Wilder Frets: Classical Guitar in the Wilderness (Fort Stevens State Park)

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:

Fort Stevens State Park spans Oregon’s northernmost coastline near the mouth of the Columbia River, where broad beaches, shifting dunes, freshwater lakes, and maritime forests converge in a landscape shaped by both natural forces and human history. Named for the historic military fort established during the Civil War to defend the Columbia River entrance, the park protects more than 4,300 acres influenced by powerful tides, river sediments, and the dynamic meeting of river and sea. Shore pine, Sitka spruce, and coastal wetlands flourish in the cool maritime climate, while trails wind through forests, dunes, and open shoreline. Along the beach, the wreck of the Peter Iredale stands as a reminder of the region’s maritime heritage and ever-changing coast. Nearby estuaries and offshore waters support elk, seabirds, harbor seals, migrating gray whales, and diverse marine life sustained by the Columbia River ecosystem. For thousands of years, this area has been home to Indigenous peoples, including the Clatsop, whose cultures were closely tied to the river, forests, and ocean. Today, Fort Stevens remains a favorite destination for exploring historic fortifications, biking scenic trails, and experiencing the natural beauty of Oregon’s North Coast.

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.