Florida Guitar Foundation

Laura Snowden & Les Frères Méduses
2019-06-19 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Hailed a ‘string sensation’ by BBC Music Magazine, British-French guitarist and composer Laura Snowden is acclaimed for her ‘poise and intensity’ (Guardian) and playing of ‘extraordinary depth’ (Strings, Classical Music Magazine). The first guitarist to graduate from the Yehudi Menuhin School, made possible by the Rolling Stones, she was invited by guitarist Julian Bream to premiere his latest commissions at Wigmore Hall in 2015 and 2017. Laura’s international appearances have since built rapidly, with festival debuts across Europe, China and the US, as well as concerto debuts with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and Münchener Kammerorchester, and a recording of Lisa Streich’s guitar concerto Augenlider with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester.
…a true musician whose interpretative capabilities are profound and exciting.
Classical Guitar Magazine

Laura currently teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School and has given classes alongside performances at venues including the Royal College of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Birmingham Conservatoire, Brussels Conservatoire, Uppsala International Guitar Festival, Altamira Hong Kong International Guitar Symposium, the Volterra Project in Italy and the Guitar and Lute Festival in Sweden.
Laura’s principal teachers have been Julian Bream, Richard Wright (Royal College of Music and Yehudi Menuhin School) and Gary Ryan (Royal College of Music). Her guitar was made by Christopher Dean.
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Incontestably, these two musicians are accomplices… they played a varied and rich repertoire to perfection.
– la Depeche, France

Les Frères Méduses have performed as a duo in the United States and Europe over the last five years, programming improvised music, folk music arrangements, classical music and their own compositions, and have premiered new works by Joseph Williams II and Atanas Ourkouzounov. They have performed at the Guitar Foundation of America Festival, Chicago Guitar Festival, Austin Classical Guitar Society, Texas Chamber Music Festival, String Theory at Hunter Museum, Oberlin Conservatory, Nashville Virtuoso Showcase, and the String Festival. European performances include the Festival de Joué lès Tours, Stavanger Gitarfestival, Théâtre Ducourneau, le Conservatoire de Nantes, and Norges Musikkhøyskole.

Les Frères Méduses blend striking virtuosity with inventive programming, expressive beauty, and engaging humor. Master performers, master teachers, and warm wonderful personalities.
– Dr. Matthew Hinsley, President, Austin Classical Guitar Society

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Raphaella Smits
2019-06-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Raphaella Smits plays worldwide in her unique way on eight-string guitars and historical instruments. Recognized as ‘an uncommonly musical guitarist’ (Tim Page, New York Times), she always commits to the soul of the music. Her solo recitals as well as her performances with the most distinguished colleagues always meet enthusiastic audiences and press. In addition to her stage-work, Raphaella Smits has also made 21 recordings.
Raphaella Smits is internationally praised as an inspiring teacher for both guitar and chamber music. In addition to her chair at the Lemmens Institute in Belgium, she regularly gives master-classes in West and East Europe, in North and South America and in Japan.
Smits plays with more heart than anybody should be allowed to have.
Tom Chandler, Classical Guitar Corner.

Today Raphaella Smits is called ‘une Grande Musicienne’ and ‘one of the most delicate and most cultivated performers of our time’ (Jean Bernard, Diapason, FR).
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Marcin Dylla & the Youth Guitar Orchestra
2019-06-19 20:00 - 22:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Hailed by Washington Post as “among the most gifted guitarists on the planet” Polish guitarist, Marcin Dylla is a rare phenomenon in the recent history of Classical Guitar. Many music critics, connoisseurs, and music lovers certify that Marcin Dylla is among the world’s elite of classical guitar players. He has earned this position, among others, to the unparalleled number of awards including 19 First Prizes from 1996-2007 at the most prestigious international music competitions around the world. His last triumph was the Gold Medal of the ‘2007 Guitar Foundation of America International Competition’ in Los Angeles known as the most prestigious guitar contest in the world followed by tour of over 50 cities in North America, Mexico and Canada during 2008-09 season, live recital video recording for Mel Bay Publications and CD recording for Naxos that reached the Naxos ‘Top 10 Bestselling Albums’ in September 2008.
Marcin Dylla was born in Chorzow in 1976 and received his first guitar lessons at the Ruda Slaska Music Conservatory in his native Poland. From 1995 to 2000 he studied at the Music Academy of Katowice with Adi Wanda Palacz and later completed his studies with Oscar Ghiglia, Sonja Prunnbauer and Carlo Marchione at the Music Academies of Basel (Switzerland), Freiburg (Germany) and Maastricht (The Netherlands), respectively. He is currently a Professor of Guitar at the Music Academy in Katowice and Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.
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This year, The GFA Youth Guitar Orchestra will perform a world premiere by popular UK composer Mark Houghton, his latest Guitarchestra No. 10, to open the evening concert of Marcin Dylla on Wednesday June 19, 2019.
The Guitar Orchestras will be led by Chuck Hulihan. Repertoire will be posted and distributed by mid May, 2019

ICAC Semifinals
2019-06-20 10:00 - 13:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
First set of Semifinal performances in the GFA International Concert Artist Competition.

