Aleksandr TsiboulskiAleksandr Tsiboulski, 26 and currently based in Austin, Texas, has won first prize in the 49th Tokyo International Guitar Competition, one of the most prestigious in the world. Tsiboulski's accomplishment represents the first Australian guitar win in over a decade in a major overseas contest. In addition to a cash prize of USD $7,500 and a valuable handmade guitar by Sakurai Kohno, Tsiboulski signed a contract for a 2007 Yamaha-sponsored tour of Japan.

Held over three rounds at the Tokyo Bunka-Kaikan Recital Hall, the competition was attended by some of the leading young guitarists from Asia, North and South America, as well as Europe. The climax came on the evening of November 29, when six finalists performed thirty-minute programs before the public and the judges. American Edward Trybek walked away with second prize and Yan Skryhan from Belarus received third.

Mr. Tsiboulski, a Fulbright Scholar in the Visual and Performing Arts, is currently based at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is pursuing graduate study in music under the guidance of Adam Holzman. Born in Ukraine, he emmigrated to Australia at age 10, studying with renowned Australian guitarist and teacher Timothy Kain at the Australian National University. While in the US, he is on leave from a University of Adelaide Ph.D. research program focusing on the works of Manuel M. Ponce.

Before the win in Tokyo, he had, in 2006 alone, won St Joseph's and the National Guitar Workshop international competitions in the United States, and was finalist in several others, most notably winning third prize at the 2006 Guitar Foundation of America in Columbus, Georgia.