Florida Guitar Foundation

ICAC Semifinals
2019-06-20 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

Research Resources Round Table at the GFA
2019-06-20 10:00 - 10:50 | Foster 206, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
A discussion on research resources for the attendees conducting academic research.

Petrit Çeku Technique Workshop
2019-06-20 09:00 - 22:50 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Petrit Çeku’s exquisite sensibility and expressiveness have attracted and engaged audiences worldwide. He has performed many recitals throughout Europe and North America and was a soloist with major symphonic orchestras such as Baltimore Symphony, Czech Chamber Philharmonic, State Hermitage Orchestra of St. Petersburg and Zagreb Philharmonic. He also appears regularly with the famed string ensemble Zagreb Soloists and is a founding member of Guitar Trio Elogio, established in 2008.
Hailed by guitar critic Colin Cooper as “a soloist of the highest ability”, Çeku is the first prize winner of many international guitar competitions, including the most prestigious ones like Parkening (Malibu, USA), Schadt (Allentown, USA), Biasini (Bologna, Italy), and Pittaluga (Alessandria, Italy).Born in 1985 in Prizren, Kosovo, Çeku took his first guitar lessons with Luan Sapunxhiu. In 2002 he moved to Zagreb, Croatia, after receiving an invitation to study with Xhevdet Sahatxhija. In 2008, Çeku graduated from the Zagreb Academy of Music, in the renowned class of Darko Petrinjak. He then went on to study with the great master, Manuel Barrueco, at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore USA, where he completed his studies in 2013. Çeku’s first CD was released in 2008 by Naxos.

Guitar Society Round Table at the GFA
2019-06-20 09:00 - 09:50 | Foster 263, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Guitar Societies come together to confer on best practices in organizing and operating their non-profits.

Lecture: Thomas Kikta
2019-06-20 09:00 - 09:50 | Foster 206, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
In this lecture, Thomas Kikta discusses Mindful Learning in Practice and Performance

As a Classical Guitarist, Vocalist, Composer, Pedagogue, Producer, Audio Engineer and Author Thomas Kikta is a versatile artist who has been the director of the Classical Guitar and Recording Arts and Sciences at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. for thirty years.
A native of Pittsburgh, he studied Classic Guitar performance with Aaron Shearer at both the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He has performed around the country, including collaborations with the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center, Ricardo Cobo, Manuel Barrueco and for such dignitaries as Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison. As an audio engineer and producer Mr. Kikta’s credits include The New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Visa /Mastercard, Seth MacFarlane/Family Guy, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Dr John, MCG Jazz, BMG Classics, Leonard Bernstein, Pepe Romero, Sean Jones, Jacob TV, Jeff Bergman and the New Century Saxophone Quartet, to name a few. As an artist on the Alanna Records Label he is a writer and performing member of the duo group “Colourtime Project”.

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

Educators' Happy Hour
2019-06-19 18:00 - 20:00 | FL
Come join us in fraternizing and networking at the GFA Educators’ Happy Hour.
Location TBD.

Guitar Orchestra Rehearsal
2019-06-19 17:30 - 18:30 | University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
The 2019 GFA Community Guitar Orchestra will perform a special arrangement of the final cut from the EMMY-award winning score to the Netflix mini-series Godless by Carlos Rafael Rivera.
The GFA is once again pleased to offer the opportunity to rehearse and perform with the Community Guitar Orchestra. All registrants, regardless of performance level, are invited to participate. The Guitar Orchestra will be led by Chuck Hulihan. Parts will be distributed by mid May, 2019.
The rehearsal schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, June 19, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 20, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Friday, June 21, 5:15 – 6:00 p.m.
The performance will be held on Friday 21, at 6:00pm alongside the Spotlight Recital.
Signing up: To sign up for the Guitar Orchestra, just make the selection when you register for the Convention, and you will be provided links to music and any other information via email.

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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Youth Guitar Orchestra Rehearsal
2019-06-19 15:00 - 17:00 | University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
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 Youth Guitar Orchestra is open to all registrants 18 or younger. Music will be distributed to participants at least one month prior to the Convention. You will need to bring your own guitar. The performance will take place at 8pm on Wednesday June 19 at 8pm.

The rehearsal schedule for YGO is as follows:
Monday, June 17, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, June 18, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 19, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

The Guitar Orchestras will be led by Chuck Hulihan. Repertoire will be posted and distributed by mid May, 2019

Signing up: To sign up for the Guitar Orchestras, just make the selection when you register for the Convention, and you will be provided links to music and any other information via email.

