Guitars Under the Stars, presented by H-E-B, is sold out. If you have a ticket already, though, here is a little more information about this year’s exciting gala!
If you don’t have a ticket but believe in our work of education and would like to help us reach our goal of raising $100,000, or if you are coming but would prefer to give or pledge in advance, please donate or pledge online here.
What You are Supporting
We received this amazing letter from one of our graduates last week. A perfect example of the kind of impact you help us make on thousands of diverse young central Texans each day in over fifty schools!
How and When to Get There
Our gala takes place at One World Theatre, at 7701 Bee Caves Road (78746) west of Loop 360. Find directions online here.
Arrive around 6:30pm—find our valet stand right next to a beautiful Mercedes-Benz on display from our exclusive automobile Platinum Sponsor for the evening, Mercedes-Benz of Austin, and our bars inside will be serving beer, wine, cocktails, and soft drinks.
Some of the Fun Things to Check Out
Grab a drink, peruse our mystery gift boxes and the beautiful mosaic guitars created just for this occasion by Texas artist Amy Voss, and get your complimentary Guitars Under the Stars portrait taken by photographer David Tietz of Editorial Image. Photographer Richard Childress will be getting great cameos all night long as well!
Dinner by Word of Mouth Catering will be served shortly after your arrival, and you’ll have ample time to visit with your party, meet new friends, and pick up some fun mystery gifts or enter our raffle for one of three grand prizes.
Shortly before 8pm, we will head up to the theatre to enjoy a brief program where we’ll hear from some students and teachers, followed by a student performance, and then we’ll welcome Sergio and Odair Assad and Romero Lubambo to the stage.
The world’s preeminent classical guitar duo, the Assads have toured and recorded with Yo-Yo Ma, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, and Dawn Upshaw. For this special concert, they team up with Brazilian jazz guitar legend Romero Lubambo for a musical evening you won’t forget.
… the best two-guitar team in existence, maybe even in history… no amount of anticipation could have prepared me for the Brazilian brothers’ daringly flexible, eerily unanimous ensemble playing. – The Washington Post
Thank You
Our work is made possible day after day thanks to the support of our many members, our donors, and our generous sponsors.
Our Guitars under the Stars presenting sponsor is H-E-B. Mercedes-Benz of Austin, Silicon Labs, and Louise Epstein & John Henry McDonald are our Platinum Sponsors.
As a special thanks, our team taught a group of Silicon Labs engineers a beginning guitar lesson last fall, so they’d better understand what they help us achieve in schools every day. Want to see how they did?
Watch their end of class performance online here!
These remarkable supporters, along with our Gold Sponsors Kendal & Ken Gladish, Joan & Thomas Kobayashi, and Oliver Custom Homes, continue years of ongoing support for our education efforts—without which we simply would not be the organization we are today.
Special thanks also to our media and hotel sponsors AW Media and Radisson Hotel and Suites Austin – Downtown, along with our design partner of over ten years who contributes her work for this event each season, Claudia Roeschmann of ROESCHMANNdesign.
What’s in the Mystery Gift Boxes
Delicious and generous gift cards to fabulous restaurants like Fonda San Miguel, Gusto Italian Kitchen, Driskill Grill, Corazon at Castle Hill, Kneaded Pleasures, La Mancha, and the newly opened 416 on Burnet Road, with cheese from Antonelli’s Cheese Shop and a catering package from Paellas, Tapas & More!
Tickets from Austin’s premiere performing arts organizations including Ballet Austin (dance lessons from the Butler Community School too!), Conspirare, Texas Performing Arts, One World Theatre, The Austin Symphony, Austin Chamber Music Center and, of course, Austin Classical Guitar, along with movie and food passes from our friends at Alamo Drafthouse.
Treasures from Tesoro’s Trading Company and Karen Landrigan Design (jewelry), incredible art from Patti Troth Black and photography by Lindsay Lee. VIP tour passes to the Blanton Museum of Art donated by Laraine Lasdon, premium wines from King Liquor, and even a gift from Crystal Creek Moonshine!
Board members Kendal Gladish, Patty Valadka and David Lastrapes donated gift cards, wines, and more. The boxes have CDs ranging from Austin’s jazz icon Suzi Stern to the Assad Duo.
Get fit with Ready to Run, get musical with Fiddler’s Green, relax with Massage Envy (Mopac/2222), and get hip with a consultation from Harriett Saikin Interior Design.
You may even get a racing ride in a Ferrari from LR Academy, or enjoy one of our grand prizes including a night in downtown and a stay at the Radisson Hotel.
Huge thanks to Patty Valadka and all of our volunteers who helped make this possible!
We look forward to celebrating all that you have helped make possible in music education through Austin Classical Guitar. Thank you, and we’ll see you soon.