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PRIZES
Rose Augustine Grand Prize:

$10,000 Cash*
GFA Sponsored International Concert Tour, including approximately 50 concerts throughout the United States, Canada,and Mexico.
Naxos CD Recording
Mel Bay Publication
3 year supply (52 sets a year) of D’Addario guitar strings in addition to Planet Waves guitar accessories
Generous string package provided by Savarez
CD and booklet design and production as well as print/digital marketing and distribution by Contrastes Records

2nd Prize:

$7,000 Cash*
3 year supply (26 sets a year) of D’Addario guitar strings in addition to Planet Waves guitar accessories.
Generous string package provided by Savarez
Generous string package provided by Augustine

3rd Prize:

$5,000 Cash*
3 year supply (26 sets a year) of D’Addario guitar strings in addition to Planet Waves guitar accessories.
Generous string package provided by Savarez
Generous string package provided by Augustine

4th Prize:

$3,000 Cash*
3 year supply (26 sets a year) of D’Addario guitar strings in addition to Planet Waves guitar accessories.
Generous string package provided by Savarez
Generous string package provided by Augustine

*All prizes subject to mandatory 30% federal tax withholding for foreign prize-winners; US prize-winners will be issued an IRS-1099 Form.
*All donated prizes are subject to the delivery by the sponsor. GFA will do everything possible to ensure delivery of all prizes, but GFA will not be held responsible if donor does not deliver a prize as listed above.
All Semifinalists will receive a $500 Travel Stipend. Foreigners must provide receipts to avoid tax withholding.
Other prizes awarded to all Finalists will include gift certificates donated by GSP, Strings by Mail, and KLING-ON products.

JURY
Preliminary Round: TBA
Semifinal and Final Rounds: TBA

COMPETITION RULES
ELIGIBILITY
Open to competitors, who must be 18 years of age by June 1, 2020 (the year following the competition), regardless of nationality.
Required Piece: Fantasia, by Roberto Gerhard.

SEMIFINAL ROUND
Thursday, June 20, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm: Performance order for this round will be determined by a lottery. The twelve (12) candidates will perform before a panel of seven (7) new judges.
The repertoire for this round will be:
Maximum twenty-five (25) minutes of stage time (timed from the first note, including time between all pieces). All competitors will play the required piece, Fantasia, by Roberto Gerhard, as part of their 25-minute program.
Pieces from previous rounds may NOT be repeated in later rounds.
Four (4) competitors from this round will advance to the Final Round. Announcement of the four (4) competitors to advance will be made Thursday evening at the beginning of Intermission.

FINAL ROUND
Saturday, June 22, 6:30 pm, with live webcast: Performance order for this round will be determined by a lottery. Four (4) candidates will perform before a panel of the same seven (7) judges.
Finalists will perform a free choice program along with the Set Piece. The total performance time, including the Set Piece, must not exceed the length of the Set Piece plus the thirty (30) minute program. Players will be timed from the moment the first note is played (initial entry/tuning time will not be counted provided it is within reason), and the timer will run throughout the performance, including the time between pieces. The timer will be stopped at the end of the piece preceding the set piece, and started again immediately at the conclusion of the set piece. Players who exceed the thirty (30) minute time limit on their free choice program will be stopped.
Pieces from previous rounds may NOT be repeated in later rounds. All decisions by the judges are final.

JUDGING
The judging procedures are reviewed each year by the Competition Committee, and GFA reserves the right to change the procedures outlined below at the discretion of the committee, in advance of the competition. Any changes will be posted on this page.
The Guitar Foundation of America does not use a point system. All judges votes are weighted equally. Judges will evaluate each competitor at their own artistic discretion, and each juror will vote their choice of the twelve (12) competitors from the Preliminary Round to move on to the Semifinal Round. All votes will be tallied and the twelve (12) competitors with the highest votes shall advance to the Semifinal Round. Should a tie result, judges will re-vote on only the tied competitors.
In the Semifinal Round, judges will evaluate each competitor in several categories. Each judge will vote their choice for four (4) finalists, all votes will be tallied and the four (4) competitors with the highest votes shall advance to the Final Round. Should a tie result, judges will re-vote on only the tied competitors.
In the Final Round, judges will evaluate each competitor in several categories. The judges will first vote for first place; then for second; then for third. No ties will be allowed in the Final Round. In the case of a tie in the initial vote, judges will re-vote on the tied competitors to determine who will advance to the higher place.
The winner of the International Concert Artist Competition will perform the Set Piece during the Winner’s Tour.

