Enjoy Live Music Concerts in Orange County, CA

Lord of the Strings Concerts has been bringing the finest musicians to Southern California since 2002. The Orange County Register called President & Founder Tim Johnson the "Guitar Hero."

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A person playing an orange guitar with their hand on the string.

Upcoming Events

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BLACK MARKET TRUST

The Black Market Trust are an American Traditional Pop/Vocal Jazz group from Los Angeles who combine the sounds of the legendary American crooners and vocal groups with the fire and energy of Gypsy Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Consisting of five world class musicians who have traveled the globe recording and performing on the world’s biggest stages and with music’s most renowned artists, The Black Market Trust capitalize on their experience and pedigree to deliver a high energy, crowd pleasing performance filled with some of the best songs ever written.

The live show features material from The Great American Songbook infused with Django’s romantic and virtuosic flavor.  Add some intricate vocal harmonies, a dash of Rat Pack-style comedy and it’s clear to audiences why The Black Market Trust have quickly earned a reputation as one of the premier live acts performing in music today. Be transported as they meld two distinctly different vibes- one of a gypsy campfire, the other a slick metropolitan nightclub- into a cohesive, stylish sound.

Mission Viejo Civic Center
Saturday - April 20th
Doors: 6:30 pm
Show: 7:00 pm

Joscho Stephan Trio

JOSCHO STEPHAN TRIO

Joscho Stephan shapes modern gypsy swing with his playing like no other: With his authentic tone, his harmonic finesse and his sense of rhythm, but above all with his breathtaking solo technique, Stephan has earned himself an outstanding reputation on the international guitar scene. Like no other, he knows how to stand out from the multitude of current Gypsy Swing adaptations by combining Gypsy Swing with Latin, Classical and Rock, in addition to numerous interpretations of the well-known classics of the genre. This is where Stephan’s strength as a creative visionary shines through.  

His current trio includes Sven Jungbeck (rhythm guitar) and Volker Kamp (double bass). The trio has been on the road since 2018 and has since played numerous tours and concerts. (e.g. in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Croatia, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Estonia).

Mission Viejo Civic Center
Saturday - June 1st
Doors: 6:30 pm
Show: 7:00 pm

A man with a guitar in front of him.

clive carroll

Born in England, Clive began his musical journey in Chelmsford, Essex.   By his early teens, guitar in hand, Clive was traversing the worlds of soul, pop, funk, and traditional Irish music, balancing his affinity for Slayer with the etudes of Tárrega.  Clive went on to earn a 1st Class Honours Degree in Composition and Guitar from the famed Trinity College of Music in London, all the while balancing his classical work with forays into the world of the steel string guitar.  By the time he graduated from Trinity, Clive had not only penned orchestral works,  he had written an album’s worth of solo acoustic guitar music. A chance meeting with English guitar legend John Renbourn proved the catalyst for Clive’s debut album, “Sixth Sense”, which Renbourn deemed “a milestone in the journey of the steel-string guitar”.  He subsequently took Clive on the road with him and the pair toured North America and Europe together, launching Clive’s solo performing career.

Since then he has worked with guitar greats such as John Williams, Tommy Emmanuel, Xuefei Yang, Ralph Towner, D'Gary, and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. He has toured across Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and North America.

Mission Viejo Civic Center
Saturday - July 20th
Doors: 6:30 pm
Show: 7:00 pm

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Laurence Juber

GRAMMY® winning guitarist Laurence Juber is a solo performer, recording artist, composer and arranger. His playing fuses folk, jazz, blues, pop and classical styles, creating a multi-faceted performance that belies the use of only one instrument.

Mission Viejo Civic Center
Saturday - August 17th
Doors: 6:30 pm
Show: 7:00 pm

Martin Taylor #2
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dr. martin taylor mbe & alison burns

GRAMMY nominated musician  Dr. Martin Taylor, MBE, is a virtuoso guitarist, composer, educator and musical innovator whom magazine calls  ‘THE Acoustic Guitarist of his Generation’.

Alison Burns has been featured in countless media outlets through her singing, speaking, and acting work and her fans range from tech CEO’s and movie directors, to royalty and billionaires. She recently performed a star-studded concert for Prince William at Windsor Castle in England in advance of HRH announcing his engagement to Kate Middleton.

Mission Viejo Civic Center
Saturday - September 7th
Doors: 6:30 pm
Show: 7:00 pm

Transatlantic Guitar Trio - 2

transatlantic guitar trio

This extraordinary guitar trio features three very different members with very different backgrounds.  Richard Smith is an International Fingerstyle Guitar champion from London England.  He is a soloist and master of just about any and all guitar styles from Chet Atkins to Merle Travis to Jerry Reed to you name it!  Joscho Stephan is from Germany and a true superstar, known the world over for his sensational Django Reinhardt "Gypsy Jazz" style.  Joscho's guitar skills are so special you will be left breathless just watching him.  Rory Hoffman is from North Dakota and a master of many instruments from Guitar to keyboards, accordion, harmonica and all reed instruments.  Rory has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry many times as a soloist and sideman to Ricky Skaggs, Kathy Matea and Kacey Musgraves to name a few.  These three diverse styles  become so harmonious in the music they have created that audiences tend to cheer while watching "note play" bordering on the impossible!

Mission Viejo Civic Center
Saturday - September 21st
Doors: 6:30 pm
Show: 7:00 pm