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62-755: First held in 2007, the AGF is held at the Adelaide Festival Centre . Slava Grigoryan has been artistic director since 2010. Annual events associated with AGF are Guitars In Bars , Winter School, the Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition and Resonance. Following negotiations with the New York Guitar Festival's founder David Spelman , South Australian Premier Mike Rann announced in 2007 that Adelaide would stage

124-464: A thumbpick , a flat pick ( plectrum ), his fingers, or a combination of these in his playing, a style known as hybrid picking . Amongst his trademark rapid virtuoso licks and cascading harmonic progressions, he often uses a technique that imitated an electric guitar's tremolo system on acoustic guitar — by pressing the palm of his right hand against the sound board of the guitar near the neck joint, while maintaining forward pressure with his left hand on

186-544: A 45-degree angle to the city's grid. The complex includes Festival Theatre, Dunstan Playhouse (formerly The Playhouse and Optima Playhouse), Space Theatre (formerly The Space) and several gallery and function spaces. The Festival Centre is managed by a statutory corporation , the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust, which is responsible for encouraging and facilitating artistic, cultural and performing arts activities, as well as maintaining and improving

248-699: A brewery on Yorke Peninsula , and a distillery in the Riverland in 2019. In addition to Guitars In Bars, the Winter School, the Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition and a program known as Resonance – where world-class musicians take their music to hospitals, aged care homes and community centres – are held annually. Adelaide Festival Centre Adelaide Festival Centre , Australia's first capital city multi-purpose arts centre and

310-470: A duo, releasing the album The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World . It would be Atkins's last album, with the exception of "Solo Sessions" which Atkins' estate released posthumously. Emmanuel and Atkins appeared together on The Nashville Network 's 'Country Christmas' in late 1997, and on that occasion, Atkins stated about him: "He is one of the greatest guitar players I've ever seen." Atkins gave Emmanuel

372-581: A music and arts producer at the BBC; in 1979 was head of Radio Television Hong Kong 's music and arts channel; in 1986 head of ABC concert music planning; and also occupied several other executive roles in Hong Kong. In South Australia, he began working at the State Theatre Company of South Australia . Gautier helped make Adelaide a UNESCO City of Music in 2015. In 2016 he was made Member of

434-693: A number of Buddy Williams albums in the early 1970s. The family settled in Parkes after the New South Wales Department of Education insisted that the Emmanuel children had to go to school regularly. In his teen years, Tommy Emmanuel moved to Sydney, and was noticed nationally when he won a string of talent contests. By the late 1970s, he was playing drums with his brother Phil in the group Goldrush as well as doing session work on numerous albums and jingles. He gained further prominence in

496-413: A show if needed, rather than spending time onstage re-tuning one guitar. Emmanuel often curls his left thumb around the neck of the guitar onto the fretboard to play some notes, rather than using only his fingers to play — contrary to how classical guitarists play, but not unusual for jazz and country guitarists. He frequently plays common three-finger chord shapes with just two fingers. He commonly uses

558-486: A single, "Legends of the Southern Land". During a July 2019 concert he mentioned recently receiving American citizenship. Emmanuel had said that even at a young age he was fascinated by Chet Atkins 's musical style (sometimes referred to as Travis picking ) of playing bass lines, chords, melodies, and harmonies simultaneously using the thumb and fingers of the right hand, achieving a dynamic range of sound from

620-542: A social space encompassing the whole Southern Plaza. His plan consisted of "colourful, geometric painted surfaces and cement forms", and it was intended to include a fountain and other water features, extensive planting of vegetation, lighting and provision for sound, which would encourage people to interact with the "concrete garden". Other sculptures graced the outdoor spaces, including the prominent stainless steel Tetrahedra , also known as Environmental Sculpture and Tetrahedrons , by Bert Flugelman (whose Mall's Balls

