Spokane's Classical Guitar Showcase

Join us for an unforgettable night of music and artistry as three of Spokane's most talented classical guitarists, Michael Milham, John Paul Shields,a nd Abe Kenney, come together in a unique round table concert setting.

This intimate performance will showcase the skill, passion, and virtuosity of these remarkable musicians. The concert will feature solo performances as well as ensemble pieces.

This is special concert celebrating Paul Foster, a local guitar builder, who's crafted the guitars of Michael, John, and Abe.

Abe Kenney is a versatile guitarist who enjoys teaching, performing, and composing while incorporating improvisation into a wide range of repertoire—from classical, flamenco style, video-game music and jazz to original compositions. With roots in classical guitar, he has performed in masterclasses with Mannuel Barrueco, Eliot Fisk and Pepe Romero, and placed in regional guitar competitions. Abe has performed in Mexico, Japan, and New York—along with many regional venues. Current projects include his new composition, a suite called "Chess," which he looks forward to premiering later this year.

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John Paul Shields has been performing and teaching guitar for over 20 years. He has played in a variety of settings, from libraries to international festivals; from local television to National Peruvian radio. In 2008, he moved to Peru and began studying Peruvian Andean guitar music, leading him to study with Raúl García Zárate, one of the 100 most influential people in Latin America. John Paul recorded the CD Lonesome Coyote with James Reid in their duo, "South Hill Guitars," as well as the 152 musical tracks to the Peruvian Guitar method, Método Guitarra Andina Peruana, written by Luis Salazar Mejía. He is currently the guitar professor at both EWU and Yakima Valley College.

Michael Milham, an in-demand teacher, maintains studios at Gonzaga University and Spokane Falls Community College, and is an active clinician. A regular soloist and ensemble player, he has been a featured performer for numerous regional festivals including the Northwest Guitar Festival, the Northwest Bach Festival, the Festival at Sandpoint (in concerto work with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra), and Northwest Folklife’s guitar showcase in McCaw hall, among others.

Michael has been profiled in the magazine Acoustic Guitar and is a contributor emeritus to the same, also having written for Guitar Teacher and Play Guitar! magazines. Michael has worked as either an alpha/beta testing endorser or performing artist for Elixir strings, Lowden Guitars, Hill Guitars, L.R. Baggs electronics and AER amps among other companies. His duo (with his wife, vocalist Keleren Millham) has given over 2,000 performances at venues ranging from wine bars and house concerts to radio shows, theaters, universities, and festivals—along with releasing 3 CDs featuring their own compositions. Michael is a graduate of the Lionel Hampton School of Music-University of Idaho, and the host of KPBX/Spokane Public Radio's popular weekly show “The Guitar Hour.”

Host or Publisher Hamilton Studio