For further information, please contact Martha Masters, Artistic Director at martha@marthamasters.com
-Martha Masters, Artistic Director, GFA International Concert Artist Competition.

Brasil Guitar Duo
2019-06-20 20:00 - 22:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Brasil Guitar Duo, a 2006 winner of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, and hailed by Classical Guitar magazine for its “maturity of musicianship and technical virtuosity,” is equally at home on a classical or a world-music series. Its innovative programming features a seamless blend of traditional and Brazilian works, resulting in a full global touring schedule and a growing catalogue of critically acclaimed recordings. The Duo has appeared internationally on major concert series and at festivals in Cuba, Germany, England, Canada, South Korea, Colombia, Brazil, Austria, Panama, Poland, and Bermuda. Recent and current U.S. engagements include recitals at venues in New York, Miami, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, St. Louis, Tucson, Seattle, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Nashville, San Jose, and Oakland.
Duo members João Luiz and Douglas Lora met in São Paulo as teenage guitar students and have been performing together for twenty years. The Duo’s principal teacher was Henrique Pinto, and they also worked privately with Fabio Zanon, Paulo Martelli, Sergio Abreu, and Alice Artzt. Douglas Lora earned his Master’s degree from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music as a student of Dr. Rene Gonzalez. João Luiz received his Master’s degree from Mannes College the New School for Music under Michael Newman, and with sponsorship from the Augustine Guitar Scholarship Fund he earned a doctoral degree from Manhattan School of Music as a student of David Leisner. João is the director of chamber music at CUNY-Hunter College and head of the guitar department at the State University of New York-Purchase.

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Irina Kulikova & Iliana Matos
2019-06-21 11:00 - 13:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Irina Kulikova tours far afield, with appearances at leading festivals in Europe, North America and Asia and in concert halls such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Academic Capella in St. Petersburg, Schloss Mirabell in Salzburg, the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, the Musashino Hall in Tokyo and the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai.
She received over 30 awards for her artistry, including 1st prizes at the highly prestigious competitions of Michele Pittaluga in Italy, Guitarra Alhambra in Spain, Forum Gitarre Wien in Austria and Iserlohn in Germany.
With the rare beauty of her tone and and her enchanting presence on stage, Irina Kulikova catches the hearts of audiences across the globe. She belongs to that class of musicians that profoundly move people with the purity of their performance.
Some of the most sheerly beautiful playing I have ever heard
-Soundboard Magazine, Al Kunze

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Iliana Matos graduated from the National School of Art in Havana where she studied with José Angel Pérez Puente. She earned a Bachelor of Music (Classical Guitar Performance) from the Superior Institute of Havana (where her teachers included Rey Guerra, Miguel Bonachea and Jesús Ortega), and received a Special Diploma given to the most outstanding graduate for her artistic creative work. She continued her studies with Gabriel Estarellas at the Royal MusicConservatory of Madrid and graduated with a Master of Music Degree from de Extremadura University under Ricardo Gallén. As a student she participated in master classes with Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Sharon Isbin, Costas Cotsiolis, Tania Chagnot, Paolo Paolini, Tomás Müller, Wolfgang Lendle, Carlos Bonell, Juan Carlos Rivera and Joaquín Clerch.Prize winner of eleven major international competitions, including first prizes in the Andrés Segovia in Palma de Mallorca, Luys Milán, and Manuel Ponce International Guitar Competitions. She made history by becoming the first woman to win the prestigious S.A.R. LaInfanta Doña Cristina International Guitar Competition in Madrid, and the only person to win the special prize for Best Interpretation of Spanish Music in two consecutive years, 1995 and 1996.
Her name deserves to go down in guitar history as one of the great players of our time.
Classical Guitar Magazine

Living in Spain for the past 20 years, she has contributed to the development of a new generationof Spanish guitarists while teaching at the Royal Music Conservatory of Madrid, Conservatory ofthe Balearics, and the Conservatory of Salamanca. In addition to this, she regularly gives masterclasses all over the world and has performed extensively throughout Latin American, USA,Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Currently, Mrs. Matos serves on the faculty atUniversity of Lethbridge Faculty of Arts & Science (Canada) where she is head of guitar studies.