682-987: A variety of local and international artists including: Manuel Barrueco , Richard Bona , Shawn Mullins , Dhafer Youssef , Wolfgang Muthspiel , Jeff Lang , Yamandu Costa , Pepe de Lucia , Oscar Guzman and more. As part of the 2010 program the Festival hosted the inaugural Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition. The winner was Jin-Hee Kim from South Korea, second-prize was awarded to Samuel Klemke from Germany and third place went to Tal Hurwitz from Israel. The 2012 Adelaide International Guitar Festival ran from 9–12 August. The 2012 festival included performances by: John Scofield Trio , Punch Brothers , Ana Vidovic , Australian String Quartet , Edin Karamazov , Tommy Emmanuel , Caminos Flamencos , Paulo Bellinati & Weber Lopez and more. The Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition returned, and this year

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744-658: A widely recognised leader in guitar music. The award states: "In Recognition of His Contributions to the Art of Fingerpicking." Tommy performed at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society (CAAS) in July each year in Nashville. In addition to being influenced by Chet Atkins, Emmanuel has stated that he and his brother Phil Emmanuel were inspired by and modelled themselves on Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of

806-689: Is an Australian guitarist. Originally a session player in many bands, he has released many award-winning recordings as a solo artist. In June 2010, Emmanuel was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM); in 2011, he was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown . In 2019, he was listed by MusicRadar as the best acoustic guitarist in the world. One of six children, Emmanuel was born in Muswellbrook, New South Wales , Australia, in 1955. He received his first guitar in 1959 at age four and

868-565: Is an annual award presentation by The Recording Academy to recognise achievement in the mainly English-language music industry . The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards ), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Tommy Emmanuel won two awards in that time. The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are

930-410: Is perhaps his better known work). After its opening in 1977, the plaza stirred debate and opinions were mixed, but its designs were seen to "consciously exemplify the new practices and relations embodied in the concept of environmental art ". Designed in a brutalist style, it was labelled as empty and ugly by some, but was nonetheless an artwork of its times. In 1977, it was awarded a " brickbat " by

992-418: Is somewhat of an ambassador for the company due to his long-standing association with the brand. Emmanuel is known for the battered and worn-down appearances of his guitars; a result of his dynamic, energetic playing and percussive techniques. One of his signature performances, for example, involves striking the whole body of the guitar in various places with his hands or a drummer's snare-drum brush to emulate

1054-734: The South Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of South Australia . Arts SA leased Her Majesty's Theatre and the Festival Centre to the Trust, which was responsible for "encouraging and facilitating artistic, cultural and performing arts activities throughout the State" and managing and maintaining the theatres. In 2006, Douglas Gautier was appointed CEO and artistic director of the organisation. In 1979 he worked as

1116-679: The Sydney Opera House , completed in 1973, cost A$ 102 million .). The Festival Plaza, initially known as the Southern Plaza, was completed on 22 March 1977. South of complex,in the Festival Plaza, sits an environmental sculpture by highly regarded West German artist Otto Hajek , which he called Adelaide Urban Iconography (In the Festival Centre archives it is variously named Shorthand Adelaide , City Iconograph , and City Iconography , and government records give

1178-564: The "Certified Guitar Player" title. Emmanuel and his brother Phil performed live in Sydney at the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in 2000. The event was televised worldwide with an estimated 2.85 billion viewers. In December 2007, he was diagnosed with heart problems and was forced to take a break from his hectic touring schedule due to exhaustion but returned to full-time touring in early 2008. In June 2010, Emmanuel

1240-516: The 2018 event featured 20 international artists, with "five world premieres, two Australian premieres and four Adelaide premieres alongside workshops, artist talks, a guitar expo, masterclasses and more...". Performers included Tommy Emmanuel , Pedro Javier Gonzalez , Richard Smith , Tony McManus and Albert Lee , South African Derek Gripper , Kaki King and Marc Ribot . Perth's Abbe May and Adelaide locals Kelly Menhennett and Hana and Jessie-Lee also appeared. Julia Zemiro interviewed some of

