Pat Kirtley is a gifted performer who blends the rich musical heritage of Merle Travis and Chet Atkins with imagination and masterful contemporary technique, in styles "from Bluegrass to Brazilian." As a creator of new acoustic music, Pat has penned a virtual library of fresh, lyrical compositions for guitar. His deadpan wit, engaging personality and splendid versatility combine to create a unique musical experience, delighting audiences at concerts, festivals, and workshops throughout the United States and abroad. Here are some typical listener comments from Pat's shows - "…he is a superb guitarist, whose music makes you grin, sigh, shake your head", "...a wonderful, inspiring evening", and "Pat is funny, musically gifted, and immensely entertaining". Pat's talents won him the title of US National Finger Style Champion in 1995, National Thumbpicking Champion in 1994, and his playing has since garnered international praise. In 2006, Pat became the newest inductee to the National Thumbpicking Hall of Fame. He was hailed as one of "The Next Generation: Hot New Acoustic Acts for the Millenium" by Acoustic Guitar Magazine. As a featured performer, Pat has toured across the USA, and internationally in Japan, China, France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, and Austria. Known and respected as a guitar educator, Pat gives workshops as an international clinician for Taylor Guitars, and presents masterclasses at major events across the country and internationally. Pat has produced numerous instructional videos for Guitar Workshop and books for Mel Bay. His music was selected in 1996 to appear on Narada Records' landmark CD project Guitar Fingerstyle which sold over a quarter million copies. Pat has produced five acclaimed albums which have become perennial staples of the acoustic guitar world. He co-produced and appears in the respected "World of Celtic Guitar" DVD series from Vestapol Videos, with accompanying books from Mel Bay and CD's from Rounder Records. His music is featured on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. On broadcast TV, Pat's performances are featured on two seasons of KET Network’s Jubilee music series, and his tracks have been used on Lifetime Network’s The Wire. Pat's latest project, released in 2009, is "Pickin' Like Chet" -- a 2-volume double-DVD instructional set from Guitar Workshop covering vintage classic tunes of Chet Atkins. In its review, Premiere Guitar Magazine calls it "173 minutes of Chetty goodness" and said "...these classic Chet tunes are must haves..."
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