Teja Gerken & Doug Young Duo | Janet Noguera
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A Fingerstyle Guitar Extravaganza with the TEJA GERKEN & DOUG YOUNG DUO and JANET NOGUERA!
Tickets are $25 general admission. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.
Doors open 30 minutes before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.
The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.
Please refrain from using your phone during performances, and if you use your camera or video, please disable the flash.
Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.
The TEJA GERKEN & DOUG YOUNG DUO is an award-winning instrumental acoustic guitar duo based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Inspired by the examples set by instrumental guitar duos ranging from folk- baroque legends John Renbourn and Bert Jansch to the sophistication of the Duo Assad, Teja and Doug seek to create arrangements that are larger than the sum of their parts. The duo also takes advantage of the timbres available through a dazzling array of tunings and by pairing a wide variety of guitars. Having performed together for more than a decade, they released their debut album DUETS in 2020 and followed up with The Water is Wide in 2025. Drawing from their individual catalogs of original compositions, Celtic tunes, arrangements of jazz standards, and the occasional classical piece, Teja and Doug present a varied repertoire. The duo’s recording of Teja’s composition “Takoma” (found on The Water is Wide) won the Instrumental category of the 2025 USA Songwriting Competition.
“The Water Is Wide is a testament to Gerken and Young’s deep musical connection—and to the enduring beauty of two guitars in conversation.” – Acoustic Guitar
“Employing an impressive battery of artisan guitars, Teja and Doug produce a wonderful range of sonorities and musical directions that updates the classic chemistry of the "Bert & John" (Jansch & Renbourn) recordings of the sixties--a treat for fans of both acoustic guitar music and the art of lutherie.” —Alex de Grassi
JANET NOGUERA is a Mexican-American modern fingerstyle guitarist, composer, and educator. Known for her energetic and innovative approach, she blends diverse styles and advanced techniques to create unique acoustic guitar soundscapes.
By age 19, Janet was featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine as one of “30 Great Acoustic Guitarists Under 30” and won the international Lowden Young Guitarist of the Year competition, traveling to Northern Ireland to receive a custom Richard Thompson signature guitar and perform at the Lowden 40th Anniversary Concert. She studied classical guitar performance at the University of California, Santa Cruz, under Bill Coulter and expanded her musical language with masterclasses from Andrew York, Benjamin Verdery, and Grisha Goryachev, as well as fingerstyle pioneers like Alex de Grassi and Thomas Leeb. Janet’s awards include UCSC’s Plantronics Creativity & Innovation Scholars Award (2015) and Chancellor’s and Dean’s Awards for her original composition “Endless Journey” (2017). She also won the Fretmonkey Guitar Solo Contest in 2017. An experienced performer, Janet has played across the U.S., Mexico, and Europe at major events such as NAMM and Musikmesse. She has opened for guitar legends like Andy McKee and Andrew York and shared stages with Kaki King and Muriel Anderson. In 2022, she toured North America with International Guitar Night, performing alongside Luca Stricagnoli, Lulo Reinhardt, and Thu Le. Her debut New Age album Myriad Worlds (2022) received international acclaim for its boundary-pushing compositions, blending acoustic and electric guitars, harp guitar, ambient textures, and nature recordings. Her music features on labels including Candyrat Records and Neue Meister.
In 2023 and 2024, Janet toured Europe with MusiSHEans, premiering her original quartet piece Moons of Jupiter, and also performed solo at prestigious festivals in Italy and Mexico. She was a finalist in the 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Contest, the only instrumentalist selected, and featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s “The Future of Fingerstyle.” In 2025 and 2026, she performed at the Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival. Earlier in 2026, she appeared in the Michael Hedges Tribute Concert in Tiburon alongside Michael Manring, Jeff Titus, and Teja Gerken. That same year, Janet joined Acoustic Guitar Magazine as a Teaching Artist. She was awarded a place in the acclaimed Women's Audio Mission audio engineering program in San Francisco in 2025, and in 2026 she was selected as a 2026 Resident Artist with Women's Audio Mission, where she is currently developing and recording a new original project.