1302-517: The ARIA Academy comprising "judges from all sectors of the music industry–retail, radio and tv, journalists and critics, television presenters, concert promoters, agents, ARIA member record companies and past ARIA winners". The inaugural ARIA Awards took place in 1987. The Australian Roll of Renown honours Australian and New Zealand musicians who have shaped the music industry by making a significant and lasting contribution to Country Music. It

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1364-594: The Civic Trust, but Australia Post honoured the sculpture in 1986 by issuing a commemorative stamp for South Australia’s sesquicentenary . Hajek's wife, artist and poet Katja Hajek , wrote in 2001 that the plaza "is well-known in the world of art and became acknowledged as an artistically outstanding creation of the last quarter of the 20th century". In the decades following the plaza’s opening, its painted surfaces, fountains and vegetation were not well-maintained, there were some problems with its concrete decking, it

1426-949: The Festival Theatre building. The originally proposed site was the Carclew building in North Adelaide , which had been purchased from the Bonython family by the Adelaide City Council for the purposes of building a Festival Hall. Liberal state Premier Steele Hall lobbied the Federal Government for tax concessions for a public appeal for the Festival Hall, which was initially unsuccessful, until Prime Minister John Gorton offered Hall either tax concessions or A$ 100,000 . Hall accepted

1488-495: The Festival Theatre, was completed in 1973, within its budget of A$ 10 million . On 2 June 1973, Festival Theatre was officially opened by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam at a gala performance of Act Two, Scene 1 of Beethoven 's opera Fidelio and Choral Symphony . The construction of the Playhouse (now Dunstan Playhouse), Space Theatre, and Amphitheatre followed. The whole complex was completed for A$ 21 million (By comparison,

1550-475: The New York Guitar Festival, and drew 30,000 people in the first year. The Adelaide Advertiser wrote that "never before have we had a festival like this... the Guitar Festival was a roaring success and an unqualified winner". Rolling Stone called it "a genuinely international event... curated by David Spelman, the man behind the world-famous New York Guitar Festival". Over 100 musicians from around

1612-578: The Order of Australia , for service to the arts, community, and the tertiary sector (he also serves on Flinders University Council ). In July 2017, the Trust bought Her Majesty's Theatre from Arts South Australia for A$ 8 million . It also borrowed A$ 62 million from the South Australian Government Financing Authority for a maximum term of 10 years to fund Her Majesty’s Theatre redevelopment. From late 2018,

1674-519: The Shadows . The APRA Awards (Australia) are annual awards to recognise composing and songwriting skills, sales, and airplay performance by its members annually. The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards, commonly known as ARIA Music Awards , are held to recognise excellence and innovation and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Award nominees and winners, excluding for sales and public voted categories, are selected by

1736-425: The administrative hub of the Festival Centre. Adelaide Festival Centre is home to South Australia's leading professional performance companies, including: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra , State Opera South Australia , Australian Dance Theatre , State Theatre Company South Australia , The Australian Ballet , Brink and Windmill Theatre Co . It is the host of Adelaide Festival and presents major festivals across

1798-411: The building and facilities of the complex and Her Majesty's Theatre . The centre hosts Adelaide Festival and presents numerous major festivals across the year. The centre was erected on land between Elder Park and Parliament House , and several historic buildings were demolished to make way for the new project. Recently, the external plaza site is undergoing major redevelopment, started in 2016, but

1860-569: The buildings, Hassell led a team which included Morphett to the United States and Europe to undertake a study of theatre designs. The Adelaide City Baths , which had stood on the site since their creation in 1861 were demolished in 1969 to make way for the new centre and plaza. Similarly, the Government Printing Office building, which was built circa 1880 between the baths and Parliament House, and later expanded,

1922-564: The festival was to become a biennial event, to ensure there was "more planning and lead time to secure artists and projects which excite audiences, partners and sponsors". The 2007 Festival was held from 23 November to 2 December. 2007 featured a number of local and international artists including: Ralph Towner, Jorma Kaukonen, The Assad Duo, Pepe Romero, The Atlantics , Richard Clapton , Beau Young, David Lindley , Kaki King , Vernon Reid , Bob Brozman , Cindy Cashdollar , Lucky Oceans , John Hammond Jnr and Fiona Boyes . The 2008 Festival

