Award-winning guitarist to perform in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Probably the only female guitarist who has conquered the globe with her immense talent and remains to be the most sought-after by the world’s biggest acts, award-winning Australian musician Orianthi Panagaris, or simply Orianthi, (photo) is coming to Manila for a series of concert performances this month.

Orianthi is set to perform in several venues in Manila from Aug. 20 to 27 in line with the release of her very first Best Of… record which is being released in Japan this month. In Manila, Orianthi holds special performances on the following dates: Aug. 27 at the Hard Rock Café in Makati; Aug. 25, 19 East at Km. 19, East Service Road in Sucat, Parañaque; and Aug. 22, Chef and Brewer on Emerald Ave. in Ortigas Center.

On Aug. 20, she will have a special appearance at AMPed, a fund-raising concert of the Midlife Crisis band and AMP at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Resorts World Manila. The concert is for the benefit of the Midlife Crisis band’s music scholars and for the building of classrooms.

Best known as the lead guitarist personally handpicked by the late great Michael Jackson for his monumental concert tour This Is It, Orianthi has played for and with the biggest and most diverse artists in the world such as Carlos Santana, Alice Cooper, Steve Vai, Michael Bolton, Prince, ZZ Top, Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood, John Mayer and Dave Stewart.

Voted as Breakthrough Guitarist of the Year in 2010 by Guitar International magazine, Orianthi was exposed to rock music at an early age when she started taking an interest in the record collection of her father who was also a musician.

She begged her dad to buy her a second-hand guitar and then bought all of Carlos Santana’s videos on VHS which she wore down while trying to learn his solos. Santana’s visit to Orianthi’s hometown in Adelaide when she was 11 proved to be a turning point for her.

(For details, call 638-7023, 837-6903 and 0949-4984405.)