The Suffolk Welcomes Grammy Winner Al Di Meola

A bona fide guitar hero and perennial poll-winner, Al Di Meola has been recognized internationally over the past four decades as virtuoso of the highest order. On Thursday, September 22, Suffolk Theater in Riverhead welcomes back Al Di Meola who performs in concert at 7 p.m.

A prolific composer and prodigious six-string talent, Di Meola has amassed over 20 albums as a leader while collaborating on a dozen or so others with the likes of the fusion supergroup Return To Forever (with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White), the celebrated acoustic guitar trio featuring fellow virtuosos John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia, and the Rite of Strings trio with bassist Clarke and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. His ongoing fascination with complex rhythmic syncopation combined with provocative lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmony has been at the heart of his music throughout a celebrated career that has spanned four decades and earned him critical accolades, four gold albums, two platinum albums, more than six million in record sales worldwide, five German gold albums, and various awards including an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Berklee College of Music, the Honorary Miles Davis Award presented by the Montreal Jazz Festival, and more. Di Meola is the recipient of the most prestigious guitar awards ever given, a total of 12 awards from Guitar Player Magazine polls and as a result, was inducted into their Gallery of Greats.

And while his dazzling technique on both acoustic and electric guitars has afforded him regal status among the hordes of fretboard aficionados who regularly flock to his concerts, the depth of Di Meola’s writing along with the soulfulness and his inherent lyricism of his guitaristic expression have won him legions of fans worldwide beyond the guitar aficionado set.

Tickets for Al Di Meola’s September 22 performance at The Suffolk are $59 to $69, with VIP packages available for $134 to $144 at SuffolkTheater.com. Suffolk Theater is at 118 East Main Street in Riverhead.