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1984-488: The first Adelaide International Guitar Festival later in the year. It would be the sister festival to the New York Guitar Festival. The AIGF began as part of the plan to make the Adelaide Festival Centre "the nation's most innovative arts hub". Spelman served as the founding artistic director for the Festival and continued to serve as an international program advisor. The ten-day festival was modelled on

2046-577: The functions previously held by Arts SA were transferred to direct oversight by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet , Arts and Culture section. As of October 2024 , the chair of the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust is Karlene Maywald. In October 2024, CEO and artistic director Douglas Gautier announced his retirement, effective in the second half of 2025. Adelaide Festival Centre houses several theatres and galleries, as well as function spaces and

2108-478: The guitar next to Stuart Fraser from Noiseworks for the Concert for Rwanda . Emmanuel had previously been a member of Farnham's band during the early 1980s and featured on the album Uncovered and rejoined after the 1994 concert. In July 1999, Chet Atkins commented that Emmanuel was a "fearless" fingerpicking guitar player and awarded Tommy and three others ( John Knowles , Jerry Reed , and Steve Wariner )

2170-451: The guitar on which Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith recorded "Guitar Boogie", one of the foundation performances of the blues guitar world and a regular feature of Emmanuel's shows. In July 1999, at the 15th Annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention, Atkins presented Emmanuel with a Certified Guitar Player award, an honour Chet personally bestowed to only four guitarists. This award gains its fame from being bestowed by Atkins himself,

2232-530: The home of South Australia 's performing arts, was built in the early 1970s and designed by Hassell Architects . The Festival Theatre opened in June 1973 with the rest of the centre and the Festival Plaza following soon after. Located approximately 50 metres (160 ft) north of the corner of North Terrace and King William Road , it is distinguished by its two white geometric dome roofs, and lies on

2294-419: The idea into a "Festival Centre", incorporating multiple smaller venues. The Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Robert Porter , supported by Dunstan, launched a public appeal to raise funds to build the Festival Centre and establish Adelaide as a significant city in the art world. The appeal raised its target within a week, and was soon over-subscribed; the surplus was set aside to create a collection of artworks to grace

2356-423: The instrument. Although Emmanuel's playing incorporates a multitude of musical influences and styles, including jazz , blues , bluegrass , folk and rock, this type of country finger-style playing is at the core of his technique. While Emmanuel has never had formal music training and cannot read or transcribe music, his natural musical ability, intrinsic sense of rhythm, and charisma gained him fans from all over

2418-505: The late 1970s as the lead guitarist in the Southern Star Band, the backing group for vocalist Doug Parkinson . During 1986–1988 and 1995, he joined the lineup of the leading New Zealand/Australian 1970s rock group Dragon that had reformed in 1982, touring widely with them, including a 1987 tour with Tina Turner ; he left the group to embark on a solo career. In 1994, Australian music veteran John Farnham invited him to play

2480-743: The money. While on a trip to London, Steele Hall visited the Royal Festival Hall on the banks of the River Thames and decided that the banks of the River Torrens was the ideal choice for the site of the Adelaide Festival of the Arts and the cultural heart of the city. During this time, the state government changed hands, but the drive for a new centre continued with fervour. When Don Dunstan became Premier he expanded

2542-597: The musicians and hosted the festival finale. Music SA it has run the annual Umbrella: Winter City Sounds event since 2016, growing each year. In association with the Adelaide Guitar Festival, it presents "Guitars in Bars" each year, as part of Umbrella. This event is open to everyone, and helps connect musicians with venues through a venue directory. Venues included a guitar store in Port Lincoln ,

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2604-528: The new building. The building was designed by Hassell, McConnell and Partners for the Adelaide City Council and the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust, and has been "hailed as a major step forward in modern architecture in South Australia". It was designed "from the inside out" and is particularly associated with the architect John Morphett AM OBE and Colin Hassell . Prior to designing