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Zoran Dukić
2019-06-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Between 1990-1997, Zoran Dukić won more competitions than any other guitarist.
“the genius from Zagreb showed both technical brilliance and tenderness, with the artistic potential and expressive power of life itself. …This is a musician, not a guitarist”
– Kölnische Rundschau (Cologne, Germany)

Dukić is one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of our time. His concert performances, whether as a soloist or accompanied by an orchestra, leave long-lasting impressions on audiences and critics alike. A typical review of one of his shows often sounds like this accolade from Gelvesberger Zeitung of Germany, who called the show “A thrilling concert… the audience was on its feet already after the first piece… a phenomenal evening.”
Dukić graduated from the Music Academy of Zagreb with Darko Petrinjak, and completed his studies with Hubert Käppel at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne. In his “tour de force” competition years (1990-1997) he won an astonishing number of competitions. He is the only guitarist to have won both Andrés Segovia competitions in Granada and in Palma de Mallorca. In the Madrid’s most heralded Spanish guitar competition, in front of the Royal Family, he was awarded the special prize for the best interpretation of Spanish music – the first time it had ever been awarded to a non-Spaniard. Showing astounding mastery in a wide variety of musical periods and styles, he has also won competitions dedicated to Fernando Sor, Manuel Ponce, Manuel de Falla, and Francisco Tárrega among others.

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Manuel Barrueco
2019-06-21 20:00 - 22:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Grammy Nominated Manuel Barrueco is internationally recognized as one of the most important guitarists of our time. His unique artistry has been continually described as that of a superb instrumentalist and a superior and elegant musician, possessing a seductive sound and uncommon lyrical gifts.
His career has been dedicated to bringing the guitar to the main musical centers of the world. During three decades of concertizing, he has performed across the United States from the New World Symphony in Miami to the Seattle Symphony, and from the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to New York’s Lincoln Center.
Barrueco’s commitment to contemporary music and to the expansion of the guitar repertoire has led him to collaborations with many distinguished composers such as Steven Stucky, Michael Daugherty, Roberto Sierra, Arvo Pärt, Jonathan Leshnoff, Gabriela Lena Frank, Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky, and Toru Takemitsu, whose last orchestral work Spectral Canticle was a double concerto written specifically for Manuel Barrueco and violinist Frank Peter Zimmerman.
Manuel Barrueco has appeared on a wide array of television programs including “CBS Sunday Morning”, A&E’s “Breakfast with the Arts”, and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” on PBS. He was featured in a Lexus car commercial, and his work in music inspired Michael Lawrence’s biographical documentary: “Manuel Barrueco: A Gift and a Life” which has been aired by PBS stations around the United States. Barrueco’s performances have been broadcast by television stations around the world such as NHK in Japan, Bayerische Rundfunk in Germany, and RTVE in Spain.
Manuel Barrueco began playing the guitar at the age of eight, and he attended the Esteban Salas Conservatory in his native Cuba. He immigrated with his family to the United States in 1967, as political refugees. Later, he completed his advanced studies at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he now shares his love for music with a small number of exceptionally gifted young guitarists from all over the world.
In 2011, Manuel Barrueco received the United States Artist Fontanals Fellowship for Artistic Excellence.
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GFA Vendor Expo
2019-06-22 10:00 - 14:00 | Fillmore Hall, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Dr, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Come check out the vendors at Guitar Foundation of America Convention! The Vendor Expo will take place in the Henry Fillmore Band and Nancy Greene Halls at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Vendors include:

MicroTōne GuitarsProductions d’OZ/Doberman
Sean Spurling Guitars
Kevin J. Cope
Vicente Carrillo Guitars
Editions Henry Lemoine
Wiseman Cases
Ubach Method for Guitar
Thomas Baldwin Guitars
Wood Ring Guitars
Dogal Strings
Lubos Naprstek, Luthier
Garrett Lee, Luthier
Sean Spurling, Luthier

Bill Glez GuitarsTraphagen Guitars
Cadiz Guitars
Rokkomann, Inc.
Reverie Classical Guitars
Vincent Xu, Luthier
Yanlei, Luthier
David Chaves, Luthier
The FJH Music Company Inc.
Sean Spurling Guitar Maker
Gregory Byers, Luthier
Hill Guitar Company
Kopecky Guitars
Kris Barnett Guitars