Luthier Showcase at the GFA
2019-06-19 13:30 - 14:30 | Clarke Recital Hall, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Come listen to the assorted guitars on offer by the Luthiers and vendors exhibiting at this year’s GFA. Compare their tones and volume in the intimate Clarke Recital Hall at the University of Miami.

Laura Snowden & Les Frères Méduses
2019-06-19 11:00 - 13:00 | 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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GFA Vendor Expo
2019-06-19 10:00 - 16:00 | 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

Lecture: Andrew Leonard and Matt Pidgeon
2019-06-19 09:00 - 21:50 | Foster 206, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
In this lecture, Andrew Leonard and Matt Pidgeon discuss The Pain Free Guitarist: Prevention & Recovery

Andrew Leonard
Classical Guitarist Andrew Leonard has been called a “guitar phenomenon” by the Portland, Phoenix and his playing has been referred to as “spirited and convincing” in Soundboard Magazine and “inspiring…effortless style” in Northeast Performer.
At age twelve, Andrew received his first guitar and a Led Zeppelin songbook. At age 16 Andrew began studying classical guitar. A year later, he received an award from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts. He received his Master of Music Degree from Yale University where he was the recipient of the Rosoff Award and was a Yale Club of New Haven Fellow.
As an instructor, Andrew ran the guitar program at the University of Kentucky, taught at Wesleyan University and the National Guitar Workshop’s Classical Guitar Summit. Online, Andrew teaches using skype and Zoom. Andrew is the creator of several online guitar courses and The Classical Guitar Conservatory at TrueFire.com. Andrew has also received Suzuki and Childbloom training to teach young children guitar. He is a faculty member of the Northampton Community Music Center where he teaches Suzuki and Classical Guitar students.

Matt Pidgeon

Lecture: Robert Trent
2019-06-19 09:00 - 21:50 | Foster 206, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
In this lecture, Dr. Robert Trent discusses the question “Can I improvise in Classic/Romantic Music? An introduction to Interpretation and improvisation in guitar music of the early nineteenth-century.”

Classical Guitar soloist, performer of chamber music and concerti, Robert Trent has performed on the continents of North and South America and in Europe. Dr. Trent performs on modern guitar, Renaissance lute, on an original French guitar from the early 19th c. and a reproduction of a 10-string double-necked Romantic guitar of J.G. Scherzer.
He has been a first prize winner in numerous National and International competitions including; the Webb National Guitar Competition, the Masterworks Young Artist Competition (which includes all instruments) and the chamber music prize at the International Competition “Arturo Toscanini” in Italy.
The first recipient of the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in guitar from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Trent is Professor of Music and Director of Guitar and Renaissance Lute studies at the College of Visual and Performing Arts of Radford University.

Ewa Jabłczyńska Technique Workshop
2019-06-19 09:00 - 21:50 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Ewa Jabłczyńska began playing the guitar at the age of 7. In 2007 Jabłczyńska graduated with honors in Katowice Music Academy Karl Szymanowski led by prof. Alina Gruszka. Ewa holds a Habilitation degree in Guitar Performance and is currently teaching at the Institute of Music of Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, Poland.
Jabłczyńska is a laureate of many prizes in international guitar competitions in Europe. In 2008 she won first prize at the International Guitar Competition Westfalian Guitar Spring (Erwitte, Germany), the second prize at the international competition in warfare (Italy) and also in the competition 12th Jan Edmund Jurkowski Memorial Guitar Competition (Tychy, Poland).
In addition to the numerous solo achievements, after graduating the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice and Hochschule für Musik in Weimar (guitar class of prof. Thomas Müller-Pering), Ewa and Dariusz Kupiński decided to establish a guitar duo, bringing to their performances a masterful sense of ensemble and charming personal chemistry.
Kupiński Duo is currently residing in United States for an 18- month research and recording project addressing the Grawemeyer Award in music composition at the University of Louisville, funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland.

Inside the Artistry of Yamandu Costa
2019-06-18 20:00 - 22:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Inside the Artistry of Yamandu Costa: An evening of conversation and performance with Yamandu Costa and Shelly Berg.