2666-527: The original complex, Hassell , remain as architectural consultants for the project, in collaboration with ARM Architecture and landscape architects Taylor Cullity Lethlean for the outdoor spaces. Changes to the design of the Public Realm submitted for approval in April 2020 were expected to push back the completion date to 2023, and as of April 2021 there is limited access to the venues and no access to

2728-622: The plaza area. In 2024, Festival Tower, cited on land that was previously a corner of the Festival Plaza adjacent to the station, was also completed. In 1971, the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust was established as a statutory authority by the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust Act 1971 , reporting to the Minister for the Arts. From about 1996 until late 2018, Arts SA (later Arts South Australia ) had responsibility for this and several other statutory bodies such as

2790-594: The premiere of the Adelaide Guitar Festival Orchestra. The third Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition was won by Romania's Bogdan Milailescu, second place went to Brendan Evans with Callum Henshaw coming in third. The Adelaide Guitar Festival took place 11–14 August 2016. The fourth Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition was won by Ukraine's Marko Topchii , second place went to Miles Johnston with Andrew Blanch coming in third. Taking place from 9 to 12 August,

2852-417: The road. With the family living in two station wagons, much of Emmanuel's childhood was spent touring Australia, playing rhythm guitar, and rarely going to school. After their father died in 1966, Australian Country Music star Buddy Williams approached the family and asked permission to take the Emmanuel brothers on the road with his touring show travelling around Australia. Tommy Emmanuel would go on to record

2914-474: The sky. Although a pedestrian suspension bridge was built on its west side, the Plaza was essentially isolated as a result of this redevelopment. In 2013, the government announced that the Plaza would be further redeveloped, with Hajek's work decommissioned and replaced. The removal of such a significant public work of art was seen as vandalism by some commentators, including Hajek's wife. However, not everyone in

2976-510: The sound of a percussion kit. Emmanuel usually keeps one Maton EBG808 in standard guitar tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), while he tunes his second Maton EBG808 to D-G-D-G-B-E (G6 tuning) and his TE1 to C ♯ -F ♯ -B-E-G ♯ -C ♯ . He generally uses 0.12 gauge (light) strings on one EBG808 and 0.13 gauge (medium) strings on the second Maton EBG808 and on the TE1. This allows him to quickly change tuning by swapping between guitars during

3038-402: The theatre spaces have remained open. The car park and plaza area have since been completed as has Festival Tower, and the overall redevelopment is expected to be completed in 2028. In the 1960s, the Adelaide Festival of the Arts started to outgrow the city's existing venues, and there was a push to build a "Festival Hall". The Adelaide Festival Theatre Act 1964 provided for the erection of

3100-444: The title City Sign Sculpture Garden) . It has also been referred to as "Hajek's Plaza", and was believed to be the largest artwork in Australia. Given the brief of camouflaging the new air-conditioning vent from the carpark below that would rise 10 metres (33 ft) from the concrete surface of the plaza, Hajek, arguing that the "real job" of sculpture was social, created a plan that integrated sculpture with architecture, creating

3162-464: The top of the headstock . The guitar neck slightly bends away from the body and consequently affects the pitch of the strings to achieve the desired sound. As a young man in Australia, Emmanuel wrote to his hero Chet Atkins in Nashville, Tennessee . Eventually, Atkins replied with words of encouragement and a long-standing invitation to drop by to visit. In 1997, Emmanuel and Atkins recorded as

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3224-473: The world of art and architecture or the general public mourned its passing. From 2016, the Plaza began undergoing a A$ 90 million redevelopment, as part of the major redevelopment of the Riverbank Precinct . The new public plaza, known as the Public Realm, was expected to be completed by 2020, while the office buildings and retail spaces are scheduled to be finished by 2022. The architects of

