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| To provide a framework for the shared enjoyment and exploration of the classical guitar in New York City, and to promote awareness and appreciation of its heritage and influence across musical genres, bringing together performers, composers, supporting members of the guitar community, and the listening public in ways that enrich the experience of all. |
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Upcoming Events Here is an updated listing of concerts, NYCCGS meetings, and other classical guitar events happening in and around New York City. Click on the event that interests you for details. Questions? Contact us. September 02, 2010 Jon Donnel Jazz And Classic Solo Guitar every Tuesday and Thursday through sept. 9. 21 and over. No cover Email for more information: develex@hotmail.com NYCCGS Member Event - Gene Bertoncini 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center In this presentation, the great jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini will share his approach to the guitar. The presentation will be followed by open playing time for members, so bring your guitar and play, or just come and listen. This is a great opportunity to gain experience performing, try out a new piece in front of an audience, or just share music with others in a supportive environment. NYCCGS Member Events are free and open to all members and first-time guests.
The Washington Post proclaimed his solo appearance in New York City the best jazz concert of the year 1999. Mr. Bertoncini's acclaim is hardly confined to this country. His CD Someone to Light Up My Life, which features his own arrangements of the compositions of the great bossa nova composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, won international raves. Brazilian critic and listener polls also named him the best acoustic jazz guitarist. He recently released a striking new solo CD, Quiet Now, on the heels of his highly successful Acoustic Romance, which reached the top ten of the jazz playlists. Jazziz magazine’s March 2004 issue ranked it number one in their list of the top twenty acoustic guitar CDs. A prolific and popular studio musician, Mr. Bertoncini honed his professional chops as a member of The Tonight Show band during Johnny Carson's tenure, and he has worked with composers and arrangers such as Lalo Schifrin and Michel Legrand and has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. In addition to an active performing and recording schedule, Mr. Bertoncini teaches at the Eastman School of Music and William Patterson University. A New York City native, he graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in architecture. According to The New Yorker magazine, "Bertoncini is an affecting, highly original guitarist who moves easily back and forth between classical and jazz guitar." He was honored by the New York City Classical Guitar Society in 2008 with a special tribute concert, featuring performances by Frederic Hand, Dennis Koster, Jorge Morel, Paul Meyers and Mr. Bertoncini. The NYCCGS publication A Tribute to Gene Bertoncini features tributes from a wide variety of top classical and jazz artists. The book is available for purchase here. September 07, 2010 Jon Donnel Jazz And Classic Solo Guitar every Tuesday and Thursday through sept. 9. 21 and over. No cover Email for more information: develex@hotmail.com September 09, 2010 Jon Donnel Jazz And Classic Solo Guitar every Tuesday and Thursday through sept. 9. 21 and over. No cover Email for more information: develex@hotmail.com September 12, 2010 Scott Rifkin & Gyan Riley The Exploration Project with Special Guest Gyan Riley at The Bowery Poetry Club September 12th, 2010 at 2.30 pm until 6.pm. Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: Simon Powis 4:00 pm Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
After completing his studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with Raffaele Agostino and Greg Pikler in 2004, Powis traveled extensively throughout Europe to study with some of the world's most renowned virtuosos. Oscar Ghiglia, David Russell, Pavel Steidl and Aniello Desiderio have had a great impact on the musical style and technical foundation that Powis possesses. In 2006 Powis was invited to undertake a Masters of Music at Yale University on a full scholarship and upon completing this degree he was accepted as the first guitarist in over two decades to undertake doctoral studies at Yale. During his time at Yale the professor of guitar, Ben Verdery, offered instruction, support and guidance that readied him for a career as a professional musician. Powis has toured extensively as a soloist with performances in the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), Australia House (London), and the Banff Center for the Arts (Canada). A strong passion for chamber music has resulted in international collaborations ranging from traditional groups such as the Modigliani String Quartet and Ian Swenson (violin) to less common performances with double bass, electronics, T even the tuba. Powis's openness to innovation is exhibited by his devotion to performing new works. In the past years he has collaborated with a variety of composers to premiere over thirty new works