For the seventh year, Troy University will host its Guitar Festival on the Troy Campus on Friday.

The festival features master classes, ensemble performances and concerts throughout the day from guitarists across the Southeast.

“It’s a festival that incorporates players, amateurs and professionals, of all levels from around the region,” said Dr. Robert Gibson, Lecturer of Guitar. “We’ll have people from Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee coming into town. We give everyone an opportunity to participate even if they’ve only been playing for a short period of time.”

The festival includes competitions at the elementary, middle and high school levels, along with the featured college competition, which is open to the public and begins at 5 p.m. in Hawkins-Adams-Long Hall.

“We’ll pick a winner and a guest artist for next year,” Gibson said. “I’d expect a lot of explosive firework-type guitar playing at this competition.”

Gibson said the festival is a celebration of guitar-based music and also serves to show participants the musical culture of Troy University.

“It’s an all-in-one celebration,” he said. “The point of it is to spread awareness of guitar music, and to share that music with the community and other music enthusiasts. We also like to think of it as a recruiting event of sorts, as we have a lot of students from middle and high schools coming to visit.”

Open-to-the-public events during the day include the following concerts:

Christopher Mrofchak, winner of last year’s college competition, followed by Chattanooga Guitar Duo, 11 a.m., Sorrell Chapel

Fretted Orchestra, 4 p.m., Long Hall Choir Room

Great Necks Guitar Trio, 7 p.m., Long Hall Choir Room