Nathan Varga is not your typical solo acoustic guitarist. His total mastery over his instrument allows him to maximize the sound that comes out of the guitar, creating a multi-layered, multi-textural composite unlike anything you’ve ever heard. And he does this with just one acoustic guitar and no effects, using a combination of finger picking with percussive techniques and harmonics to fill out his sound. Watching his high-resolution video on YouTube for his original song “Caught in the Moment” is like an optical/auditory illusion.

You see just one young man and his guitar, and what you hear is an ocean of sound that could easily be three or more musicians playing simultaneously. His songs are like meditations on the magic of the universe, which call you to the present moment and ask you to survey what is truly important. Without any lyrics, they hit home. This Sunday, March 30th Nathan Varga takes his acoustic guitar soundscape to the stage at The Espy for round one in Emergenza Festival Australia, where he’ll go head to head with six other local bands. You are not going to want to miss the stellar musicianship of this guy. Be there.