September 10 Marcus DeJesus Concert at Clarke

The Edward J. and Cathy Gallagher Arts at Clarke Series is proud to present a concert with Marcus DeJesus entitled “Retratos of Guitar” on Tuesday, September 10, at 7 p.m. in Jansen Music Hall on the campus of Clarke University. General admission tickets are $10 and are available by phone at (563)588-6377.

Originally from Brazil, DeJesus now lives in Dubuque and teaches guitar and general music at Clarke University. He is also the music director at Chavez Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin. DeJesus is a 2014 graduate of Clarke University with a bachelor’s of arts degree in music performance and he has a master’s degree in guitar performance from Southern Illinois University

DeJesus’s new album, Retratos, pays homage to his Brazilian background and will be released in September. The album highlights the past, present, and future phases of his guitar studies and showcases his ability to surf between classical and jazz. DeJesus hopes the album will allow listeners to hear where his musical vision is going: using classical guitar technique to expand the Brazilian and jazz guitar vocabulary.

DeJesus will perform pieces ranging from Bach to Bachianinha and Choro to Bossa Nova. He developed an appreciation for Bach’s music played on the guitar while in college.

“Studying Bach and baroque music is one of the best ways to learn how your instrument works. Often times, there is more than one answer to the same musical challenge. This is the moment that the performer learns how to expand their technique limits for the sake of the music,” said DeJesus.

DeJesus has performed in a variety of jazz ensembles, including the Larry Busch Big Band, Hunter Fuerste Vintage Jazz Group, and the Mistletones. In addition, DeJesus performs weekly at Stone Cliff Winery (Dubuque, IA) with his group the Blu Flame.

As a musician and teacher, he also maintains private studios in Dubuque and Madison, Wisconsin, and works with students of all ages and skill levels.

DeJesus will be joined by vocalist Kristina Castaneda at the September 10 concert. With roots in musical theatre in high school and college, Castaneda has been playing venues in the local music scene and beyond for over 20 years. She is a 2001 graduate of Clarke and often sings alongside Marcus DeJesus.