on the concert stage. As a teacher Powis has instructed masterclasses in Lima, Mexico City and New York and at Yale he was employed as both a guitar instructor at the school of music and a teaching fellow in the department of music. With a growing interest in pedagogy he decided to undertake research in sight reading for his doctoral thesis. Insights and encouragement from Jerry Willard, David Leisner, John Williams and Ben Verdery have helped develop sight reading seminars that Powis has given in music schools, guitar societies and guitar festivals around the world. October 07, 2010 NYCCGS Member Event - Scott Jackson Wiley and James Lorusso 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center Narciso Yepes: An Appreciation In this presentation, guitarist/conductor Scott Jackson Wiley will discuss the life and music of the influential Spanish guitarist Narciso Yepes (1927-1997). Afterwards, guitarist James Lorusso will demonstrate the ten-string guitar, which Yepes pioneered. Both Mr. Wiley and Mr. Lorusso studied with Maestro Yepes. The presentation will be followed by open playing time for members, so bring your guitar and play, or just come and listen. This is a great opportunity to gain experience performing, try out a new piece in front of an audience, or just share music with others in a supportive environment. NYCCGS Member Events are free and open to all members and first-time guests.
His career has taken abroad him to Israel, Italy, Spain, Ukraine and Peru and he has guest conducted many orchestras in the New York area. A classical guitarist with a degree and first prize awards from the Conservatory of Barcelona, Mr. Wiley has performed as recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist both in the United States and in Europe. He studied conducting at the Mannes College of Music in New York City under Michael Charry, where he earned a Masters Degree, and at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors under Charles Bruck as well as under his father, conductor and cellist Jackson Wiley. A specialist in Romance languages, and an opera coach, Mr. Wiley has led many opera productions. Mr. Wiley's performances are noted for their intensity, warmth and deep musical committment.
Mr. Lorusso has served on the Conservatory faculty for over 30 years and is also a faculty member at Manhattanville College and Westchester Community College. He has also taught at Marymount College and the American Institute of Guitar. He has studied in Spain with guitarists Narciso Yepes and Jose-Luis Lopategui. October 10, 2010 Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: Irene Gomez Sunday, October 10, 2010, at 4:00 PM 4:00 pm Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
Ms. Gómez has toured extensively in France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany, the United States, and Colombia. She has been teacher and coordinator of the Guitar Program at the National University in her country, and in the fall of 2010 is moving to New York to study at The Juilliard School with Sharon Isbin. November 04, 2010 NYCCGS Member Event 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center November 14, 2010 Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: Michael Nicolella Sunday, November 14, 2010, at 4:00 PM Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
A uniquely eclectic and versatile artist, Michael blurs the lines between musical styles and disciplines. He is part of a growing trend in classical music to revitalize the role of the composer/performer. As a concert artist he frequently programs his own works for guitar in solo recital and chamber music settings. Known for his creative programming, he has introduced electric guitar into his "classical" programs and extended the repertoire and audience of his instrument not only with his own compositions and transcriptions, but also by premiering and commissioning works by some of today's most exciting emerging composers. In the last five years alone, he has premiered over a dozen new works for classical and electric guitar in solo, chamber and orchestral settings. In reference to his abilities on the classical and electric guitar, noted guitar composer, scholar and critic John Duarte stated in Gramophone magazine that "others have 'crossed the track' in one direction or the other but none has done so with the technical and/or musical success as Nicolella, who, chameleon-like, achieves comparable distinction in both fields." Most recently, Nicolella 's new work for electric guitar and orchestra, commissioned by 4Culture and entitled Ten Years Passed, was premiered by the Northwest Symphony Orchestra with Nicolella as soloist. Michael's education ranges from undergraduate studies at Berklee College of Music, where he studied improvisation with jazz greats Gary Burton and Billy Pierce, to Yale University where he received his Master of Music degree, to post-graduate studies at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, as a scholarship student of Oscar Ghiglia. At Yale, he was awarded the George Knight Houpt Memorial Scholarship as a student of Benjamin Verdery and studied composition with Martin Bresnick and Jonathan Berger. From 1991-95 he served as head of the classical guitar programs at Lawrence University and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. He currently resides in Seattle. December 02, 2010 NYCCGS Member Event 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center January 06, 2011 NYCCGS Member Event 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center January 09, 2011 Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: Back Bay Guitar Trio Sunday, January 9, 2011, at 4:00 PM Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