Rene Izquierdo
2019-12-07 20:00 - 22:00 | Clarke Recital Hall, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Rene Izquierdo, a native from Cuba, graduated from the Guillermo Tomas, Amadeo Roldan Conservatory and Superior Institute of Art in Havana. In the United States, Mr. Izquierdo earned a Master of Music and an Artist Diploma degrees from the Yale University School of Music, where he studied with Benjamin Verdery. While at Yale he represented the university in an exchange program with the Conservatoire National de Musique et de Danse du Paris and worked with guitarists Olivie Chassain and Roland Dyens. Rene has appeared as a guest soloist and in chamber music concerts throughout the United States, Cuba and Europe. He has shared the stage with prestigious guitarists including Eliot Fisk, Benjamin Verdery and Jorge Morel, as well as renowned flutist Ransom Wilson, soprano Lucy Shelton, David Jolley and Paquito d’Rivera. Renowned composers such as Jorge Morel and Carlos R. Rivera have dedicated works to him.
Mr. Izquierdo is a recipient of numerous awards. He is a winner of JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Competition in 2004, Extremadura International Guitar Competition, Schadt String competition, Stotsenberg International Guitar Competition among others.
He is currently a professor of classical guitar at the Wisconsin State University in Milwaukee and an active solo performer and chamber musician. Rene has studied with Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Shin-Ichi Fukuda, Eli Kassner, Pepe Romero, Angel Romero, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, David Starobin, Eduardo Fernandez, Jorge Morel, Robert Beaser and Anthony Newman among others.
His natural and instinctive interpretations are second to none: his virtuoso technique allows him absolute command of the instrument giving him the independence of subtle phrasing, dazzling speed, beautiful tonal control… everything.
– Classical Guitar Magazine, May, 2010

Rafael Padron
2020-03-13 20:00 - 22:00 | Clarke Recital Hall, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Cuban born guitarist, Rafael Padron, began studying the guitar at the age of eleven. He attended the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba, where he completed his studies with the distinguished Argentinean teacher and performer, Victor Pellegrini. In 1986, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Advanced Institute of Art in Havana, where he graduated with a degree in music in 1991, receiving the “Student of High Achievement” award. He has studied in Master Classes with such artists as composer Leo Brouwer, guitarists Maria Luisa Anido, Alvaro Pierri, Costa Cotsiolis, and David Russell.
Mr. Padron has won top prizes in many national and international competitions, among them the Best Interpretation of Latin American Music in Havana; The Diploma of Honor at the International Classical Guitar Competition in Chile; a top prize at the National Guitar Competition in Havana and winner of the Montpelier Cultural Arts Center Recital Series Competitions in United States of America.
He has been featured in festivals like the International Festival of the Guitar in Havana, Cuba; The International Festival of Music of the Hatilloin Caracas, Venezuela, where he premiered Leo Brouwer’s Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra No. 3, “Elegíaco”; The International Guitar Festival in Costa Rica were he premiered Leo Brouwer’s Suite “From Yesterday to Penny Lane”; The International Festival of the Guitar in Panama; The International Music Festival in Costa Rica; The Festival Iberoamericano de Guitarra, Tenerife, Spain; Rust International Guitar Festival and Competition, Rust, Austria; and Brno International Guitar Festival, Czech Republic.
Rafael Padron has performed both solo and with orchestras in various cities in Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Japan, Spain, and in the United States of America. He has performed as a soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Matanzas, Cuba; The Grand Marshall of Ayacucho Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela; The Chamber Orchestra of Caracas, Venezuela; The Camerata Latino Americana of Costa Rica; The Independence Symphony Orchestra in Costa Rica; and with The Panamerican Symphony Orchestra of Washington D.C. Mr. Padron has taught classical guitar at the Jose Antonio and Carmen Calcaño Foundation of Caracas, Venezuela; at the National University of Heredia, Costa Rica; the Costa Rica University of San Jose, Costa Rica; The Paco de Malaga Guitar Gallery in Washington D.C.; The Olenka Music School, Columbia, Maryland, and The Levine School in Washington D.C.
Mr. Padron graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, where he has completed his Graduate Performance Diploma on a full scholarship, under the tutelage of world-renowned guitarist Manuel Barrueco. Mr. Padron accomplished his Masters Degree Diploma at the University of Miami in December 2005.
Currently, he is the Chair of the Guitar Program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music
“Tuesday’s first concert was an all-Brouwer affair by Rafael Padron. Displaying beautiful tone, immaculate technique, and superb musicianship, Padron made it clear that guitar students at the University of Miami are in good hands.”
– Al Kunze. Soundboard the Journal of GFA. Vol. 45 No. 3 October 2019. Page 5

