Guitar students at Chico State performed a mix of different guitar pieces both as solos and in groups at the Zingg Recital Hall on Friday.

The pieces performed had a combination of rhythmic, upbeat, slow and peaceful styles of music. Each performer had their own unique performances and really showcased the professionalism of the music department.

“But I was aware of this piece Estampas, which is a set of eight distinct, colorful guitar pieces composed for the guitar quartet. I had several players in mind to play this piece,” said Tobin Roye, director of the guitar ensemble.

The decision to play the Estampas pieces had to be decided about a year ago when they put together the recitals/showcases for the year. The excitement for the performance was obvious on every performer’s face.

Every soloist and group had a cohesive way of playing with each other, the variety of arrangements brought the best out of each performer and really played to their strengths.

“These are contemporary guys who are writing new music for the guitar, which I am interested in,” Roye said.

Two soloists, however, really stood out from the rest: Jacob Melvoin and Sage Mitchell. These two performers played well; each note was precise and their facial expressions added to the emotion making the audience hold their breath as the performance commenced.

The applause for both was loud and comments from the audience after was all positive. They praised the students for the brilliance of their guitar playing and the calming, dramatic effect the music had.

Some of the students who performed are graduating and played for the last time with their ensemble at the Estampas Guitar Ensemble performance.

“Sadly, some of them are graduating and we have to say goodbye…I am really proud of the work that they are doing,” Roye said.

Chris Bautista, Melvoin, Mitchell and Roye performed the actual Estampas collection. The collection was extremely well done, moving the audience through each piece with each performer playing their part cohesively.

Pieces like Fiesta en el Pueblo and Juegos Infantiles stood out among the rest and were a couple of the pieces that evoked the biggest response from the audience.

The members of the Guitar Ensemble brought guitar magic to the Zingg Recital Hall, adding to their long list of excellent performances.

Hannah Yeager can be reached at [email protected] or @Hannah_K_Yeager on Twitter.