The combined forces of the California and Montreal Guitar Trios will hit the stage of Stephens Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on April 18, 2013.

The two trios each started independently in Los Angeles and Montreal, both earning reputations as two of the most prolific touring/recording guitar trios, touring all over the globe. The California Guitar Trio formed in 1991 while the Montreal Guitar Trio formed in 1998.

It was in 2010, though, when the six guitarists first met each other in Oregon, leaving on the same plane. After a studio session later in Montreal, the chemistry bore the start of a tour partnership.

“We’ve been touring with them for the past few years,” Paul Richards said, a member of California Guitar Trio. “Each group has its own wide repertoire. CGT does steel string and has wider influences. MGT plays nylon strings and mainly classical music.”

Together, the trios have performed at such places as the world renowned Montreal Jazz Festival twice, New York, the Napa Valley Opera House and most of the states and major provinces of Canada.

In 2011, the sextet recorded “Montreal Guitar Trio + California Guitar Trio Live,” which is available for purchase at all of their concerts. While each group has its own material, the trios play together on tour and play a wide range of covers during their shows. Richards said the music is a 50-50 split between originals and covers.

“It’s really exciting,” Richards said. “Each show is different and there’s a high level of playing and expertise. That excitement translates in our playing and to our audience.”

For Glenn Levesque, one of the guitarists for Montreal Guitar Trio, the excitement of performing with the trios stems from the chemistry they share on stage, which he said is his favorite part of touring.

“We’re like musical brothers and it’s so easy to perform together,” Levesque said. “I remember the first time we met and rehearsed, it was magical. It was like we had been playing together for a long time.”

With decades of experience as musicians, both Richards and Levesque promise that their show isn’t a spectacle one should miss.

“Our music is a wedding between various musical forms,” Levesque said. “That’s a mixture between passionate music and virtuosity with a stealthy sense of humor. That’s how we charmed the ears and captured the hearts of the audience.”

To learn more about the California and Montreal Guitar trios and to purchase tickets, go to the Stephens Auditorium box office or purchase tickets online.