MAS Presents: Maris Anderson (instrumental avant-folk guitarist)
Tickets on sale August 7th, 2025 | All ages welcome
Doors @ 7:00 PM | Music @ 8:00 PM
A screen door creaks shut, folding into a symphony of the familiar and the unexpected — visiting sounds that linger like memory.
RIYL: Neil Young, William Tyler, John Fahey
Guitarist and composer Marisa Anderson is a singular force in contemporary instrumental music, blending American roots traditions with avant-garde textures and cinematic scope. Based in Portland, she creates deeply expressive work that channels blues, folk, gospel, country, and minimalism through her unmistakable guitar voice. Her playing is fluid, emotional, and masterful, featuring compositions and improvisations that reimagine the landscape of American music.
Anderson’s critically acclaimed solo albums — including Mercury (2013), Into the Light (2016), and Still, Here (2022) — have earned her a devoted following along with widespread praise. Named by The New Yorker as “one of the most distinctive guitar players of her generation”, Marisa’s guitar skills have led to standout collaborations, elevating her to new artistic heights.
In 2020, Marisa teamed up with drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Xylouris White) for The Quickening, a fiery and improvised collection recorded in Mexico City that spotlighted Anderson’s raw, spontaneous energy. That collaboration was followed by Lost Futures in 2021 — a lush, pastoral duo record created with acclaimed guitarist William Tyler, praised for its emotional depth and melodic clarity.
In 2024, Marisa composed and performed the score for the feature film A Perfect Day for Caribou and appeared on records by Charlie Parr, Myriam Gendron, and BIG|BRAVE.
A longtime social activist and former Rock Camp for Girls mentor, Marisa has taken a path shaped by activism, experimentation, and a fearless commitment to forging her own way. Whether performing solo or in collaboration, Marisa Anderson offers an unforgettable musical experience — rooted in tradition, yet always reaching forward.
Classically trained, Marisa honed her skills playing in country, jazz, and circus bands. Her current work is focused on a mid-20th-century archive of recorded music from the Islamic world, Southeast Asia, and the Soviet Union.
“One of the best emotional mediums in the field of solo guitar, Anderson is a master of lovely melancholy.” - Pitchfork
In 2025, Marisa received the Spark Award for Oregon Artists, presented by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.
“Many of Anderson's compositions are experimental and meditative in nature, leaving space between notes for response — or for inspiration to arrive.” – NPR