Serendipity: Virtuoso Guitar Duo Andrew Mah and Roddy Ellias

Two of Ottawa’s most accomplished and distinctive guitarist-composers come together for a rare collaborative performance in the intimate acoustic setting of Southminster United Church.

Serendipity features Andrew Mah and Roddy Ellias in an evening that moves fluidly between classical music, jazz, improvisation, and song. Performed in both solo and duo formats, the program centres on original compositions and newly developed collaborative works that emerged organically from the artists’ long musical association.

Mah’s recent compositions — many originally conceived for viola and guitar — have been newly adapted for guitar duo, creating fresh possibilities for interplay, colour, and improvisation. The concert also includes original works by Ellias, whose internationally recognized career as a performer and composer has made him one of Canada’s leading jazz guitar voices. Together, the two artists explore the common ground between musical traditions rather than treating genres as separate worlds.

Adding another dimension to the evening, Mah will also perform selected vocal works in English and Brazilian Portuguese, bringing a lyrical and intimate character to the program. Throughout the concert, audiences can expect music that is virtuosic yet personal, sophisticated yet direct in emotional communication.

Both artists are celebrated for their individuality, musical depth, and expressive range. Serendipity offers audiences a chance to hear them not only as solo voices, but in genuine artistic conversation — responding, shaping, and discovering music together in real time.

The result is a concert that feels exploratory, spontaneous, and deeply human: an evening of musical dialogue between two master musicians whose shared language extends well beyond stylistic boundaries.

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Host or Publisher ROLAND GRAHAM, artistic director + producer