3286-557: The world performed in over 40 events, spanning many genres, with attendance at the ten-day festival in excess of 30,000. In March 2009 it was announced that Slava Grigoryan had been appointed artistic director for the 2010 Festival. Grigoryan commented on his appointment, saying "it was a great honour for me to be asked to direct a Festival, with the guitar at its heart." On 30 March the Adelaide Festival Centre CEO, Douglas Gautier , along with Grigoryan, announced

3348-439: The world. As a solo performer, he never plays to a setlist and uses a minimum of effects onstage. He usually completes studio recordings in one take. In his solo shows, he mainly plays guitars made by Maton , an Australian guitar manufacturer. He usually travels with two custom Maton EBG808 TE models and one TE1 model, both of which are Tommy Emmanuel artist signature models. He has played Maton guitars for most of his career and

3410-734: The year, including: Adelaide Cabaret Festival , OzAsia Festival , DreamBIG Children's Festival , Adelaide Guitar Festival , and the First Nations annual art exhibition OUR MOB , which also awards a series of prizes Besides numerous nearby bus stops and the adjacent Adelaide train station, a short branch from the Glenelg tram line to the Festival Centre was opened in October 2018. [REDACTED] Media related to Adelaide Festival Centre at Wikimedia Commons Tommy Emmanuel William Thomas Emmanuel AM (born 31 May 1955)

3472-498: Was also vacated and demolished. The site also housed the Elder Park Hostel , which consisted of numerous repurposed buildings near the river. It was in use from circa 1949 to circa 1969 with the site being cleared in 1970. More recently, acknowledgement has also been made that the site is located on historical Kaurna lands. Adelaide Festival Centre was built in three parts, from April 1970 to 1980. The main building,

3534-496: Was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). At the 2011 'TommyFest', Tommy took the chance to talk to the audience about his strong Christian faith. "The Lord is my shepherd, so I lack nothing—it's true!" he told the gathered crowds. In 2012, Governor Steve Beshear awarded Emmanuel the state of Kentucky's honorific title of Kentucky Colonel . In 2009 he worked with fellow local artists Ray Burgess , Marty Rhone , John St Peeters and John "Swanee" Swan to release

3596-407: Was held from 29 November to 7 December. Artists who performed at the 2008 festival included: The Romeros Guitar Quartet, Xavier Rudd , Adrian Belew , Hoodoo Gurus , The Derek Trucks Band , Lior , Troy Cassar-Daley , The Party Boys , Slava Grigoryan , Ash Grunwald , Grinspoon , Guy Pratt and Peter Denahy. The 2010 Adelaide International Guitar Festival ran from 25–28 November and featured

3658-837: Was inaugurated in 1976 and the inductee is announced at the Country Music Awards of Australia in Tamworth in January. The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival , celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They have been held annually since 1973. The Grammy Awards

3720-405: Was not used for events, and, crucially, it did not attract incidental foot traffic to interact with its forms. In 1987, the fountain, unused for the prior three years owing to a leak, was demolished as part of a A$ 11 million upgrade of the plaza. In 2002–2003, the area around the centre was redeveloped substantially. The Festival Plaza was redesigned, including opening the underground roadway to

3782-436: Was taught by his mother to accompany her playing lap steel guitar . In 1961, at the age of six, he heard Chet Atkins playing on the radio. He vividly remembers that moment and said it greatly inspired him as a musician. By the age of six, he was a working professional musician. Recognizing the musical talents of Emmanuel and his older brother, Phil , their father created a family band, sold their home, and took his family on

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3844-565: Was won by former Adelaide University Elder Conservatorium of Music student Andrey Lebedev. Australia's Stephanie Jones came in second while third place went to Ekachai Jearakul from Thailand. The 2014 Adelaide International Guitar Festival ran from 17–20 July. The 2014 festival featured a range of local and international artists, including Pepe Romero , Yamandu Costa , Debashish Bhattacharya , Guthrie Govan , Jose Antonio Rodriguez Trio, Judicael Perroy, Maximo Pujol Trio, Stochelo Rosenberg Trio, Australian String Quartet and more, including

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