About Wilder Frets:
For the inaugural season, Wilder Frets: Classical Guitar in the Wilderness will tour across the state of Oregon from August 1–October 1, 2026. Led by classical guitar virtuoso and artistic director Tye Austin, the series replaces the traditional concert hall with immersive wilderness landscapes—including state parks, farms, ranches, wineries, hot spring resorts, and other unique locations throughout the state. Audiences experience each performance through wireless headphone technology, allowing them to move freely and explore the surrounding landscape within a quarter-mile radius as the music accompanies their wanderings through each Wilder setting.
About this Site:
Oswald West State Park stretches along Oregon’s rugged northern coast between Cannon Beach and Manzanita, where old-growth forest, dramatic headlands, and crashing Pacific surf define one of the state’s most iconic coastal landscapes. Named for Governor Oswald West, who helped secure Oregon’s public beaches, the park protects over 2,400 acres shaped by tectonic forces, marine erosion, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Dense stands of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and red cedar thrive in the cool maritime climate, with fern-lined trails leading to sweeping ocean views and secluded coves. At its center, Short Sand Beach sits in a sheltered cove framed by basalt cliffs, tide pools, and consistent surf, while offshore waters support seabirds, harbor seals, migrating gray whales, and abundant marine life. For thousands of years, this region has been home to Indigenous peoples, including the Tillamook and Clatsop, whose cultures were closely tied to both forest and sea. Today, the park remains a popular destination for hiking, beach exploration, and experiencing the wild character of the Oregon Coast.
Guests are encouraged to bring their own surfboard/paddle-board and wetsuit for a pre-concert surf session at Short Sands Beach.
About the Artist:
Oregon-born classical guitarist and composer Tye Austin, M.M., is the Artistic Director of Wilder Frets, a concert series that brings world-class classical guitar performances into natural wilderness settings. With ancestral ties to Franco-Spanish pirates of the Caribbean, he draws on a deep cultural connection to Spanish and Latin American repertoire, shaping his interpretations with distinctive authenticity and depth. Praised by NBC News for making “the guitar sing like it was invented only to be in his hands,” Austin is an internationally recognized virtuoso guitarist whose career includes appearances at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall, performances for global leaders at the United Nations, and international residencies and tours across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. He was also hired as the principal classical guitarist for Royal Caribbean International cruise lines. He holds a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In his spare time, he can be found surfing, fly-fishing, foraging, or skinny-dipping in geo-thermal hot springs.