Irina Kulikova
2020-03-15 19:30 - 21:30 | Clarke Recital Hall, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Unanimously acclaimed for the rare beauty of her tone and her enchanting presence on stage, Irina Kulikova has established herself as one of today’s leading guitarists. Soundboard Magazine wrote: “Some of the most sheerly beautiful playing I have ever heard.” And Luz Leskowitz, director of the Salzburger Schlosskonzerte in Austria, that accompanied her in concerts for royal and aristocratic families in Europe: “Wherever she performs, she plays herself into the hearts of her audience.”
Irina Kulikova tours far afield, with appearances at leading festivals in Europe, North America and Asia and in concert halls such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, the Musashino Hall in Tokyo and the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai. In the USA, she performed for major festivals and societies including Austin, Cleveland, Chicago and Dallas.
The daughter of a Russian cello pedagogue, Irina Kulikova combines an effortless virtuosity with a profound sensitivity when she is phrasing the voices of great composers like Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Barrios and Piazzolla. ‘Few can tell us something so special as she does’ (Carlo Marchione). She gained critical acclaim for her fourth solo CD – ‘Reminiscences of Russia’ – introducing some highly romantic Russian compositions to an international audience, including the breathtaking ‘Swan Princess’, that Konstantin Vassiliev dedicated to her.
Irina Kulikova received over 30 awards for her artistry, including 1st prizes at the highly prestigious competitions of Michele Pittaluga in Italy, Guitarra Alhambra in Spain, Forum Gitarre Wien in Austria and Iserlohn in Germany. She resides in The Hague (The Netherlands), Los Angeles (USA) and Salzburg (Austria). An ambassador of pure and heartfelt performing, she inspires guitar students in masterclasses all over the world with her personal motto: It’s about the touch.

Máximo Diego Pujol in Concert
2021-05-22 20:00 - 21:00 | FL
Brasil Guitar Duo

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Virtual Performance
May 22, 2021
8:00 PM ET
FREE ADMISSION
Florida Guitar Foundation’s YouTube Channel

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It all started when Máximo discovered a guitar in a closet at his parents’ home in the quiet suburb of Villa Pueyrredon, Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was almost inevitable in a place where tango was constantly floating in the air. The guitar was a memento of his father’s youthful career as a professional tango singer, an activity with which he continued to delight relatives and the patients at his dentistry practice. That discovery, along with his father’s wish to listen to that old guitar again, led the eight-year-old Máximo to take lessons from Don Gaspar Navarro, his father’s patient, neighbor, and friend, as well as a fine tango and milonga player who taught all the children in the neighbourhood. At the tender age of nine Maximo performed at his first concert in nearby Villa Martelli, and a few months later he surprises his mother on her birthday with a zamba of his own composition, written especially for her. The complicity of his father and his mother’s emotional reaction ensured that Máximo and his guitar became inseparable.
These experiences defined Máximo’s musical calling and gave rise to his irrepressible desire to express his personal experiences through his own compositions.
Máximo went on to study with Alfredo Vicente Gascón, which deepened his vocation and led him to participate —alongside his teacher— in a study group led by Abel Carlevaro.
Upon graduating from secondary school, Máximo was faced with the same dilemma as his father had been many years prior: whether to pursue his musical calling or embark on a more traditional career. At first he did both, but after strenuous years of studying mathematics and guitar, the latter won out in the end.
While studying at the Buenos Aires Conservatory of Music “Juan José Castro”, Máximo also took private classes on harmony and composition with Leonídas Arnedo. Those were difficult days for Máximo who, in addition to his heavy study load, was also working every day to earn enough money to survive. Nonetheless, a life in music was, without a doubt, the right choice. One of his first pieces, “Sonatina” — written for a final exam of Morphology at the conservatory — won the first prize in prestigious competitions in Argentina. The composition was also awarded the first prize by a jury that included, among others, Leo Brouwer at the Carrefour Mondial de la Guitare in Martinique.
Máximo honed his skills as a performer by playing tango and milongas at Buenos Aires nightclubs, both as a soloist and as an accompanist. He also played in a number of duos, trios, and quartets, immersing himself fully in every aspect of tango music. His experiences were further enriched by performing at the same shows as well-known tango stars such as José Colángelo, Héctor Stamponi, Horacio Ferrer, Jorge Sobral, Ruben Juárez, Mariquela Monti, Néstor Marconi, and Roberto Goyeneche. At the same time, he studies and analyses the great traditional tango compositors like Juan Carlos Cobián, Osvaldo Pugliese, Julián Plaza, Horacio Salgán and vanguard tango compositors like Astor Piazzolla.
Since his earliest days as a professional musician and composer, Pujol has strived for an ever-closer fusion of traditional Argentine Tango and formal academic concepts. This musical quest on the guitar stems from a thorough, almost obsessive, study of the works of Heitor Villa-Lobos and Leo Brouwer, who revolutionized guitar music by incorporating the instrument and its particular musical vocabulary in their own works.
Today Máximo Diego Pujol’s compositions are performed and recorded throughout the world and studied at Master Classes and Conferences in the most prestigious International Festivals dedicated to his instrument.