Thank you for your support!
Tickets are $25 general admission. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.
Doors open 30 minutes before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.
The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.
Please refrain from using your phone during performances, and if you use your camera or video, please disable the flash.
Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.
The TEJA GERKEN & DOUG YOUNG DUO is an award-winning instrumental acoustic guitar duo based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Inspired by the examples set by instrumental guitar duos ranging from folk- baroque legends John Renbourn and Bert Jansch to the sophistication of the Duo Assad, Teja and Doug seek to create arrangements that are larger than the sum of their parts. The duo also takes advantage of the timbres available through a dazzling array of tunings and by pairing a wide variety of guitars. Having performed together for more than a decade, they released their debut album DUETS in 2020 and followed up with The Water is Wide in 2025. Drawing from their individual catalogs of original compositions, Celtic tunes, arrangements of jazz standards, and the occasional classical piece, Teja and Doug present a varied repertoire. The duo’s recording of Teja’s composition “Takoma” (found on The Water is Wide) won the Instrumental category of the 2025 USA Songwriting Competition.
“The Water Is Wide is a testament to Gerken and Young’s deep musical connection—and to the enduring beauty of two guitars in conversation.” – Acoustic Guitar
“Employing an impressive battery of artisan guitars, Teja and Doug produce a wonderful range of sonorities and musical directions that updates the classic chemistry of the "Bert & John" (Jansch & Renbourn) recordings of the sixties--a treat for fans of both acoustic guitar music and the art of lutherie.” —Alex de Grassi
JANET NOGUERA is a Mexican-American modern fingerstyle guitarist, composer, and educator. Known for her energetic and innovative approach, she blends diverse styles and advanced techniques to create unique acoustic guitar soundscapes.
By age 19, Janet was featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine as one of “30 Great Acoustic Guitarists Under 30” and won the international Lowden Young Guitarist of the Year competition, traveling to Northern Ireland to receive a custom Richard Thompson signature guitar and perform at the Lowden 40th Anniversary Concert. She studied classical guitar performance at the University of California, Santa Cruz, under Bill Coulter and expanded her musical language with masterclasses from Andrew York, Benjamin Verdery, and Grisha Goryachev, as well as fingerstyle pioneers like Alex de Grassi and Thomas Leeb. Janet’s awards include UCSC’s Plantronics Creativity & Innovation Scholars Award (2015) and Chancellor’s and Dean’s Awards for her original composition “Endless Journey” (2017). She also won the Fretmonkey Guitar Solo Contest in 2017. An experienced performer, Janet has played across the U.S., Mexico, and Europe at major events such as NAMM and Musikmesse. She has opened for guitar legends like Andy McKee and Andrew York and shared stages with Kaki King and Muriel Anderson. In 2022, she toured North America with International Guitar Night, performing alongside Luca Stricagnoli, Lulo Reinhardt, and Thu Le. Her debut New Age album Myriad Worlds (2022) received international acclaim for its boundary-pushing compositions, blending acoustic and electric guitars, harp guitar, ambient textures, and nature recordings. Her music features on labels including Candyrat Records and Neue Meister.
In 2023 and 2024, Janet toured Europe with MusiSHEans, premiering her original quartet piece Moons of Jupiter, and also performed solo at prestigious festivals in Italy and Mexico. She was a finalist in the 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Contest, the only instrumentalist selected, and featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s “The Future of Fingerstyle.” In 2025 and 2026, she performed at the Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival. Earlier in 2026, she appeared in the Michael Hedges Tribute Concert in Tiburon alongside Michael Manring, Jeff Titus, and Teja Gerken. That same year, Janet joined Acoustic Guitar Magazine as a Teaching Artist. She was awarded a place in the acclaimed Women's Audio Mission audio engineering program in San Francisco in 2025, and in 2026 she was selected as a 2026 Resident Artist with Women's Audio Mission, where she is currently developing and recording a new original project.
Thank you for your support!
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Where is it happening?
1984 Bonita Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherThe Back Room
