San Francisco Bay Area guitarist Teja Gerken has enchanted audiences ever since coming onto the acoustic fingerstyle scene in the late 1990s. Teja presents a program that reflects his diverse musical interests, with a typical set including originals, Celtic traditionals, classical pieces, jazz standards, and some favorite tunes by his fingerstyle guitar peers. Teja’s piece “Takoma” won the instrumental category of the 2025 USA Songwriting competition, and Acoustic Guitar magazine called his most recent album Test of Time, “A sonic marvel, from top to bottom.”

Forty years ago Phil Heywood moved to town on the heels of a tour with guitarist Leo Kottke, and he has been treating Twin Cities audiences ever since with his ear-bending clarity of tone and irresistible sense of rhythm. Over the years he has garnered a National Fingerpicking Championship, top prize at the American Fingerstyle Guitar Festival, and appearances on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion. Known for his lyrical, soul-satisfying guitar instrumentals, he can draw listeners in with his voice as well, singing in a warm, plainspoken baritone that blends seamlessly with his rock-solid guitar work.