CICGF^® 2023 Festival Profiles

[Among] two of the most important annual American classical guitar events
(Classical Guitar Magazine)

Jason Vieaux (USA), guitar - Head CIM Guitar Department

Grammy Award Winner

[Jason Vieaux is] perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.... (NPR)

Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today's classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is the guitarist that goes beyond the classical. NPR describes Vieaux as, “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.” Among his extensive discography is the 2015 Grammy Award ...

Armin Kelly (USA), Festival Founder and Artistic Director

Armin Kelly studied classical guitar in Spain and Switzerland, and with Phillip de Fremery and Oscar Ghiglia at the Aspen Music Festival. Among his most formative musical influences were friends and colleagues - classical guitarists Christoph Harlan and John Holmquist. Armin Kelly holds BA and MA degrees in English literature from Columbia University and an MA degree in teacher education from Harvard University. While at Harvard he founded Guitars International...

Robert Gruca (USA), guitar

Robert Gruca is a brilliant player with gorgeous tone and a flawless sense of rhythm. (Audaud.com)

Classical guitar virtuoso Robert Gruca is an exciting musician who performs a wide range of solo, chamber, and concerto repertoire. He made his concerto debut In 2004 performing Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the Marquette Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Nuvi Mehta. Since then he has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra in the USA and Europe under the direction of both Franz Welser-Möst and Pierre Boulez...

Jonathan Leathwood (England), guitar

Jonathan Leathwood is a genius. (Classical Guitar)

Jonathan Leathwood is Teaching Professor at Denver University's College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences' Lamont School of Music. He is one of the few guitarists to perform on six-string and ten-string guitars, mixing modern and traditional works in his innovative programs. His last London concert led Classical Guitar to call him “a genius,” the Musical Times of London has written of his “remarkable talent and singular artistry”...

Matteo Mela (Italy), guitar

Co-recipient of numerous first prizes in chamber music competitions: ARAM (Rome, 1992), F. Cilea (1993), GMI (1994), Città di Gubbio (1995), Città di Caltanissetta (1995), and Perugia Classico (1995).

In 2002 he formed with Lorenzo Micheli "SoloDuo," a guitar duo that has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, the US, Canada, and Latin America. Matteo Mela records regularly for the Naxos, Mel Bay, and Stradivarius labels. A master teacher in great demand, he teaches at the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland...

Lorenzo Micheli (Italy), guitar

First prize winner of the Guitar Foundation of America International Competition and many others.

Lorenzo Micheli has taken up a busy concert career throughout the world since winning first prize in some of the most prestigious international guitar competitions, including both the Alessandria and Guitar Foundation of America International Competitions. As a recitalist and orchestral soloist, he has performed in more than 600 concerts throughout Europe, in two hundred US and Canadian cities, and in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Latin America...

Nigel North (England), guitar

Perhaps he is the greatest performer on the instrument of all time. (Birmingham Post, England)

Nigel North has for over thirty years developed a unique musical career which embraces activities as a renowned soloist, accompanist, scholar and teacher. A prolific recording artist, he has participated in over 200 recording projects including 20 solo CDs. Most recently his Naxos CDs of the solo lute works of John Dowland have gained him a garland of critical acclaim...

Kimberly Patterson (USA), cello

[A] superb cellist... (Chicago Sun Times)

Hailed by the Chicago Sun Times as a “superb cellist,” Dr. Kimberly Patterson has earned recognition for her artistry as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. A Juilliard graduate, Dr. Patterson was the founding cellist for the Tesla Quartet, winners of the 2012 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition as well as prizewinners of the 2012 London International Quartet Competition and the 2013 Bordeaux International Quartet Competition. She has given chamber recitals in...

Petra Polácková (Czech Republic), guitar

Polácková’s playing was so technically secure and musically insightful, it was unimaginable that anything she played could possibly be difficult. (ClevelandClassical.com)

Since 2002 classical guitarist Petra Polácková has won numerous national and international guitar competitions. As a result of her competition successes she has been invited to perform at many of Europe’s most prestigious guitar festivals, including: Bonn, Vienna, Rust, Mikulov, Budapest, Madrid, Genéve, and Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem...

Mari Sato (USA), violin

[Mari Sato is] a visceral and engaging storyteller. (ClevelandClassical.com)

Violinist Mari Sato has enjoyed a rich and varied career as a chamber musician based in Cleveland. Mari was the second violinist of the award-winning Cavani String Quartet for twenty-four years. During her tenure with the Cavani Quartet, Mari gave concerts on major series, including Carnegie Hall, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Festival de L’Epau in France, and the Honolulu Chamber Music Society.Ms. Sato is honored to have collaborated with ...

James Stroud (USA), Youth Competition Founder and Director

James Stroud is the Founder and Director of the James Stroud Classical Guitar Competition. He is graduate is a graduate of SUNY Fredonia where he studied Classical guitar with Joanne Castellani. He received his Masters degree in classical guitar performance from the University of Akron where he was a graduate assistant of Stephen Aron. During this time he performed in master classes with Manuel Barreuco, Oscar Ghiglia, and David Russell...

Patrick Sutton (USA), guitar

Patrick Sutton's performance was absolutely beautiful. (Opus Colorado)

Dr. Patrick Sutton is an award-winning guitarist, chamber musician and recording artist from Evergreen, Colorado. He was a featured artist at the 2016 Guitar Foundation of America Convention. His eclectic performing and teaching career has taken him to conflict zones, three coasts of Africa, both ends of Vietnam, border towns, major cities, as well as myriad music societies, universities, and concert halls in-between...

Hao Yang (China), guitar

Recipient of the Clifton Foundation’s Emerging Artists Award and a Winner of the 2021 Astral National Auditions.

Hao Yang has won top prizes in numerous competitions, including fourth prize in the Guitar Federation of America International Concert Artist Competition and first prize in the Youth Competition. She was awarded first prizes in both high school and college divisions at the Columbus State University International Guitar Competition, and first prize in the Andres Segovia...

2022 CICGF program book

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CICGF® 2023 Festival Profiles

CICGF^® 2023 Festival Profiles