Preston Reed's audacious re-invention of acoustic guitar playing has influenced a generation of young guitarists, including Pakistani multi-instrumental composer Usman Riaz. They are reunited for one night only for the first time since their hit performance at TEDGlobal in Edinburgh, Scotland. Using the two-handed integrated percussive acoustic technique he pioneered in 1980s and ’90s, Preston Reed fuses chord-based grooves, soaring melodic runs and polyrhythmic percussion that integrates the breathtaking potential of the guitar body.  

Usman Riaz began playing classical piano at the age of 6 and taught himself to play a variety of instruments, using the internet as his teacher. A composer, multi-instrumentalist, visual artist and filmmaker, Riaz has spoken and performed on the TED main stage as a TED fellow and has been traveling all over the world, sharing his artwork and music with audiences, to emphasize how all of us can use multimedia around us to further our talents. Riaz is now a senior TED fellow and attends Berklee College of Music.