Director of Archives: Stephen Aron performs
regularly throughout the US, Canada and recently completed a tour of
Italy. An avid arranger, his work is published by Tuscany Editions and
Mel Bay Publications Clear Note Publications. Stephen has adjudicated,
given performances, lectures and masterclasses at numerous national and
international festivals. In addition to his post as Professor of Music
and Chairman of Guitar Studies at the University of Akron, Stephen Aron
is Teacher of Guitar and founder of the classical guitar studies program
at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Stephen has served as the
Director of Archives for the GFA since 2008.
Artistic Director, GFA International Youth Competition: Risa Carlson received
her Graduate Performance Diploma, Master's Degree, and Bachelor's
Degree from the Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Manuel
Barrueco. In addition to her many competition successes, she was a top
prizewinner at the 2000 Guitar Foundation of America International
Competition. Risa has performed in solo and chamber ensemble across the
United States, and currently performs regularly as a member of the
acclaimed Duo Erato with guitarist Martha Masters. Risa teaches at the
Levine School of Music in Washington D.C., where she is also Chair of
the Guitar Department. Risa became Artistic Director of the GFA
International Youth Competition in Fall 2009.
Education Director: Matthew Denman is the Director of the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute and Assistant Professor of Music for Southern Nazarene University. Pepe Romero has said, "What José Antonio Abreu is to El Sistema, Matt Denman is to the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute." Matthew is also faculty for Classen School of Advanced Studies where he teaches music theory, international baccalaureate music, and the national award winning guitar program. Awards include the Images of Excellence Award (2012, 2010, 2009), and Teacher of the Year (2010-2011 Classen SAS). Matthew has been a guest lecturer, clinician, and performer throughout the United States. Matthew is a student of Pepe Romero.
Soundboard Art Editor & GFA Advertising Manager: Kim Horlick Kanoy received her Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Salem College, Winston-Salem, NC, and holds an Associates Degree in Commercial Art and Advertising Design. Her role as owner and creative director of Kanoy Design (www.kanoydesign.com) has encompassed many areas in the field of graphic arts – design, production, sales, writing, and publishing – including the design and production of GFA collateral materials and the GFA Convention Programs from 2005 to present. Her connection to the classical guitar world came about through her love of music and the years of attending youth competitions with her son, William. Kim joined the GFA staff as Advertising Manager in 2005.
Executive Director: Galen Wixson
holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in cello performance from Wichita
State University, and a second Master's degree in Arts Management from
Carnegie Mellon University. His music career includes performing as a
cellist in many different ensembles, including the Wichita Symphony, the
North Carolina Symphony, the Fairfax Symphony, and the Reno Chamber
Orchestra. His non-profit management career includes Executive Director
positions at the American String Teachers Association, the Reno
Philharmonic, the Symphony of Southeast Texas, the Arkansas Symphony,
and the Austin Symphony. He assumed the Executive Director position at
the GFA in June 2010.
Tour Director: Lynn McGrath
is a member of the guitar faculty at the Crane School of Music, State
University of New York at Potsdam. She received her Doctor of Musical
Arts degree in 2006 from the University of Southern California, where
she studied with William Kanengiser, Pepe Romero, and James Smith. Lynn
has performed as a soloist and ensemble member in the United States,
Mexico, and Italy with upcoming performances in Spain and Montenegro. In
July of 2005 Lynn became the Tour Director of the GFA.
S
oundboard Editor: Dr. Kim Perlak is
a performer, educator, and American music scholar living in Austin, TX.
Kim received her Bachelor of Music studying guitar with Stephen
Robinson at Stetson University, her Master of Music at Yale School of
Music with Benjamin Verdery, and her DMA at the University of Texas at
Austin with Adam Holzman. Her performances, concerts for charity, and
academic work have been featured on NPR and funded by grants through
Yale Alumni Ventures and The Carolina Institute for Leadership and
Engagement in Music. Kim serves on the faculty of Concordia
University-TX, Austin Community College, and the National Guitar
Workshop. Kim began working for GFA in 2012.
UK Tour Director: Helen Sanderson - bio coming soon!
Director of Communications: Connie Sheu
earned her Bachelor of Arts in U.S. History and Music from Columbia
University with Antigoni Goni and her Master of Music from The Juilliard
School with Sharon Isbin. Connie is currently pursuing her Doctor of
Musical Arts at the University of Southern California under Bill
Kanengiser. Her playing has been hailed by the New York Sun as
"excellent, ruminative... scholarly." Past performances and teaching
engagements have taken her from Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, to
Florida, Oklahoma, Moldova, Hungary, and throughout California. Her
debut solo album was released in 2008. Connie teaches privately and at
the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. She joined the GFA staff in 2009.
Soundboard Scholarly Editor: Robert Trent has performed on the continents of North and South
America and in Europe. He has been a first prize winner in numerous national
and international competitions. He is frequently sought after for instructing
masterclasses, for performances and to be an adjudicator of competitions. 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. Dr. Trent became the
Editor-in-Chief for Soundboard Scholar in 2013.
Print to Page