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Petrit Çeku
2019-06-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Petrit Çeku’s exquisite sensibility and expressiveness have attracted and engaged audiences worldwide. He has performed many recitals throughout Europe and North America and was a soloist with major symphonic orchestras such as Baltimore Symphony, Czech Chamber Philharmonic, State Hermitage Orchestra of St. Petersburg and Zagreb Philharmonic. He also appears regularly with the famed string ensemble Zagreb Soloists and is a founding member of Guitar Trio Elogio, established in 2008.
Hailed by guitar critic Colin Cooper as “a soloist of the highest ability”, Çeku is the first prize winner of many international guitar competitions, including the most prestigious ones like Parkening (Malibu, USA), Schadt (Allentown, USA), Biasini (Bologna, Italy), and Pittaluga (Alessandria, Italy).Born in 1985 in Prizren, Kosovo, Çeku took his first guitar lessons with Luan Sapunxhiu. In 2002 he moved to Zagreb, Croatia, after receiving an invitation to study with Xhevdet Sahatxhija. In 2008, Çeku graduated from the Zagreb Academy of Music, in the renowned class of Darko Petrinjak. He then went on to study with the great master, Manuel Barrueco, at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore USA, where he completed his studies in 2013. Çeku’s first CD was released in 2008 by Naxos.
Petrit Çeku plays on a Ross Gutmeier guitar.

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Youth Guitar Orchestra Rehearsal
2019-06-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Clarke Recital Hall, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States

Lecture: Marco Sartor
2019-06-18 14:30 - 15:30 | Foster 206, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
In this lecture, Dr. Marco Sartor discusses Personalized Guitar Fingerings

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Marco Sartor is a top prize winner in numerous international competitions, and has performed solo and chamber music recitals in three continents to critical and public acclaim. He has appeared with orchestras such as the Allentown Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Ann Arbor Symphony, and SODRE in Uruguay.
Marco holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University, where he earned the Friedmann Prize for his doctoral thesis on Tango and its deployment in contemporary works. He also received degrees from the College of Charleston and Carnegie Mellon University. His former teachers include Robert Ravera, Mario Payssé and Eduardo Fernández in Uruguay, and Marc Regnier, James Ferla and Benjamin Verdery in the USA.
As an active pedagogue, he has given numerous master-classes in universities and conservatories in the USA and abroad. He has designed and implemented successful guitar programs at the Carnegie Mellon Music Preparatory School in Pittsburgh, PA and the Charleston Academy of Music in Charleston, SC, and served as faculty for the College and High-School Divisions of the New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL.
Marco Sartor serves as Assistant Teaching Professor at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.

Masterclass: Marcin Dylla
2019-06-18 13:30 - 15:30 | Clarke Recital Hall, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
The Guitar Foundation of America is hosting a Masterclass with Marcin Dylla in the Clarke Recital hall.
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.
Regular recital invitations in the U.S. have taken Mr Dylla to Cincinnati, Lexington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sonoma, Cleveland, New York, Utah, Miami, Boston, New Jersey, and Seattle as well as appearing with Riverside Symphonia in Piazzolla’s double concerto for guitar and bandoneon. In Europe, extensive tours take him regularly to the U.K., Norway, Spain, Hungary, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, and Italy where he returned to serve on the distinguished jury panel of the 42nd edition of Michele Pittaluga’s International Classical Guitar Competition.

Lecture: Avril Kinsey
2019-06-18 13:30 | Foster 206, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
In this lecture, Dr. Avril Kinsey discusses 320 Works for Classical Guitar by 72 South African Composers

Dr. Avril Kinsey is an award winning musician, published composer, author and lecturer. She is the Founding Director of CTA Music & Film. She was awarded the degree Doctor of Music from Nelson Mandela University. She is the first female classical guitar/composer to be awarded the creative DMus in Composition degree in South Africa.
The Cape Town Academy of Music (CTAM) and Film, which Avril founded in 2000, is a boutique academy specialising in music education. International accreditation is through Trinity College London exam work. CTAM & Film offers several instruments and voice, as well as theory of music, songwriting and composition classes.

Raphael Padrón & Duo Sonidos
2019-06-18 11:00 - 13:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Cuban born guitarist, Rafael Padrón, 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 artists such as composer Leo Brouwer, guitarists Maria Luisa Anido, Alvaro Pierri, Costa Cotsiolis and David Russell.
Mr. Padrón 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.
Mr. Padrón graduated from the Peabody Conservatory at 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 as well as the Artistic Director for the Florida Guitar Foundation.
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Duo Sonidos brings together the talents of violinist, William Knuth and guitarist, Adam Levin.
The duo is a refreshing addition to the chamber music world, offering an approachable yet sophisticated combination for all chamber music audiences. By forging relationships with contemporary composers, Duo Sonidos has forwarded the mission of expanding the duo repertoire. As international prize winners, Levin and Knuth have performed worldwide, been honored as US Fulbright Scholars in the field of music performance in Madrid, Spain and Vienna, Austria respectively and have released recordings to international critical acclaim.

