GUITARS INTERNATIONAL

Other accomplishments include touring the eastern United States and Europe with the Cleveland Orchestra, performing Mahlers Symphony No. 7 under the direction of Franz WelserMost. Other performances with the Cleveland Orchestra include Kurt Weills Little Three Penny Music and Igor Stavinskys Le Rossignol with Pierre Boulez. In 2004 Robert Gruca made his concerto debut performing Rodrigos Concierto de Aranjuez with the Marquette Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Nuvi Mehta.

Possessing powerful musical interpretation and complete technical command over his instrument, Robert Gruca has already earned several first prizes in national guitar competitions. He won first prize in the Columbus State Guitar Symposium Competition, the Appalachian State Guitar Festival Competition, and the East Carolina University Guitar Festival Competition. He was a top prize winner in the Rantucci International Guitar Competition, a semifinalist in the Guitar Foundation of America Competition, and the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition.

Robert Gruca has studied with John Holmquist and Jason Vieaux at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he received a Master of Music degree in 2002. Previous teachers include Brian Morris of Grand Valley State University and Roger Humphrey of Olivet College. He has participated in master classes with such prominent guitarists as David Russell, Lily Afshar, Judicael Perroy, Stephen Robinson, Sergio & Odair Assad, Hubert Kappel, Antigoni Goni, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.

In addition to performing, Robert Gruca is a highly motivated and dedicated guitar instructor who has a private guitar studio in Shaker Heights and Hudson,

Artist's Website: robertgruca.org/