On Saturday, Aug. 27, the classical guitarist Jeff Bianchi will perform at the United Methodist Church in Osceola.
The concert is sponsored by Clarke Area Arts Council and is part of Bianchi’s summer concert season.
As a native of Williamson, New York, Bianchi began performing at weddings and cafes while still in his teens. The uniqueness of the classical guitar coupled with his professionalism enabled him to stay working over the years.
As his skills grew, he gave full concerts throughout western New York. His hard work earned him performances at the Rantucci International Guitar Festival, as well as the nationally-recognized Ithaca Guitar Festival. His concerts continued with his move to Atlanta in the summer of 2002.
From 2005-07, Bianchi took a hiatus to tour nationally with country acts Young Guns (Nashville, Tenn.) and Chace Roberts (St. Paul Minn.). As an electric guitarist, Bianchi toured much of North America; playing clubs and dance halls with capacity crowds.
On his return home, he resumed his solo performances. By 2009, he was touring throughout Georgia, playing in places such as Savannah, Tybee Island, Toccata, Richmond, Duluth and Hartwell. Large, enthusiastic crowds were the norm at these events.
These positive reactions together gave him a goal to take his music to a much wider audience.
In Feb. 2010, Bianchi undertook his first cross country solo tour. Making stops in Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, he gave concerts for audiences as large as 600 people. The overwhelming success of his tour enabled him to expand his solo career to a national level.
He continued his success in 2011 with performances in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida. His success skyrocketed in 2012 and 2013 with successful concerts as far away as Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Wisconsin.
Concerts were also given in Texas, Ohio and the entire southeast.
His 2014 and 2015 concert seasons built upon the success of previous years, with repeat visits to venues in Alabama, Wyoming, South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi. These seasons also included first time visits to Minnesota, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Bianchi’s 2016 concert season includes performances in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Iowa and Wyoming. His program consists of music by Laurent de St. Luc, William Lovelady, Jose Luis Merlin and Heitor Villa-Lobos.
On performing in Osceola, Bianchi said, “I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with the Clarke Area Arts Council. This will be my first trip to Iowa. I am looking forward to visiting this part of the country.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Jan Short at 641-342-4241.