Guitarist Mark Kroos, known for his two-guitar neck skills, will perform at Hope College on Thursday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland.
Kroos is known for playing two guitar necks simultaneously, and is one of the only people in the world touring his trade. He became a YouTube sensation with his solo version of “Dueling Banjos,” and was the 2011 winner of Guitar Magazine’s International Guitar Superstar Competition.
Muriel Anderson, the 1989 International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion, has said that “Mark Kroos plays with a sensitivity to the music and positive energy that is truly refreshing.”
Kroos’s primary instrumental style is characterized by open harmonies, polyphonic textures and tapping techniques. His performances showcase his own edge to the acoustic guitar, yet remain accessible to the audience.
Touring throughout most of the year, Kroos has spent the last six years giving concerts in the United States and Canada. Originally from Lansing but currently based in North Carolina, he has shared the stage with guitarists such as Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour, Phil Keaggy and Stanley Jordan. He has also received full sponsorships with D'Addario Strings, Planet Waves Cables, Genz Benz Amplifiers, Ovation Guitars, Kopf Percussion and Kyser Capos.
Kroos attended Bowling Green State University’s school of music from 2004 to 2006, and majored in jazz studies and guitar performance while studying under Chris Buzzelli and Matthew Ardizzone. He left the music school to tour with his punk band. When the band stopped playing regularly in 2009, Kroos began teaching and started playing the acoustic guitar. After spending time writing and practicing, Kroos developed his signature two-guitar-neck performance, while occasionally taking breaks for more writing, arranging and recording.
Tickets are $10 for regular admission, $7 for senior citizens, $5 for children and students, and free for Hope College faculty, staff, and students. Tickets are available at the ticket office in the Events and Conferences Office located downtown in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890. Tickets are also available online at hope.edu/tickets.
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. Eighth St.