Gene Bertoncini

Talk about a Renaissance Man. Somewhere in the midst of his 70-year career as a jazz guitarist, Gene Bertoncini managed to get a degree in architecture from Notre Dame. Known for his light-hearted elegance and versatile virtuosity on classical guitar, Bertoncini has appeared on countless recordings and television programs over the decades. When he’s not teaching at the Eastman School of Music, he’s out playing gigs. The guitarist’s fluid technique is remarkable and apparent on tracks like “Killing Me Softly,” which appears on Smile, his duo album with Roni Ben-Hur. Don’t miss the eerily hypnotic rendition of “Round Midnight” on his 2003 solo release Acoustic Romance .(Eric Gonzalez)