Tony MacAlpine

Tony MacAlpine, born on 29 August 1960 in Springfield, Massachusetts, is a guitarist associated with neoclassical metal and Jazz-Fusion. He has a foundational training in piano and classical violin, but it was only later that he discovered the guitar. He came to the attention of the general public in 1986 with an instrumental album, on producer Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records label, which also produced, a few years earlier, the first records of Marty Friedman and Yngwie Malmsteen, the pioneer of so-called neoclassical metal. He regularly takes part in Steve Vai's tours, on keyboards or guitar. Since 2 March 2007, he has also been alongside Michel Polnareff as part of his big tour. Notable are a few remarkable solos such as in "Bal des Laze" where his playing brings a new touch to Polnareff's compositions.