Concert for a Child Artist Biographies

Andy McKee

Andy McKee is one of the world’s finest acoustic guitarists and it’s evident from the accolades he’s received throughout his career. It’s his youthful energy, attention to song structure and melodic content that elevates him above the rest. After nearly a decade without releasing new studio recordings, McKee returned with his six-track EP, Symbol in September 2021 on Mythmaker Records in conjunction with Cruzen Street Records.

Andy entertains both the eye and the ear as he magically transforms the steel string guitar into a full orchestra via his use of altered tunings, tapping, partial capos, percussive hits and a signature two-handed technique.

His crossover success has helped him to achieve millions upon millions of YouTube viewers, underscoring his emergence as one of today’s most unique and influential artists. His song “Drifting” became one of the first YouTube viral videos with almost 60 million views. He has been featured as a cover story in both Acoustic Guitar Magazine in the U.S. and Acoustic Magazine in the UK. He also curates his own annual guitar retreat called Musicarium. McKee’s tour dates have taken him through Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, including tours with legendary acts from Dream Theater to Tommy Emmanuel.

This year's Concert for a Child marks Andy's second appearance at the event.

Calum Graham

Born in Fort St. John, British Columbia and currently residing in Victoria, Calum Graham has been building a name for himself across the globe for the last 12 years with his passionate solo acoustic guitar prowess and was named one of the World’s Top 30 Guitarists under 30 by Acoustic Guitar Magazine. 

Calum plays the Acoustic, Baritone, and Harp Guitar in his live set and his original melodies embraces elements of folk, world, soul, blues and jazz – all built upon the foundation of the fingerstyle technique.

Graham’s musical journey first took flight when he began playing the guitar at the age of 13. In the summer of 2010, Graham attended the Canadian Guitar Festival and entered the prestigious Canadian Fingerstyle Guitar Competition. Impressed with his original compositions, the judges awarded Graham with a first place finish; a feat no other teenager has accomplished in the history of the festival. The clip of his winning performance has now generated over 1 million views on YouTube. Shortly afterwards, he was invited to play at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, and again 2 years later at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Calum continues to tour throughout Canada, the US, and Europe, and is currently in the studio recording his seventh studio album and planning to release the new works in the coming months.

Trevor Gordon Hall

Through his work, Trevor has established himself as a unique and pioneering voice on the international stage, albeit one who speaks through his guitar and every sound that it’s capable of, rather than words. On top of a touring calendar that’s taken him through 17 countries and counting, his discography has amassed millions of listens and views through streaming services such as Spotify and YouTube, allowing his music to connect meaningfully with listeners across all borders, regardless of their language or location. 

Since emerging on the fringe of the Philadelphia, USA, music scene as a young guitar virtuoso in the early 2000s, Trevor’s fingerpicking style of textured instrumentalism took little time to leave an impression on listeners. He was rated a top 30 under 30 guitarist by Acoustic Guitar Magazine and has shared the stage with or drawn praise from peers and guitar legends who helped blaze the path before him, including the likes of John Mayer, Steve Miller, Graham Nash, Steve Hackett, Dar Williams, Will Ackerman, Pat Martino, Stanley Jordan, Phil Keaggy, Tommy Emmanuel, Pierre Bensusan and Andy McKee to name a few. He’s also been featured on NPR, NBC, PBS, and many international outlets and publications around the world. 

Outside of writing and performing, formal education has also played an integral role in Trevor’s journey. He’s currently an instructor for two of the world’s largest online guitar course websites, JamPlay.com and TrueFire.com and has trained hundreds of students to date. 

Author: Chris March