Duo Sonidos plays with a loose-limbed, easy virtuoso ‘cool’ and beguiling tonal warmth that combines laid back intuitiveness with classical sophistication… stunning performances from Duo Sonidos./p>
– Julian Haylock, BBC Music Magazine, “US Choice Release”

William Knuth, Violinist
has earned recognition for his artistry as a solo and chamber musician and has been praised by American Record Guide for his “perfect intonation, wide range of timbre…expressive phrasing, and great sensitivity”. Mr. Knuth spent two years as a Fulbright scholar in Vienna, Austria studying at the Vienna Universitat fur Musik und darstellende Kunst. He was a featured performer multiple times for members of the United Nations Council as well as foreign ambassadors from Russia, Spain, Germany, and Austria.
Adam Levin, Classical Guitarist
has performed worldwide and been praised for his “visceral and imaginative performances” by the Washington Post. Levin has performed extensively across the United States at renowned venues such as Chicago’s Pick Staiger, Nichols, and Mayne Stage concert halls as well as at the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago; Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and Jordan Hall; Spivey Hall in Atlanta; repeat appearances at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City; and Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. In Europe, Levin has performed in some of the finest venues across Spain, and in Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. In the 2017-2018 season, Levin makes several debut solo, chamber, and orchestral appearances in China, Finland, and Ireland as well as return appearances in Brazil and Spain. Adam Levin’s live performances have been featured nationally numerous times on NPR’s Performance Today, the nationally syndicated Classical Guitar Alive, and studio performances on top radio stations including WFMT Chicago and WCRB Boston.

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Lecture: Fábio Bartoloni
2019-06-18 10:00 - 22:50 | Foster 239, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
In this lecture, Fábio Bartoloni discusses “The Chant of the Carpideiras”: the most Brazilian étude by Heitor Villa-Lobos.

Lecture: Bráulio Bosi
2019-06-18 10:00 - 22:50 | Foster 206, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
In this lecture, Dr. Bráulio Bosi discusses Guitar Technique and Injury Prevention

Born in Colatina, Espirito Santo, Brazil Dr. Bráulio Bosi has been playing guitar for 15 years, starting at the age of 13. He has won multiple instrumental awards and performed in many venues, theater productions, festivals and concerts throughout Brazil and the United States.
Dr. Bosi researches in the field of performing arts medicine and has co-authored a book on musician’s health entitled “The Musician’s Health in Focus: Multiple Perspectives” as well as a published dissertation and multiple articles on the same topic of an injury free career.
Dr. Bosi is currently the guitar instructor at the prestigious Conservatory of Music and Dance of the University of Missouri – Kansas City.

ICAC Preliminary
2019-06-18 10:00 - 22:50 | University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Fifth group of International Concert Artist Competition preliminary competition performances.

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.
Competitors’ Orientation Meeting, Sunday, June 16, 8:00 p.m. This meeting is required of all competitors. This meeting will determine the performance order for the three-day Preliminary Round by means of a Lottery – numerical order draw. If you have a travel delay that prevents you from attending the meeting, you will need to provide proof upon arrival of earlier travel plans to be granted a slot in the Preliminary Round. If you have any other reason that you cannot attend the meeting, you must write to and receive a reply from the Artistic Director in advance to receive permission to have your performance order drawn by a GFA staff person in your absence. Any registered competitors who do not either receive advance permission to miss the meeting for good cause or do not have a documented travel delay will not be allowed to compete.
All competitors are required to submit their free choices for all rounds via a link on our website (to be provided after the registration deadline has closed). Any changes to your submitted program may be made until May 8, after which programs may not be altered. Competitors who do not submit programs by this date will be disqualified, and no refund will be provided.

PRELIMINARY ROUND
June 17-19, 2019: performance before a panel of five (5) judges. All rounds are open to the public.
Each candidate must perform the following in the order of their choice:

Set Piece; a work specially composed for the competition, hereinafter referred to the “set piece”. Each registered competitor will receive the set piece on May 2 after receipt of all registration fees and materials by the declared Deadline Date.
A free choice program not to exceed ten (10) minutes.

