Steve Vai: Winner of the Sena European Guitar Award

The American guitar player Steve Vai is the winner of the Sena European Guitar Award 2016.  He will receive the prestigious award on saturday, july the 9th. Vai will be handed this award at the ceremony in Gebouw-T in Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands. The last two years, former Guns ‘n Roses and Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash and blues-guitarist Walter Trout received the award.

In previous years, several famous guitar players have won the Sena European Guitar Award (SEGA). In 2011Queen guitar player Brian May collected the prize and Toto guitarist Steve Lukather won the award  in 2010. May, Lukather and Trout played at the event. So did former winners like Golden Earring-guitarist George Kooymans, who won the prize in 2012. In the past players like Jan Akkerman (Focus) and Adrian Vandenberg (Whitesnake/Vandenberg) were honourable winners of the SEGA

The jury and the organisation are very proud to announce that Steve Vai is the winner of the SEGA, 2016. Jean-Paul Heck, chairman of the jury, says: ,,Steve Vai is one of the most skilled guitar-players in the world who is always looking for new ways to expand the possibilities of the instrument. The legendary Frank Zappa gave him his first big stage and right away Vai set the world on fire with his visionary sound, technique and speed. In the eighties he became a star on his in own as a player in prolific bands like Alcatrazz, The David Lee Roth Band,  Whitesnake and Ozzy Osbourne. The second solo-album  Passion and Warfare that came out in 1990 , was a huge success. And from that moment  he created his own musical language. It’s great that in june Sony Music will release a 25 Anniversary Edition of this masterpiece.”  Steve Vai expresses his appreciation. ,,It’s an honor to be recognized for my musical contributions by receiving this Sena Award.I’m looking forward to attending this event and performing a few songs with my band and connecting with all the others who are part of the guitar brotherhood”.

According to Heck Vai has a warm relationship with the Netherlands.  ,,In 2004 he presented his musical piece The Aching Hunger live with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra. 7 years later he did the Steve Vai Meets Stravinsky program with the Noord Nederlands Orkest.” Vai will play at the ceremony in Bergen op Zoom. Along with al lot of former winners and special guests. Koert Ligtermoet, chairman of the SEGA says:  ,, It’s important for us that with this award we try to inspire and connect young guitar-talents all over the world. The Award Show in Bergen op zoom is gonna be a big celebration and we will give Mr Vai an evening he will never forget.”

From Thursday may 19th , tickets for the Award ceremony in Gebouw-T Bergen op zoom will be available through: www.gebouw-t.nl