Kevin Manderville will be at Pike County Elementary and Banks schools today to introduce students to the classical guitar and selected repertoire from the Renaissance period to Modern times.

The educational music program is sponsored by the Troy Arts Council with the assistance of a Wal-Mart community grant.

“This program will give students the opportunity of hearing music that they normally might not hear in passing,” said Dr. William Denison, TAC president. “Kevin Manderville will demonstrate to the students the guitar’s amazing versatility.”

Denison said Manderville’s program will include a brief discussion on the guitar’s evolution from a four-course instrument to the modern six-string guitar.

“The program will include works from Morlaye, Le Roy, De Visee, Sor, Paganini, Tarrega, Ponce, Byrd, Serrano, Merlin and others,” Denison said. “The Troy Arts Council is proud to be able to bring a program of this caliber to the schools that don’t often have opportunities like this. We appreciate Wal-Mart’s support of arts education in Pike County.”

Denison said Manderville is known around the world as a solo recitalist, chamber musician, teacher and scholar.

“He holds degrees from several universities and studied in the master classes of some of today’s most prominent guitarists and has appeared in major cities and festivals throughout North America and Europe,” Denison said. “He has won prizes in several international competitions. He is also a dedicated teacher.”

Manderville lives in Montgomery and directs the classical guitar program at Carver Elementary Arts Magnet School. He is on the faculty at both Troy University and Huntingdon College.