Praised for his “visceral and imaginative performances” by the Washington Post, prize winning and Billboard top-charting classical guitarist and recording artist Adam Levin has performed on four continents across the globe.  Demonstrating his long-term commitment to music advocacy, Levin is a founding member of The Kithara Project, an organization devoted to promoting the widespread and equitable access to the guitar for youth around the world. Levin is a professor of guitar at the University of Rhode Island and also teaches at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Please join us for a reception after the performance! Light appetizers and drinks will be served free of charge in the Pillsbury Ballroom.

“Adam Levin is an exceptionally gifted guitarist and he played everything in a very transparent and convincing manner... my impression was that the composers were very fortunate to be represented by such an excellent spokesman for their works.” – Dusan Bogdanovic, Classical Guitar Magazine (Seville Guitar Festival)

A master-class with Mr. Levin will take place at the 560 Music Center recital hall on Sunday, December 3rd at 10:00am. Area classical guitar students will perform.

Widely acclaimed for the rare beauty of her tone and her enchanting presence on stage, Irina Kulikova has established herself as one of today’s leading guitarists. She received over 30 awards for her artistry, including 1st prizes at the most prestigious international competitions. She tours far afield, with appearances at leading festivals in Europe, North America and Asia and in concert halls such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, the Musashino Hall in Tokyo and the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai.

“The ability to create such an atmosphere with colours…” — Roland Kieft, chief editor Dutch classical radio

A master-class with Ms. Kulikova will take place at the 560 Music Center recital hall on Sunday, October 22nd at 1:00pm. Area classical guitar students will perform.

We are so happy to finally welcome Chinese Classical Guitarist Tengyue (T.Y.) Zhang to St. Louis for the first concert of our 60th Anniversary season at the 560 Music Center! Past season subscribers may remember he missed his performance at the Ethical Society in 2018, so we welcome Mr. Zhang for his long anticipated St. Louis debut.

The highlight of TY Zhang’s international career was the Grand Prize of the 2017 Guitar Foundation of American International Concert Artist Competition (GFA-ICAC), known as the most prestigious guitar contest in the world. TY become the first Chinese to be honored with this prize. His win was followed by a tour with over 50 concerts in the U.S., including his Carnegie Hall debut. In 2018, TY released his solo album with Naxos company as the Laureate Series · Guitar Recital. It was praised as: “one of the most talented young players… I’m struck by the extraordinary levels of mastery, comfort and relative ease.” —Classical Guitar Magazine.

“His [Zhang] playing is always tasteful and deeply expressive without any exaggeration. He takes his place as one of the finest of this emerging generation of magnificent artists.”—American Record Guide.

A master-class with Mr. Zhang will take place at the 560 Music Center recital hall on Sunday, September 17th at 1:00pm. Area classical guitar students will perform.

We are thrilled to have grammy award winning classical guitarist David Russell back in St. Louis at the E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall in the 560 Music Center!

David Russell is world renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry, having earned the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. In recognition of his great talent and his international career, he was named a Fellow of The Royal Academy of Music in London in 1997.

David Russell spends his time touring the world, appearing regularly at prestigious halls in main cities, such as New York, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Madrid, Toronto or Rome. Concert-goers everywhere are in awe of his musical genius and inspired by his captivating stage presence. His love of his craft resonates through his flawless and seemingly effortless performance. The attention to detail and provocative lyrical phrasing suggest an innate understanding of what each individual composer was working to achieve, bringing to each piece a sense of adventure.

The New York Times wrote about his performance: "... Mr. Russell made his mastery evident without ever deviating from an approach that places musical values above mere display. It was apparent to the audience throughout the recital that Mr. Russell possesses a talent of extraordinary dimension".

Upon hearing play in London, Andrés Segovia wrote: "My congratulations on your musicality and guitaristic technique".

A master class with Maestro Russell will be held on Sunday, April 16th at 1:00PM at the 560 Music Center recital hall. Local area guitar students will perform.

Rapidly achieving international recognition as one of the leading guitar ensembles of the new generation, Salzburg Guitar Trio engages its audiences with their energetic presence and deeply emotional performances. Their unique repertoire includes newly commissioned works for guitar trio and transcriptions of orchestral and keyboard works by the finest composers.

As recent first prize winners at the Guitar Foundation of America International Ensemble Competition, the trio will tour the US in the 2022-23 season. They have also won first prizes at the Ciutat d’Elx Guitar Festival’ in Spain, the ‘Corelli-Savarez Chamber Music Competition’ in Salzburg, and ‘Valle dei Laghi Guitar Festival‘ in Italy. At ‘Gorizia Guitar Competition’ and ‘Paganini Guitar Festival’, Parma, the ensemble received second and third prizes respectively.

Salzburg Guitar Trio is comprised of Katie Lonson (Canada), Stefan Volpp (Germany) and Andrew Booth (England). The ensemble was originally formed with Izan Rubio (Spain) whilst finalizing their postgraduate solo guitar studies at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria, and was joined by Stefan Volpp in 2020.

A master class with the Salzburg Guitar Trio will be held on Sunday, March 12th at 1:00PM at the 560 Music Center recital hall. Local area guitar students will perform.

We welcome Jiji to St. Louis for the first time at the 560 Music Center!

Applauded by the Calgary Herald as “…talented, sensitive…brilliant,” JIJI is an adventurous artist known for her virtuosic performances that feature a diverse selection of music, ranging from traditional and contemporary classical to free improvisation, played on both acoustic and electric guitar. Through her impeccable musicianship, compelling stage presence, and constant premieres of new musical works, JIJI’s intriguing programming solidifies her reputation as a 21st century guitarist. Washington Post selected JIJI as “one of the 21 composers/performers who sound like tomorrow.”.

The Kansas City Star described JIJI as “A graceful and nuanced player,” adding that “…she presented an intimate, captivating performance” in reviewing her recent concerto debut appearance with the Kansas City Symphony.

A master class with Ms. Jiji will be held on Sunday, February 19th at 1:00PM at the 560 Music Center recital hall. Local area guitar students will perform.

Attention: This concert will no longer present Duo Virtuosi due to visa issues. Guitarist Virginia Luque will now perform with baritone singer Jubilant Sykes, replacing violinist Bojidara Kouzmanova.

Guitarist Virginia Luque, plays classical and flamenco music in a Spanish romantic style, combining extraordinary technical virtuosity with beautiful tone and musicianship. Ms. Luque has appeared to much acclaim with orchestra and in recital virtually throughout the world. She has recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and been awarded first prize at several international competitions including the “Manuel de Falla” Competition, in Granada, Spain. She has also received the Lincoln Center Scholarship and recently made her conducting debut in a recording with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Jubilant Sykes, American baritone, has been described as one of the only vocalists of our time who possesses a more exquisitely versatile instrument. Mr. Sykes brings a new dimension to the traditional career of the classically trained vocalist by drawing on gospel and jazz influences to deliver performances in differing musical genre that often leaves audiences and critics searching for new superlatives. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was inspired to proclaim, “Jubilant Sykes’ voice is extraordinary. He isn’t merely an outstanding singer, his voice is art at its highest expression.”

A classical guitar connection: Mr. Sykes collaborated with the legendary American classical guitarist, Christopher Parkening for their release of Jubilation for EMI. This pairing has drawn such critical acclaim as “. . . the kind of concert a writer holds a few choice adjectives in special reserve for . . . two astonishing musicians.”