A world-class guitarist, composer and
producer with a remarkable story of perseverance will perform at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point next month as
part of the Performing Arts Series.
Billy McLaughlin and the Eclectric String Quartet will
perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, at Michelsen Hall in the Noel Fine Arts
Center. The series is presented in part by Country Inn and Suites of Stevens
Point and Sentry Insurance.
McLaughlin
began his career with a signature style of creating a harp-like effect on the
acoustic guitar. His first release, “Fingerdance,” peaked at No. 7 on the
Billboard new age charts in 1997. In 2001 he was diagnosed with a neuromuscular
disorder called focal dystonia that caused him to be unable to play guitar.
Rather than give up, McLaughlin relearned to play left handed. His comeback
story was the subject of an award-winning documentary, “Changing Keys-Billy
McLaughlin and the Mysteries of Dystonia.”
He
released his first comeback album, “Into the Light,” in 2007 and became an
ambassador for The Dystonia Medial Research Foundation. He tours
internationally and throughout the United States.
Members of the quartet include Steven Leung and Nathan
Wilson on violin, Kirsti Petraborg on viola and Christopher Quinn on cello. The
group gets its name from the pairing of steel-string acoustic guitar with
strings and the electrified pick-ups on each instrument. The group’s sound has
been described as “classical music meets modern melody and groove.”
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and $6
for youth. UW-Stevens Point students with I.D. may buy tickets in advance for
$4 or be admitted free the day of the show if seats remain. Purchase tickets through
the University Information and Tickets Office in the Dreyfus University Center
concourse, 715-346-4100 or 800-838-3378, or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu.
Skip to main content
