatre, Coghill St, Whitianga.

Doors open at 2.30pm, with cash bar and nibbles available before the performance.

Tickets cost $15 available from Whitianga Paper Plus. To book tickets email [email protected] or call 07 866 5698.

The GillaCamp Guitar Workshop follow the performance, from 4.15pm-6.15pm, at the theatre.

Registration costs $15 available from Jan Wright by email: [email protected] or call 027 224 1927