The guitar duo of Beau Bledsoe and Michael McClintockwill demonstrate the guitar's fascinating evolution utilizing the Spanish flamenco guitar, Cuban tres, Portuguese guitar, and the Andean charango. Bring your lunch to these free monthly concerts and enjoy coffee and cookies after the musical performance.

The concert on Friday, Sept. 21 at 12:10 p.m., will be at the Westport Presbyterian Church, 201 Westport Road, Kansas City.

Beau Bledsoe’s performances have been described as “pointedly musical” by Paul Horsley of the Kansas City Star. This stylistically eclectic musician performs and records classical music, jazz and folkloric music from around the world as he seeks to integrate different musical cultures with diverse audiences. With his varied projects and ensembles, Bledsoe has performed extensively throughout Europe, Russia, Asia, South America and North America. In addition, he has produced fifteen recordings under his recording label Tzigane. Bledsoe is currently artistic director and founder of Ensemble Ibéricawhich explores the music of Spain, Portugal, and the colonial Americas while educating the public about Iberian cultural influence.

Michael McClintock is a guitarist with a background in multiple styles of music including classical, flamenco, Brazilian and jazz. Since graduating from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, McClintock has continued his education at the Institute of the Superior Arts in Havana, Cuba studying the Cuban tres. In 2016, Michael and his wife, Cuban national Dalida Barrios, created the project "Cubanisms," to increase awareness of Cuban culture in the USA. The project features a traditional Cuban musical ensemble and guided tours to Cuba. Cubanisms has released its debut album "Acento Cubano" in October 2017. Recently, McClintock was invited to participate in the Jazz Plaza International Festival in Havana sharing the stage with Victor Goines and Ivan "Melon" Lewis. This concert will be released on the Cuban record label BIS music in 2019.

Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and the Arts KC-Regional Arts Council.