The judges have the option of stopping the candidate during any of these performances. All works in all rounds are to be performed from memory with the exception of the set piece, for which memorization is optional. Should you choose to read the score, a page-turner will be permitted.
Twelve (12) competitors from this round will advance to the Semifinal Round. Announcement of the twelve competitors to advance will be made Wednesday evening at the beginning of Intermission. All decisions by the judges are final.

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.

ICAC Preliminary
2019-06-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Clarke Recital Hall, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Fourth group of International Concert Artist Competition preliminary competition performances.

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.
Competitors’ Orientation Meeting, Sunday, June 16, 8:00 p.m. This meeting is required of all competitors. This meeting will determine the performance order for the three-day Preliminary Round by means of a Lottery – numerical order draw. If you have a travel delay that prevents you from attending the meeting, you will need to provide proof upon arrival of earlier travel plans to be granted a slot in the Preliminary Round. If you have any other reason that you cannot attend the meeting, you must write to and receive a reply from the Artistic Director in advance to receive permission to have your performance order drawn by a GFA staff person in your absence. Any registered competitors who do not either receive advance permission to miss the meeting for good cause or do not have a documented travel delay will not be allowed to compete.
All competitors are required to submit their free choices for all rounds via a link on our website (to be provided after the registration deadline has closed). Any changes to your submitted program may be made until May 8, after which programs may not be altered. Competitors who do not submit programs by this date will be disqualified, and no refund will be provided.

PRELIMINARY ROUND
June 17-19, 2019: performance before a panel of five (5) judges. All rounds are open to the public.
Each candidate must perform the following in the order of their choice:

Set Piece; a work specially composed for the competition, hereinafter referred to the “set piece”. Each registered competitor will receive the set piece on May 2 after receipt of all registration fees and materials by the declared Deadline Date.
A free choice program not to exceed ten (10) minutes.

The judges have the option of stopping the candidate during any of these performances. All works in all rounds are to be performed from memory with the exception of the set piece, for which memorization is optional. Should you choose to read the score, a page-turner will be permitted.
Twelve (12) competitors from this round will advance to the Semifinal Round. Announcement of the twelve competitors to advance will be made Wednesday evening at the beginning of Intermission. All decisions by the judges are final.

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.

Lecture: Ioannis Theodoridis
2019-06-18 09:00 - 09:50 | Foster 206, University of Miami, 5501 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
In this lecture, Ioannis Theodoridis discusses “How a better anatomical understanding can assist guitar performance and pedagogy.”

In recent years Ioannis Theodoridis has organised extensive winter and summer tours in Sweden, including 68 performances in 2014, and over 60 concerts in Greece in 2012 and 2013. Since 2015 he organises various recording projects for the FRC Recording Group in London. As a advocate for Alexander Technique and Timani, Ioannis give talks on physiology for guitarists, and his writings on music have also been published in music journals, among them his writings on Lennox Berkeley’s guitar music which was published in the Lennox Berkeley Society Journal 2015. In 2017 he was awarded the Lennox Berkeley Guitar Award.

Zoran Dukić Technique Workshop
2019-06-18 09:00 - 09:50 | 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.
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.

Raphaël Feuillâtre
2019-06-17 20:00 - 22:00 | Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Born in 1996, Raphaël Feuillâtre starts classical guitar lessons at the age of nine with Hacène Addadi at Cholet Conservatory. In 2012, he enters Michel Grizard’s class at the Conservatory of Nantes. Three years later, he is accepted to Paris National Superior Conservatory of Music and Dance (CNSMDP) into the class of Roland Dyens and obtains his Bachelor of Performing Arts degree in 2017 with highest honors. He is currently working on his Master’s Degree in Classical Guitar Performance with Tristan Manoukian.
Simultaneously, Raphaël is taking classes with Judicaël Perroy, who plays a very important role in his artistic development.
Winner of the highly prestigious competition Guitar Fondation of America (GFA) in 2018, Raphaël is preparing the recording of his second opus (Naxos Label, 2019) and a six month tour around USA and Canada, as well as Mexico and Japan during 2019-2020 season.
Raphaël divides his time between performing and teaching. He regularly gives Master Classes during his numerous festival concert trips and has a permanent teaching position at the Music School of Villeneuve-la-Garenne in Paris region.

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