David Newsam currently works as an assistant professor in the guitar department at Berklee, where he has taught since 1989. He is also employed as a senior lecturer in music at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, where he teaches guitar and jazz improvisation. David created the jazz guitar program at the University of New Hampshire where he teaches, directs the UNH Jazz Guitar Ensemble and coaches jazz ensembles. He is a former faculty member of the National Guitar Summer Workshop. John Mason studied at Middlebury College, graduating in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in music. He furthered his music education at the Berklee College of Music the following year. In 2002, he won the Guitarmageddon National Championship at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. He is currently on faculty at Westfield State College, Holyoke Community College and the Northfield Mount Hermon School. In addition to being in the Back Bay Guitar Trio, he performs with the improv group Solo Mission with drummer Gary Rzab. Sharon Wayne received her BM and MM degrees in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Southern California, where she studied with William Kanengiser and James Smith. First Prize winner of the 1991 ASTA Solo Guitar Competition, she was also a semifinalist at both the Guitar Foundation of America's International Competition in Buffalo, New York, and the Great Lakes Guitar Competition in Akron, Ohio. Ms. Wayne has played in the U.S. and Japan, and has twice been invited to perform at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. A former member of the guitar faculties at San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Santa Clara University, she currently serves on the faculty of the Community Music School in Springfield, MA. February 03, 2011 NYCCGS Member Event 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center February 13, 2011 Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: Tracy Anne Smith Sunday, February 13, 2011, at 4:00 PM Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
Smith has performed in concert in her native Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Italy, Germany, Spain and England. Her solo CD, Lilac.Star.Bird, brings to light masterworks of the 20th and 21st centuries, including the Prix d'Ete–winning title track written for her by the outstanding Taiwanese composer Ying-Chen Kao. Soundboard Magazine called Lilac.Star.Bird "exceedingly beautiful," and exclaimed, "Smith gets some of the loveliest sounds I have ever heard from a Matthias Dammann guitar." Minor 7th Online Magazine described it as "masterful … an absolute success ... an opportunity to display her incredible versatility as a guitarist. The rich and oftentimes thundering tones Smith can produce are truly breathtaking." In addition to solo work, as a founding member of ChromaDuo with Canadian guitar visionary Rob MacDonald, she commissions and performs new music from across Canada and the United States. ChromaDuo’s debut CD features dedications from such luminaries as Stephen Goss, Christopher Pierce and Roland Dyens. Following degrees at the Yale School of Music and University of Toronto, she is completing a Doctorate at Peabody Conservatory under the guidance of Manuel Barrueco. Former teachers include Julian Gray, Benjamin Verdery, Norbert Kraft and Jeffrey McFadden. March 03, 2011 NYCCGS Member Event 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center March 13, 2011 Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: Isaac Bustos Sunday, March 13, 2011, at 4:00 PM Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
In the fall of 2008, Isaac released his debut CD entitled Caprichos y Sonatas, which continues to receive great reviews by critics and audiences alike. In addition, Bustos has performed several premieres of new music for guitar. Most recently, works by composers Peter Askim for solo guitar, Andrew Dickinson for four guitars, a work for two guitars and electronic sound effects by Jeremy Cumbo, and After Sylvius, a solo guitar work written for Isaac by composer/guitarist Frank Wallace. In the summer of 2010, Bustos will premiere a new guitar Sonata commissioned and dedicated to him by renowned American Composer Peter Lieuwen. Isaac holds a Bachelor of Music degree in guitar performance from the University of New Hampshire, where he was the only guitarist to ever hold a full scholarship, and a Master of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he also completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the tutelage of world-renowned American guitarist Adam Holzman. Isaac is currently on faculty at the Texas A&M University Department of Performance Studies, where he is director of Guitar Studies. April 07, 2011 NYCCGS Member Event 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center April 10, 2011 Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: Nicholas Ciraldo Sunday, April 10, 2011, at 4:00 PM Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
