Classical guitarist Stephen Aron, described by the New York Times as “cultivated and musical,” performs regularly throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. An avid arranger, his work is published by Tuscany Editions, Mel Bay Publications, and Clear Note Publications. Mr. Aron’s original compositions have also been published by Clear Note. Aron’s recordings have been described as “stunning” (Guitar Review), “superbly produced” (Soundboard), “warmly recommended” (Fanfare) and “inspired” (Classical Guitar)...

Native of Minsk, Belarus, Elina Chekan graduated from Belarus National Academy of Music with a degree in Classical Guitar Performance, Orchestral Conducting and Guitar Pedagogy. Elina continued her education in the United States, holding a Master of Music from Yale University and a Doctorate degree from Northwestern University. Combining active performance and teaching careers, Ms. Chekan performs, teaches master classes and gives lectures at festivals, colleges and universities throughout...

As a guitarist, Dr. Brad DeRoche has explored a wide variety of musical styles ranging from classical masterpieces to modern works by living composers. He is an active concert artist, appearing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral soloist. He is also a recording artist for the Centaur Records label with Spanish Guitar Classics and the Complete Cello Suites of JS Bach as his first releases. He is passionate about the  music of Bach and Spanish composers and often includes them in his concert programs...

German born guitarist Christoph Harlan is the founder of the undergraduate and graduate degree programs for Classical Guitar at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  Born into a family of musicians and artists, Harlan began his music education playing the recorder and singing in several choirs. Many years of cello studies and orchestra activities broadened his musical horizons. He began studying the guitar in his early teens and ultimately received his teaching and performance degrees with honors from the Akademie für Musik in Vienna Austria, where he studied with Luise Walker...

Classical guitarist Drew Henderson is an active performer, teacher, recording artist and music producer living in Toronto. He earned a Master’s degree in Music at the University of Toronto where he studied with Eli Kassner and Jeffrey McFadden. After his post graduate degree, he was awarded a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to study in Italy with Lorenzo Micheli, Matteo Mela, and Massimo Lonardi. During his studies, Drew was heavily involved in the competition circuit, so far being awarded six international prizes...

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,” while Fabio Zanon wrote in Violão Intercambio that “he has to be seen to be believed”...

Born and raised in Singapore, Kevin Loh is a recipient of the Fellowship of the Royal Schools of Music, the 2018 Goh Soon Tioe Centenary Award and the 2010 HSBC Youth Excellence Award for Musical Excellence. He was talent-scouted by The Yehudi Menuhin School via his YouTube channel when he was only 12 years old and was awarded a grant by The Rolling Stones to study at the prestigious music school as their first Asian guitarist. As an active performer, he has performed all over the world...

Classical guitarist Matteo Mela was born in 1971. Between 1991 and 1998 as a member of the Mela-Bandini Duo he won first prize in a number of prestigious chamber music competitions: Aram (Rome) 1992, F. Cilea Competition 1993, GMI 1994, Città di Gubbio, Città di Caltanissetta, and Perugia Classico Competitions 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...

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. In addition, since 2002 he has performed worldwide as one half of SoloDuo...

"Perhaps he is the greatest performer on the [lute] 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...

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 Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall and Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center...

Tom Patterson has given recitals throughout North America, the People's Republic of China, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Italy. For nearly four decades, he has received international acclaim for his direction of the Bolton Guitar Studies Program at The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music. Bolton students have won countless prizes at prestigious international competitions including the GFA, Tarrega, Segovia, Montreal, and Stotsenberg Competitions...

Since 2003 classical guitarist Petra Polácková has won three first prizes in Czech Republic national competitions (Opava, Ceske Budejovice, and Pardubice) and six first prizes in international competitions: Dolný Kubín (Slovakia), Kutna Hora (Czech Republic), Bratislava (Slovakia), Krzyzowa (Poland), Krynica (Poland), and most recently in 2011 first prize at the 36th International Guitar Competition Gargnano (Italy). As a result of her competition successes Ms. Polácková has been invited to perform at many prestigious European and also non-European guitar festivals...

Spanish guitarist Susana Prieto is one half of the internationally acclaimed guitar ensemble Duo Melis. Susana Prieto and her husband, Greek guitarist Alexis Muzurakis, made their debut as Duo Melis in 1999 at the International Guitar Festival of Volos (Greece). Since then they have performed in such prestigious halls as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Megaron in Athens, and the Merkin Concert Hall in New York...

Violinist Mari Sato has enjoyed a rich and varied career as a chamber musician based in Cleveland. Described as “a visceral and engaging storyteller,” by clevelandclassical.com, 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 many distinguished artists including members of the Cleveland, Juilliard, Miami, Ying, Emerson, Borodin...

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...

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. Recent concerts and master classes include the Florida Guitar Foundation, Portland International Guitar Series, International Guitar Artist Series...

Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today's classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is described by NPR as “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.” In appearances from New York’s Lincoln Center to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Seoul Arts Center, Jason Vieaux has cemented his reputation as an artist of brilliance and uncompromised mastery. Cited for his “eloquent and vibrant performances” on disc (Gramophone Magazine) he is hailed as “virtuosic, flamboyant, dashing and, sometimes ineffably lyrical” (New York Times) on stage...

Concert classical guitarist Hao Yang has won top prizes in numerous competitions, including the 54th Markneukirchen International Instrumental competition, the GFA International Youth Competition, CSU International Guitar Competition, and Andres Segovia 7th International Guitar Competition...