New concerts and events added to Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival week August 24 to September 1, in Whitefish and Bigfork, Montana

High end auction items to be sold at intermission on Tuesday and Saturday nights

Friday, August 24, 8 p.m. Cost: $30

Venue: O’Shaughnessy Center, Whitefish

"Guitar Night for the Glacier Fund," will launch the week of music on Friday August 24th. The musical fundraiser is organized to support the Glacier National Park Fund with proceeds benefiting the Glacier National Park’s High School Citizen Science Program, a hands-on educational program that encourages teenagers to learn more about nature and the environment of Glacier National Park.

Bill Mize received a Grammy award for his collaboration with storyteller David Holt and is a winner of the Winfield world fingerstyle competition. His music appeared in the Ken Burns’ documentary "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea." Beth Bramhall will accompany her husband Bill in a vibrant combination of fingerstyle guitar and accordion music.

RIO is a Brazilian style bossa nova jazz group that was featured recently on the Montana Public Broadcasting show 11th & Grant with Eric Funk. The band is comprised of Max Hatt, guitar, Edda Glass, vocals, Dennis Unsworth, drums, Pete Hand, bass.

NEW! Sunday, August 26, 1-4 p.m. Cost: $20 donation suggested

Venue: Crown Festival Stage, Flathead Lake Lodge, Bigfork

Semi Finals of the International Lee Ritenour Yamaha Six String Theory Guitar Competition
The music just keeps on coming for the Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival which announces a seventh public performance. The exciting semi-finals of the international Lee Ritenour Six String Theory Guitar Competition will feature 12 contestants vying to be the world champion. It is a chance to hear the most promising young guitarists from all over the world competing in six guitar genres of acoustic, blues, classical, country, jazz/fusion and rock. The finalists come from Brazil, Hungary, Canada, France, Israel and the United States. The six winners will go on to compete at the Six String Theory World finals on Wednesday, August 29. Legendary jazz musician, Lee Ritenour conceived of the SST competition two years ago as a way to support up and coming young guitarists.

Monday, August 27, 3-5:30pm Cost: Free
Community Guitar Education Program The Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop will offer two free guitar workshops for school age children and community residents in Columbia Falls and Whitefish on Monday, August 27. The classes will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at North Valley Music School at 432 Spokane Ave in Whitefish 406-862-8074 and at the Teakettle Community Hall at 235 Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls 406-892-1363. Call for details.

Monday, August 27, 2012 at 8:00 PM Cost: $30

Venue: Crown Festival Stage at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork

Guitar-Driven Urban Folk-Pop artist Patty Larkin and

Classical-Flamenco Master, Dennis Koster

Patty Larkin, a self-described ‘guitar driven songwriter," combines evocative vocals, inventive guitar wizardry and imaginative lyrics in a delightful soundscape. Her songs run from impressionistic poetry to witty wordplay. She has won an unprecedented 11 Boston Music Awards among numerous others.

Dennis Koster is widely regarded as this country’s leading authority on flamenco guitar and is also acclaimed as a brilliant classical guitarist. He is one of the few guitarists ever to have learned flamenco directly from both Mario Escudero and the legendary Sabicas.

Tuesday, August 27, 2012 at 8:00 PM Cost: $30

Venue: Crown Festival Stage at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork

NEW! Live Auction to be held at intermission

Three Jazz and Blues Legends share the Crown Festival Stage: Lee Ritenour, Sonny Landreth and Dave Grusin with Melvin Lee Davis, bass and Sonny Emory, drums

Lee Ritenour, Grammy award winner, is one of the true multi-style guitarists. From rock to jazz to blues, he has recorded over 40 albums, with 35 chart hits.

Sonny Landreth is a Louisiana bluesman best known for his slide playing, having developed a technique where he frets notes, plays chords and chord fragments behind the slide while he plays.

Dave Grusin, a legendary American pianist, composer, arranger, and producer, has composed over 100 scores for feature films and television. His numerous awards include has won numerous awards include an Academy Award and 12 Grammys.

