About Wilder Frets:
Guy W. Talbot State Park sits within the western Columbia River Gorge near Latourell Falls, where basalt cliffs, lush temperate rainforest, and plunging waterfalls define one of Oregon’s most dramatic landscapes. Named for Portland businessman Guy W. Talbot, the park preserves a key section of the gorge shaped by ancient Columbia River basalt flows and sculpted over time by wind, water, and Ice Age floods. Towering Douglas fir, western hemlock, and moss-draped maples thrive in the cool, wet climate, while short trails lead visitors to the powerful drop of Latourell Falls and quiet forested viewpoints along the gorge. For thousands of years, this region has been home to Indigenous peoples whose lives were deeply connected to the Columbia River and its surrounding forests and waterways. Today, Guy W. Talbot State Park remains a cherished destination where visitors walk beneath towering trees, experience the force of cascading water, and take in the rugged beauty of the Columbia River Gorge.
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.