There is something in the quality of Jason Vieaux’s playing that listeners respond to, but struggle to define.
One music writer described the Grammy-winning classical guitar virtuoso as “precise”—suggesting performances that are conforming and exact—and “soulful,” which implies a style far more emotional, even improvisational. Another observed that “nothing he does feels premeditated.”
Yet pieces such as Bach’s “Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-flat Major, BWV 998,’ Vivaldi’s concertos or Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires are demanding. On the other hand, Vieaux happily teams with harp artist Yolanda Kondonassis on Alan Thomas’ “Homage to Radiohead” and arranged Tears for Fears’ pop hit “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” for his Gernot Wagner double-top and Julien Labro’s accordina with suitable informality.
“To me, pushing boundaries—I never saw it as that,” Vieaux says. “I have a lot of musical interests. I never questioned what I was doing.”
So a program featuring Vieaux is as likely to include Schubert as Lennon and McCartney. And he is passionate about bringing the work of contemporary classical guitar composers—Vivian Fung, Jerod Tate—to audiences. The music he creates through collaborations with the likes of Pat Metheny attracts those unfamiliar with the classical form.
But Vieaux’s new album—Gratitude, released last month—is something different. It is his first devoted entirely to his own compositions.
He had written the title song in 2019 for his mother. But Vieaux’s travel schedule left him little time to refine or complete other ideas—that is until the pandemic.
“My wife should get the credit,” he points out. “She realized I was improvising a lot when I was warming up. She would say, ‘You should write that down.’ It started happening.”
Vieaux’s Monterey County appearance closes out the Carmel Guitar Society’s 2026 concert series. And given the performer’s stature in the music world—playing with more than 100 symphonies, headlining at the likes of the Lincoln Center and Concertgebouw, Amsterdam's legendary concert hall—it’s the nonprofit’s first at the Founders Theatre.
On his current coast-to-coast swing around the country, Vieaux has added a couple of pieces from Gratitude to a repertoire that explores the stylistic variety of classical guitar. His “Tidal Pools” and “Home” join Bach’s “998,” Jose Luis Merlin’s “Suite del Recuerdo,” selections from Isaac Albéniz and Metheny’s “Four Paths of Light,” which the latter dedicated to Vieaux.
“The response has been amazing,” he says, referring to his original work. “It would be great to have a hit.”
Jason Vieaux performs 7pm Friday, Oct. 23. Founders Theatre at Golden Bough Playhouse, 851 Monte Verde St., Carmel. $55-$80. Carmel Guitar Society. (831) 316-3230, carmelguitarsociety.org.