Melvin Davis, bassist, worked with Don Cornelius of Soul Train and has toured and recorded with Lee Ritenour, Chaka Khan, the Pointer Sisters, Bryan Ferry, David Benoit, Larry Carlton, and many other top acts.

Sonny Emory, Grammy award winner, is best known for his ground-breaking drumming with Earth, Wind, and Fire, and has performed with a virtual "who’s who" in pop and jazz music.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012 at 7:30 PM Cost: $50

Venue: Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts in Bigfork

Lee Ritenour Yamaha Six String Theory Guitar Competition Finals

The six finalists who advanced from Sunday’s semi final will vie for the Grand Prize in rock, blues, jazz, classical, acoustic and country at the 2012 Lee Ritenour Yamaha Six String Theory Competition Finals.

Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 8:00 PM

Venue: Crown Festival Stage at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork

New World jazz guitar phenomenon Julian Lage performs with his trio; Jody Fisher returns to the Crown stage to open the show.

Julian Lage was featured as a guitar prodigy at the Grammys when he was 8 years old has been hailed by All About Jazz as "a giant in the making." Lage brings a purity of tone and consistency of attack to everything in his repertoire. His first album, "Sounding Point," earned him a 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.

Tupac Mantilla, drummer and Jorge Roeder, bassist are members of the Julian Lage Trio and Grammy nominees. Each has been recognized as versatile, creative players in the New York and international music scenes.

Jody Fisher, finger style jazz master is Chair of the LA Music Academy Guitar Department and author of over 20 of the leading jazz guitar instructional books. He is a faculty member of the Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation’s week-long workshop.

Saturday, September 1, 7 pm, Cost $30

Venue: Crown Festival Stage, Flathead Lake Lodge

NEW! Live Auction finale to be held at intermission

Festival Finale: Pioneers of Country Rock, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen with Matt Smith and friends open with energy-charged rock and blues.

Chris Hillman, from the legendary band The Byrds is considered to be the pioneer of the "Country Rock" genre, who has carved a permanent niche in the history of contemporary American music through his work with such seminal bands as The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, and the Desert Rose Band. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a four-time Grammy Nominee.

Herb Pedersen is a legendary vocalist and all-star multi-instrumentalist who for 40 years fronted his own band, The Laurel Canyon Ramblers, and has collaborated with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Earl Scruggs, The Dillards, Old and in the Way, Dan Fogelberg, Stephen Stills, Linda Ronstadt, John Prine, Jackson Browne, and John Denver.

Matt Smith, Mark Dziuba, James Hogan and other faculty with the our workshop that runs in conjunction with the Festival are guitar virtuosos that blend music across many genres with great entertainment.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at http://www.cocguitarfoundation.tix.com or by calling 406-249-4671. They are also available at the following local Flathead Valley locations: Nancy O’s in Bigfork’s Branding Iron Station: Donna Shanahan Interiors and Electric Avenue Gifts in downtown Bigfork; Sportsman Ski Haus in Kalispell and Whitefish; Bonelli’s Bistro in Kalispell; SM Bradford in Whitefish and Bigfork and The Glacier National Park Fund office in Columbia Falls.

A Crown Pass for $158 is available that admits patrons to all performances, except for the August 24th fundraising event. The Crown Pass Includes a commemorative poster designed by Western Artist, Nancy Cawdrey.

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ABOUT THE CROWN OF THE CONTINENT GUITAR FOUNDATION

Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation celebrates the love of the guitar and the magical splendor of Montana. The Foundation provides scholarships for students and collaborates with other non-profit organizations including: The Glacier Park Fund, Montana Public Radio and Public Broadcasting, The Montana Land Reliance, North Valley Music School and Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center. The workshop is a perfect opportunity for drawing inspiration, perfecting technique and deepening one’s passion for the guitar and music. visit http://www.cocguitarfoundation.org