-- Legendary guitarist Al Di Meola will bring his acclaimed Guitarchitect Tour to the Alex Theatre in Glendale on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 8:00 PM. The performance unites five decades of music with multimedia visuals and personal narratives, offering jazz fusion enthusiasts and acoustic guitar aficionados in Southern California a rare opportunity to witness a living legend whose work continues to define contemporary instrumental music. The event is part of Di Meola's broader 2026 North American schedule that includes California dates in Newport Beach, Solana Beach, Grass Valley, and Orinda. Tickets are available at a range of prices, positioning the event as an accessible cultural experience for diverse audiences seeking world-class artistry at a historic venue.
Di Meola's credentials establish him as one of the most decorated figures in modern music. He has earned a GRAMMY Award alongside the Miles Davis Lifetime Achievement Award and the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award. His induction into Guitar Player Magazine's Gallery of Greats followed 12 awards from the publication's polls, cementing his status among the greatest guitarists of all time according to leading international publications and cultural institutions. These accolades reflect technical virtuosity and compositional intelligence marked by intricate rhythmic structures, lyrical melodic architecture, and deep engagement with global musical traditions spanning jazz, rock, Latin, Mediterranean, and world music.
Throughout a career exceeding five decades, Di Meola has achieved remarkable commercial success, selling over six million records worldwide while maintaining critical acclaim. His best-selling solo album, Elegant Gypsy, surpassed 500,000 copies sold. His collaborative recording Friday Night in San Francisco with John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía exceeded two million sales and remains one of the most influential live acoustic guitar albums ever released. The 1981 recording fundamentally reshaped global perceptions of acoustic guitar performance, demonstrating that instrumental music could command mainstream attention and cultural relevance on an unprecedented scale.
In recent years, Di Meola has reconceived the live concert format by transforming performances into immersive, cinematic experiences where music is presented within carefully curated visual and narrative frameworks. Critics' consensus based on 11 concert reviews rates him as a remarkable live performer whose shows are worth watching, placing him in the top 10 percent of all live performers as Real Live Certified. The Guitarchitect Tour exemplifies this evolution, merging technical mastery with emotional clarity through a program that honors the past, embraces the present, and looks toward the future of instrumental artistry.
The September 19 performance at the Alex Theatre takes place at 216 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203, a historic venue that draws over 70,000 to 80,000 ticketed attendees annually, with additional patrons for free community events. Programming includes dance, musical theatre, concerts, and classic film screenings. This event aligns with the venue's commitment to presenting world-class cultural programming while offering Southern California audiences a singular opportunity to experience Di Meola's artistry in an intimate setting. The concert represents a continuation of Di Meola's ongoing dialogue with great compositional traditions, including his affinity with the spirit of Astor Piazzolla and his instrumental interpretations of the Lennon-McCartney canon, reimagined through his own harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary.
For additional details about the Alex Theatre and upcoming events, visit https://www.thealex.com/.
More information is available at https://thealex.evnsong.com/events/al-di-meola-live-in-concert.
Contact Info:
Name: Miles Williams
Email: Send Email
Organization: The Alex Theatre
Address: 216 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203, United States
Phone: +1-818-254-8458
Website: https://www.thealex.com/
Release ID: 89195617