An avid chamber musician, Nicholas Ciraldo has collaborated with many fine performing artists, including harpist Franziska Huhn, flutist Thomas Robertello, guitarist Eliot Fisk, violinist Stephen Redfield, and the Quadrivium Guitar Quartet. Currently, Dr. Ciraldo enjoys a busy concert schedule with his wife, flutist Rachel Taratoot Ciraldo, as the Ciraldo Duo. Their recent concert venues include the National Flute Association Convention, the Pelican State Chamber Music Series of Baton Rouge, the Christ Church of Pensacola, and the Escola da musica e bellas artes do Parana, Brazil. A participating member of the arts community, Nicholas Ciraldo has held diverse positions with several arts organizations, including Artistic Director of the Boston Classical Guitar Society and Vice President of the Austin Classical Guitar Society. Dr. Ciraldo is also founder of the Hammer/Nail Project, a program that links student composers with guitarists and shows how to write for the guitar in the most idiomatic way possible. He currently serves as faculty advisor to the USM Guitar Society. Another of Dr. Ciraldo’s activities is as artist/teacher. The Quadrivium Guitar Quartet performed as artists-in-residence throughout rural Kentucky under the auspices of New Performing Arts. The Ciraldo Duo twice has been invited by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Austin Classical Guitar Society to be artists/teachers-in-residence. Dr. Ciraldo has given numerous lectures and masterclasses throughout the U.S. and Brazil. Dr. Ciraldo is on the faculty of the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Music in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Nicholas Ciraldo holds a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University, where he studied with Ernesto Bitetti and Luis Zea. He also holds a Master of Music with Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with David Leisner and Eliot Fisk. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied with Adam Holzman and received the Freeman Fellowship. His most recent research involved the “1928 Manuscript” of the May 05, 2011 NYCCGS Member Event 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center May 08, 2011 Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: Lynn McGrath Sunday, May 8, 2011, at 4:00 PM Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
Lynn McGrath has performed and given masterclasses for prominent guitar programs including the University of Veracruz (Mexico) and Oberlin Conservatory, and has appeared on a number of arts series and for colleges across the United States. In 2008, she completed a 6-concert tour of Peru, and has been an outreach artist for organizations such as the Austin Classical Guitar Society and the Da Camera Society (Los Angeles). She has appeared as a soloist with the Northern New York, has adjudicated a number of international competitions, and in 2009 was selected as the clinician and conductor of the Albuquerque Honors Guitar Group. After having received degrees in Spanish Language and Literature, Education, and Music, Lynn received her Master and Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Southern California. She has studied with some of today's most prominent guitarists, including William Kanengiser, Pepe Romero, James Smith, and Douglas Rubio. Lynn McGrath is a former faculty member of the Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam, where she received a Student Choice Award in 2006. She serves as the Tour Director for the Guitar Foundation of America and presently lives and teaches in Albuquerque, NM. June 02, 2011 NYCCGS Member Event 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center June 12, 2011 Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: John Lehmann-Haupt Sunday, June 12, 2011, at 4:00 PM Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
John's 2002 CD Songs of the Guitar was hailed by The Audiophile Voice as "a tantalizing musical mix . He makes the guitar sing." Of his 1978 record Unsung Guitar, Guitar Player wrote: "John Lehmann-Haupt's aptitude is beautifully displayed on this disc." John was a staff instructor at New York's American Institute of Guitar from 1982 until its 2008 closing, and he continues to teach privately. He has written extensively on music for The New York Times, Acoustic Guitar, Family Life, and several other magazines, and has prepared liner notes for releases including Deutsche Grammophon's boxed set The Segovia Collection. He is also a contributing author to the String Letter Press books Swing Guitar Essentials and 21st Century Cellists. July 07, 2011 NYCCGS Member Event 7:00 pm Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center July 10, 2011 Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series: Scott Borg Sunday, July 10, 2011, at 4:00 PM Co-Sponsored by New York City Classical Guitar Society and The Roger Smith Hotel Roger Smith Hotel Tickets $15, cash only at the door. For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 755-1400.