Previous PerformancesSee All
2022

Andrew York
Yamandu Costa

2021

Carlotta Dalia
Rafael Padron
Lora Brothers
Máximo Diego Pujol
Andrea González Caballero

2019

Ana Vidović
Rene Izquierdo
Patterson/Sutton Duo
Aniello Desiderio
Meng Su

2018

Kupiński Guitar Duo
Jorge Luis Zamora
SoloDuo
David Russell

2017

Texas Guitar Quartet
Ana Vidović
Manuel Barrueco
Judicaël Perroy
Łukasz Kuropaczewski

2016

Martha Masters
Meng Su
Marcin Dylla
Irina Kulikova
Junhong Kuang

2015

Fabiano Borges
LAGQ
Rafael Padrón
Jason Vieaux

2014

Denis Azabagic
Rodrigo Concertos
Grisha Goryachev
Alvaro Pierri

2013

Xuefei Yang
Beijing Guitar Duo
Marcin Dylla
Gohar Vardanyan
Bandini & Chiacchiaretta

2012

Petrit Ceku
Ana Vidović
Edel Muñoz

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Yamandu Costa
2022-04-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL, 33134, United States
Brasil Guitar Duo

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Live, In-Person Concert
April 24, 2022 – 6:00 PM ET
Coral Gables Museum 285 Aragon Avenue Coral Gables, FL 33134

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“Musicians of this caliber that make you fall out of your seat come once in a generation.”

- La Presse Montreal

Yamandu Costa is widely considered one of the great guitarists in the world today. This virtuoso 7-string guitar player has left audiences breathless around the world with his impressive skill and overwhelming passion. Born to a musical family in Rio Grande do Sul in the south of Brazil, he played his first major concert at age 17 in São Paulo and quickly gained international fame for his incredible talent. Yamandu is credited with reviving Brazilian guitar music and his diverse repertoire includes styles like chorinho, bossa nova, milonga, tango, samba and chamamé, making him difficult to categorize into a single genre. A 2021 Latin GRAMMY winner for Best Instrumental Album, Costa has collaborated with Bobby McFerrin, Richard Galliano, Doug de Vries, Gilberto Gil, Toquinho, João Bosco, Ney Matogrosso, Marisa Monte, Renato Borghetti and more. He has also been a featured soloist with prestigious symphony orchestras around the world. For this new tour Yamandu Costa will perform a breathtaking set of Latin American pieces as well as brand new compositions.

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Grisha Goryachev
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Andrew York
2022-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL, 33134, United States
Brasil Guitar Duo

📷 Photo by Christine Lang

Day(s)

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Hour(s)

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Minute(s)

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Second(s)

Live, In-Person Concert
May 15, 2022 – 6:00 PM ET
Coral Gables Museum285 Aragon AvenueCoral Gables, FL 33134

Buy Tickets

“In any generation, there are many musicians, but very few artists that communicate on a profound cultural level. Andrew York is one of these rare artistic voices. Think Picasso painting with sound as a canvas, or a Miles Davis behind the guitar. Andrew achieves a synthesis of ancient and modern forms that offers a deep cultural expression that will only be truly understood by future generations. To call Andrew’s music classical is to put it into far too small a box; this is the living future of classical music.”
– Robert Bluestone

“While some people play music others are musicians. These people transcend whatever instrument they play and connect with a level far beyond the mere physical. Andrew York is one of these special people who do just that; he is a musician’s musician. Not only through his performances but through his composing he is enriching the guitar in ways only future generations will truly understand. It is an honor and pleasure to know this gifted and kind artist.”
– Bill Piburn, Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine

Andrew York is one of today’s best loved composers for classical guitar and a performer of international stature. His compositions blend the styles of ancient eras with modern musical directions, creating music that is at once vital, multi-leveled and accessible. Andrew received a GRAMMY as a member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet during his sixteen years with the cutting-edge ensemble. York’s compositions have been featured on GRAMMY-winning recordings by Jason Vieaux (CD “Play”, featuring Andrew’s iconic composition “Sunburst”, 2015) and Sharon Isbin (CD “Journey to the New World” featuring “Andecy”, 2010). In 2006 Andrew recorded and performed with the Atlanta Symphony for the opera “Ainadamar” by Osvaldo Golijov. The recording of “Ainadamar” (Deutsche Gramophone) won two GRAMMY awards.
Andrew’s video “Home” has received millions of views, with Andrew playing his recent hit on a vintage Torres guitar built in 1888.
Andrew has released CDs on Sony-U.S., Sony-Japan, King Records (Japan), Telarc, GSP and Delos labels, as well as inclusion on Rhino Records “Legends of Guitar” and numerous other compilations. Andrew’s 2010 CD release “Centerpeace” offers individual collaborations with guitarist Andy Summers, and pianists Mitsuko Kado and Allaudin Mathieu.
Andrew’s most recent recordings “Home” and “The Equations of Beauty,” were released on both vinyl LP and two separate EP/CDs. The recordings include the single “Home” and the 26-minute suite “The Equations of Beauty,” based on mathematics.
Andrew’s solo recording “Yamour” was released on vinyl as a double LP album, and garnered the number one spot in Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s “Essential Recordings of 2012” by editor Teja Gerken. Commenting on the more than eighty minutes of new pieces for solo guitar he composed for this major work, Andrew says “When I write I feel a connection to my spirit and the joy and sorrow of life. My entire life comes into focus and there is no separation between me as a boy, a young man and now in my later years.”
In Andrew’s concerts the theater becomes a living room, and the musical conversation begins with the first note. His authenticity has inspired a worldwide following, with his touring schedule spanning more than thirty countries. Recent concerts include Rome, Lima, Beijing, Ankara, Munich, Manhattan, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Andrew’s twelfth tour of Japan.
In film, Andrew performs in the live documentary “Primal Twang,” written and hosted by eminent musician and storyteller Dan Crary, with other artists Eric Johnson, Albert Lee, Doc Watson, and Mason Williams.
York’s compositions have also been recorded by guitar luminaries John Williams and Christopher Parkening, Sharon Isbin, Jason Vieaux, and Japanese pianist Mitsuko Kado. In addition, generations of younger guitarists make Andrew’s music a staple of their repertoire in their performances and studies. As a published composer, York’s works appear in print worldwide through Majian Music, Alfred Publications, Hal Leonard, Mel Bay Publications, Guitar Solo Publications, Doberman-Yppan in Canada, Ricordi in London, and Gendai in Japan.
A love of music was instilled at an early age; Andrew’s father was a guitarist and his mother a professional singer. Family reunions abounded with folk music ranging from frontier American to English and Celtic traditional songs.
Andrew crosses over stylistic boundaries with an unusual authority – besides his classical contribution, he also has an extensive background as a jazz guitarist, studying with jazz legends Joe Diorio and Lenny Breau. As a classical musician, Andrew was awarded a grant from the Del Amo Foundation for Study in Spain. Andrew received his Master of Music degree from University of Southern California, and is the only USC graduate in the school’s history to twice receive the Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award in 1997 as a member of LAGQ and in 2003 as the sole recipient. Andrew is a member of the Triple Nine Society.

Previous PerformancesSee All
2022

Andrew York
Yamandu Costa

2021

Carlotta Dalia
Rafael Padron
Lora Brothers
Máximo Diego Pujol
Andrea González Caballero

2019

Ana Vidović
Rene Izquierdo
Patterson/Sutton Duo
Aniello Desiderio
Meng Su

2018

Kupiński Guitar Duo
Jorge Luis Zamora
SoloDuo
David Russell

2017

Texas Guitar Quartet
Ana Vidović
Manuel Barrueco
Judicaël Perroy
Łukasz Kuropaczewski

2016

Martha Masters
Meng Su
Marcin Dylla
Irina Kulikova
Junhong Kuang

2015

Fabiano Borges
LAGQ
Rafael Padrón
Jason Vieaux

2014

Denis Azabagic
Rodrigo Concertos
Grisha Goryachev
Alvaro Pierri

2013

Xuefei Yang
Beijing Guitar Duo
Marcin Dylla
Gohar Vardanyan
Bandini & Chiacchiaretta

2012

Petrit Ceku
Ana Vidović
Edel Muñoz

Subscribe
