The Journal

Two international virtuosos join for a tour when South African kora guitarist Derek Gripper and Indian slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya make their North American touring debut in fall, including a concert in Cortez.

They perform Thursday, Sept. 21, at the Sunflower Theatre, 8 E. Main St. in Cortez. Doors and cash bar open at 6:15 p.m., and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $22 at sunflowertheatre.org, and $25 at the door.

Gripper began his formal musical training at age 6, studied classical music in Cape Town for 13 years, then studied South Indian Carnatic music in India. After returning home, he found a new direction for his guitar work by studying the layered music of Oliver Messiaen and the African-influenced structures of Steve Reich before meeting up with Cape jazz trumpeter Alex van Heerden.

Hindustani slide guitarist Bhattacharya started learning Indian music from his parents before studying under Brij Bhushan Khabra, the father of Indian classical guitar. He also trained under prominent vocalist Ajoy Chakraborty, an eminent Indian vocalist.