Previous engagements have included performances and masterclasses at the Merida International Guitar Festival in Yucatan, Mexico, ICPNA International Guitar Festival in Lima Peru, Mid–Atlantic Guitar Ensemble Festival, Shell Darwin International Festival Australia, the 92nd Street Y, New York City Classical Guitar Society, Connecticut Guitar Society, Sydney Classical Guitar Society, Boston GuitarFest, and the 132nd Westminster Kennel Club "Best in Show" Awards Luncheon. In 2006, he was invited to perform for the internationally televised address of President Hu Jintao, Peoples Republic of China, to the United States of America. A recipient of many awards and grants, he has received the Augustine Guitar Foundation Award, Nescafe Big Break, and the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship. He has also been a multiple winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Award from the American-Australian Association, and the Skills and Arts Development from the Australia Council for the Arts. By the age of 16, he held both the Licentiate Diploma (L.Mus.A) and Associate Diploma with Distinction (A.Mus.A) from the Australian Music Examinations Board, and further went on to receive the Australian Music Examination Boards highest honour, the Fellowship in Music, Australia (F.Mus.A) in 2002 where he was the sole recipient throughout Australasia. He has been a prize winner in several international competitions including the Aaron Brock Memorial International Competition and the VII Texas International Guitar Competition. Currently a candidate in the Doctorate of Musical Arts program at New England Conservatory in Boston under the tutelage of Maestro Eliot Fisk, he previously completed his Artist Diploma from Yale University School of Music, Masters of Music from The Juilliard School, and Bachelor of Creative Arts with First Class Honours graduating valedictorium in music performance from the University of Wollongong. Scott began his guitar studies at the age of 7 with his father Victor, and was soon after accepted into the young artists program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. His teachers have included Grammy Award winning guitarist Sharon Isbin, and critically acclaimed guitarists Benjamin Verdery and Gregory Pikler. He has performed in master classes with leading guitarists such as John Williams, Pepe Romero, David Russell, Aldo Minella, Hopkinson Smith, and Carlos Barbosa-Lima. An advocate of music outreach and education, he will serve as Artistic Director of the Boston Guitar Project for the 2008-2010 seasons and in association with the BCGS, is Founder and Conductor of the Boston Guitar Orchestra. He is currently on faculty at the New York City Guitar School and at the New York Conservatory of Music. | ||||||
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Gene Bertoncini is one of the pre-eminent jazz guitarists active today. His fluid technique and lyricism have won him international praise and accolades as the "Segovia of jazz." An eloquent and versatile improviser, Mr. Bertoncini has been heard with an extraordinary range of jazz greats, including performances and recordings with Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorter, Hubert Laws, and Paul Desmond, among others, as well as such distinguished singers as Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Vic Damone, and Eydie Gorme.
A passionate and expressive style coupled with a formidable technique has garnered attention for 
James Lorusso is the president and founder of the 
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Irene Gómez graduated with the Gold Medal in guitar and Chamber music at the Conservatory Claude Debussy in Saint Germain en Laye, France, with maestro Javier Quevedo, and was the first guitarist graduated in her country at the National University in Bogotá with maestro Ramiro Isaza. Ms. Gómez has released four albums with contrasting repertoires that have been very well received by audiences and critics alike.
With a repertoire spanning from J. S. Bach to Jimi Hendrix, Michael Nicolella is recognized as one of America's most innovative classical guitar virtuosos. He has received wide critical acclaim for his performances, recordings and compositions. As a concert artist, Michael has performed throughout North America and Europe as solo recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with orchestra.
