Our Supporters

Recipient of the 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Bokyung Byun​ enjoys a reputation as one of the most sought-after guitarists of her generation. Bokyung holds the distinction of being the first female winner of the prestigious JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, where Falletta herself described Bokyung’s performance as "stunning, showcasing her gorgeous tone, immaculate technique, and sophisticated musicianship.” Other recent honors include the grand prize at the 2021 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition and the Montreal International Classical Guitar Competition.

She holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California. Teachers and mentors include Scott Tennant, William Kanengiser, Chen Zhi, Tae-Soo Kim, and Sharon Isbin.

Bokyung is currently on the guitar faculty of University of North Texas. She is an Augustine Strings artist and plays a guitar by Dieter Mueller (2019).

David Tanenbaum has performed in over forty countries, and he has been soloist with prominent orchestras around the world, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and London Sinfonietta, with such eminent conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Adams, Alan Gilbert and Kent Nagano.

While David Tanenbaum’s repertoire encompasses a wide diversity of musical styles, he is recognized as one of the most eloquent proponents of contemporary guitar repertoire. Among the many works composed for him are Hans Werner Henze's guitar concerto An Eine Äolsharfe, five works by Aaron Jay Kernis, Terry Riley first guitar piece Ascención, Lou Harrison’s last completed piece and two works by and Roberto Sierra. He has toured extensively with Steve Reich and Musicians and performed in Japan in 1991 at the invitation of Toru Takemitsu.

David Tanenbaum is Chair of the Guitar Department at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he received the 1995 Outstanding Professor Award. His students have won numerous international competitions and they hold professorships worldwide.

Anne has toured the United States and Europe for over 40 years as both a soloist and as a member of the Waller and Maxwell Guitar Duo, performing on both modern and historical instruments. Waller has been presented in a wide variety of festival and concert venues, including Guitar Foundation of America Festivals, Mid-America Guitar Ensemble Festivals, the ASTA National Conference in Detroit, the Rantucci International Guitar Festival, the New York Guitar Festival at Mannes, the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, and the Festival Les Arcs, as well as by guitar societies in Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis, Memphis, and North Carolina. In addition, she has performed, lectured, and taught master classes at colleges and universities throughout the United States and has toured in Italy under the auspices of the Associazione Giovanile Musicale. Waller has been featured regularly in live broadcasts on both commercial and public radio. She was awarded the Società Italiana Autori ed Editori prize from the Accadémia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, where she studied with Oscar Ghiglia. In 1982 she was invited to perform for Andrés Segovia in his historic master class at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Waller has been a member of the Bienen School of Music faculty at Northwestern University since 1985.

Dr. Kami Rowan is Charles A. Dana Professor of Music at Guilford College where she has taught for 28 years. Kami is the director of the guitar program at the Eastern Music Festival and the creator of the US Guitar Orchestra. The USGO has commissioned 5 major works for guitar orchestra and toured NYC, France, and Spain. Dr. Rowan has been guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator and presenter for numerous guitar festivals. Non-profit work is at the core of Kami's philosophy and values as she currently resides on 5 boards of directors including the Guitar Foundation of America. Dr. Rowan also enjoys performing solo and chamber music and composing.

Stephen Aron is an established figure on the American classical guitar scene. He performs regularly across North America and Europe and has released eight CD’s to critical acclaim. Notably, the music Aron has recorded is almost entirely of his own creation, either by arrangement or composition, and includes volumes of music of Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schumann, and the complete guitar works of Burle Marx.

Erik Mann is Executive Director of Cleveland Classical Guitar Society, an organization he has led since 2009, combining his love of classical music and education. Under his leadership CCGS has created the International Series, which now presents the finest classical guitarists in the world, as well as the Education Program, in partnership with Cleveland schools. Erik has been a faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music since 2004 and previously taught at three other colleges. He served for three years on the committee for review of stringed instrument applications of the Fulbright US student program.

For over 40 years Kenny Hill has been exploring the vast possibilities of classical guitar; as a guitar maker, as a player and even as a composer. He is best recognized for guitar making, first as an individual Luthier, and over the past decades developing a larger team at Hill Guitar Co., as well as developing the import brand New World Guitar through his ground breaking work in China. He is also a major contributing designer for Cordoba Guitars in their worldwide growth.

Richard Prenkert has been playing the guitar now for 40 years and still performs locally. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Sonoma State University in California, where he studied with George Sakellarion, Philip Rosheger and Richard Stover. Richard is currently on the faculty/staff at Santa Rosa Junior College and teaches several guitar classes in the Music Department.

Glenn Canin studied classical guitar with Pepe and Celine Romero and during that time he had the fortune to play a number of world class and historical guitars. After being uninspired in trying to find a guitar up to his standards he decided to become a builder. With the guidance of Pepe Romero Jr and Eric Monrad Glenn became and perfected his craft as a luthier focusing on double top concert models. His guitars are much sought after and he has a waiting list of about 2 years.

British-born guitarist Stanley Yates enjoys an international career as concert performer and recording artist, teacher, arranger, scholar, and publisher. Stanley is Professor of Music and director of guitar studies at Austin Peay State University, home of Tennessee's Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts. Stanley Yates’ accomplishments as a performer, recording artist, arranger/publisher and teacher are too numerous to list in this limited space. He is critically acclaimed for his numerous editions and arrangements published by Mel Bay and his own renowned Classical Guitar Study Editions. He is a multiple competition award winner and an acclaimed performer, described as "one of an elite breed of guitarists" by Classical Guitar Magazine.

Dr. James is Professor of Guitar at the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Guitar Foundation of America and directs the annual Appalachian State GuitarFest. Douglas James holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Arizona where he studied with Thomas Patterson. He has won top prize in the Arturo Toscanini Solo Guitar Competition (Italy), and twice has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Fellowship. Dr.James often features 19th century instruments in his performances of the Classical and Romantic literature, and plays regularly in a period guitar duo with the Italian guitarist Pasquale Rucco.