The Back Bay Guitar Trio formed in 2002 and has performed at Dartmouth College, Longy School of Music, Berklee College of Music, St. Anselm College, University of New Hampshire, The House of Blues, and at the world renowned Boston Hatch Shell. The BBGT have also been featured artists in the Boston Classical Guitar Society concert series and the North Shore Leider concert series in Rockport, MA. They opened for guitarist Al Dimeola at the Lebanon, NH, Opera House, and toured Germany in the summer of 2009.
Called "a great musician ... full of feeling and colors" by composer Jacques Hetu, Tracy Anne Smith is garnering increasing praise for her expressive performances, rich tonal palette and musical control. Cuban guitarist and composer Leo Brouwer praised her "polyphonic hands" and "tremendous sound," while American virtuoso Benjamin Verdery commended her "ability to express the emotion of a work to its core." Even '80's icon Sinbad offered, "I don’t know what she’s doing -- but I know it’s deep."
Classical guitarist Isaac Bustos enjoys an extensive performing career that has taken him to Canada, Central America, Europe, and throughout the United States. Isaac has gained critical acclaim and is quickly becoming recognized as one of the top guitarists of his generation. He has made several Radio and Television appearances and has been invited to perform in some of the most prestigious festivals, including the Guitar Foundation of America Annual Convention, the Portland Guitar Festival, the St. Joseph International Guitar Festival, the Southwest Guitar Festival, the Brownsville Guitar Festival, and the Classical Minds Festival. Isaac has appeared as soloist with the Orchestra of New Spain, The Baytown Symphony Orchestra, The Nicaraguan National Symphony Orchestra, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro JoAnn Falletta. Isaac has won top prizes at an impressive array competitions, including the St. Joseph International Solo Guitar Competition and the Boston Guitar Fest International Guitar Competition. 
Praised as "an exceptionally musical and accomplished guitarist," Nicholas Ciraldo is a leader among his generation of American classical guitarists. He has won awards and reached high levels at several prestigious solo competitions, including the Tredrez-Locquemau International Guitar Competition (France), twice at the MTNA Guitar Competition (USA), the Gaetano Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition (Italy), the GFA Solo Guitar Competition (USA), and the Portland International Guitar Competition (USA). Dr. Ciraldo has enjoyed numerous solo, chamber, and concerto performances throughout the United States, South America, and Europe, from Boston’s Jordan Hall to Berlin’s Berliner Dom to Brazil’s Teatro José Maria Santos.
While studying Spanish as a foreign exchange student in Mexico, Lynn McGrath bought a guitar on a whim and asked a visiting professor, Alfredo Sanchez, for lessons, never imagining that years later she would be invited back as a professional musician. Since then, Lynn McGrath has performed in multiple international festivals including the XIX Festival Internacional de Guitarra (Lima, Peru), the Guitar on the Mediterranean Festival (Italy), the III Muestra de Guitarra Ajijic (Mexico), and the 2009 Guitar Foundation of America Convention. In her unique rendition of Platero y Yo by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Lynn McGrath has astounded audiences and received critical acclaim by performing the role of guitarist and narrator simultaneously.
John Lehmann-Haupt, a New York-based guitarist, has been playing since he was five years old. Known equally for his arrangements of popular and traditional songs and for his classical interpretations, he has performed throughout the Northeast and in the homes of such prominent New Yorkers as Tom Brokaw, Madeleine Albright, and Donald Trump. His twelve-year engagement at Windows on the World (atop the World Trade Center) was cited for musical excellence by The New York Times in 1986.
Praised as a guitarist with "enormous facility on the guitar, a fluent technique, who plays with total confidence and professional expertise, panache and artful spontaneity" (Grammy® Award-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin), Australian classical guitarist Scott Borg performs extensively as a soloist and chamber musician. He has been a featured artist at major concert halls such as the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and New York's Apollo Theatre with rock legend Carlos Alomar, and, as a winner of Artists International, he made his Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall where New York Concert Review described his performance as "well balanced, gracefully presented, and expertly played," where "each note was purposeful and focused, as was each rest."