Xuefei Yang
Xuefei Yang February 13 & 14, 2027
| Dallas: Saturday Nov 7, 2026 7:30pm Westminster Presbyterian Church 8200 Devonshire Drive, Dallas, TX 75209 |
Fort Worth: Sun Nov 8, 2026 2:30pm Kimbell Art Museum – Renzo Piano Pavillion Auditorium 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 |
MUSICAL PIONEER
Xuefei Yang is acclaimed as one of the world’s finest classical guitarists. Hailed as a musical pioneer – her fascinating journey began after the Cultural Revolution, a period where Western musical instruments & music were banned. Xuefei was the first-ever guitarist in China to enter a music school, & became the first internationally recognised Chinese guitarist on the world stage. Her first public appearance was at the age of ten and received such acclaim that the Spanish Ambassador in China presented her with a concert guitar. Her debut in Madrid at the age of 14 was attended by the composer Joaquín Rodrigo and, when John Williams heard her play, he gave two of his own instruments to Beijing’s Central Conservatoire especially for her and other advanced students.
MUSICAL EDUCATION
Xuefei was born in Beijing, & is a graduate of Beijing’s Central Conservatoire of Music, and went on to become the first Chinese musician to receive a full scholarship for postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she received the Principal’s Prize on completion of her postgraduate study.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Her international success has led her to be invited to play in more than 50 countries at numerous prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall, all Southbank venues, and Royal Albert Hall in London, as well as the Philharmonie Berlin, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Konzerthaus Vienna, Auditorio Nacional de Espana, Barcelona Auditorium, Carnegie Hall & Lincoln Center New York. In Asia she has appeared at the National Concert Hall Taipei, Hong Kong City Hall & Cultural Center, Esplanade Singapore, Seoul Arts Centre and gave the first guitar recital and concerto in the Beijing National Center of Performing Arts. Xuefei has also been invited to perform at major music festivals such as BBC Proms, Edinburgh International Festival, Shanghai MISA Festival and the Beijing international Music Festival.
In 2003 she performed 54 concerts for the “Night of the Proms” Tour, appearing in Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany, to a total audience of over 800,000 people.
Xuefei is frequently invited to play with the world’s leading orchestras including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Scotland National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, & Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, China Philharmonic. Xuefei’s recent highlights include return performances with the English Chamber Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Wintertour Philharmonic, debut performances with Beijing Symphony Orchestra, China National Orchestra giving the Asian premier of the The Albeniz Concerto written for Xuefei by Stephen Goss, and an Australian tour with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra which included performing the Australian premier of Tan Dun’s guitar concerto.
Xuefei’s dedication as a recitalist will see her appear across the world throughout the season. Her engagements in the 2016/17 season include appearances in Melbourne, Seoul, Hong Kong, Beijing, San Francisco, Frankfurt, London, Bath, Istanbul and concertos with the Seoul Philharmonic, HK Philharmonic, Beijing Symphony & Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester. Xuefei also continues her successful collaboration with the Heath Quartet.
NEW REPERTOIRE
Gramophone magazine praised Xuefei as one of the leading innovators of her generation for continuing to build the guitar repertoire. Xuefei is committed to commissioning new works and making her own arrangements, with a particular interest in adding Chinese music and chamber music, many of which have appeared on her recordings. Xuefei has received new works from composers such as Chen Yi, Stephen Goss, Timothy Salter, Carlo Domeniconi. This season sees her giving at least three world premiere performances.
RECORDING ARTIST
Xuefei has made many albums including several acclaimed recordings for EMI Classics. Her first recording received a gold disc & her second was selected as ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone magazine. Several of the recordings reflect Xuefei’s interest in expanding the repertoire. A concerto album recorded with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Eiji Oue, featuring Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez & Goss’ Albeniz Concerto. Another recording of “Bach Concertos” featured Xuefei’s innovative transcriptions of solo works and concertos by J.S. Bach. Xuefei has released two albums in 2016, her latest solo album “Colours of Brazil,” (Decca Classics) and “Songs from our Ancestors” (Globe Music) which continues her successful collaboration with Ian Bostridge in a recording made at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
IN THE MEDIA
Xuefei is one of the few guitarists whose artistry connect with audiences far beyond the guitar fraternity. She collaborates with an eclectic range of artists: classical musicians such as Jian Wang, Ian Bostridge, Rosalind Plowright, Sir James Galway, Elias String Quartet & the Heath Quartet; cross-over artist David Garrett. Xuefei has also appeared on numerous radio and television programmes including BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, the BBC Proms, a BBC documentary ‘The Story of Guitar’, and China Central Television, who made a biographical documentary on Xuefei, & are filming another this year.
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
The UK classical music magazine, Classic FM, named Xuefei as one of the 100 top classical musicians of our time. In recognition of her distinguished career, Xuefei was awarded ‘Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music’ in June 2012. Xuefei continues to be ambassador & role model for guitar in China, & from 2015 she is honoured to be the artistic director of Changsha International Guitar Festival.
Xuefei is now based in the UK.
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Kaleido Guitar Duo
Kaleido Guitar Duo November 7 & 8, 2026
| Dallas: Saturday Nov 7, 2026 7:30pm Westminster Presbyterian Church 8200 Devonshire Drive, Dallas, TX 75209 |
Fort Worth: Sun Nov 8, 2026 2:30pm Kimbell Art Museum – Renzo Piano Pavillion Auditorium 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 |
Kaleido Guitar Duo brings together two distinctive voices from across the globe. Chinese guitarist Hao Yang and Singaporean classical guitarist Kevin Loh, both internationally renowned award-winning musicians in their own right, are united by a shared musical heritage and an adventurous spirit for exploring uncharted territories in the guitar duo repertoire.
The partnership was born from their common roots in the English classical guitar tradition, with both musicians studying under the connected lineage of Richard Wright and Jonathan Leathwood. Before moving to the US for postgraduate studies, Kevin studied in the UK for a decade under various professors, including Wright, and worked regularly with Leathwood during his frequent visits to the UK, both of whom are close colleagues. Coincidentally, Hao later studied with Leathwood for her master’s degree at the Lamont School of Music in Denver, Colorado. This shared exposure to similar pedagogical approaches created an intuitive understanding between the two musicians.
The duo’s name, “Kaleido,” draws inspiration from the kaleidoscope, an ingenious instrument that creates infinite patterns of beauty from simple elements. Like the kaleidoscope’s ever-shifting colors, Kaleido Guitar Duo seeks to discover and reveal the vast spectrum of sonic possibilities within the guitar duo combination.
What sets Kaleido Guitar Duo apart is not only their individual achievements as internationally recognized soloists, but their dedication to expanding the boundaries of what two guitars can achieve together. Rather than retreading familiar ground, they actively seek compositions that challenge both performers and audiences, revealing rich harmonic and textural possibilities.
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David Leisner
David Leisner October 10 & 11, 2026
| Dallas: Saturday Oct 10, 2026 7:30pm Westminster Presbyterian Church 8200 Devonshire Drive, Dallas, TX 75209 |
Fort Worth: Sun Oct 11, 2026 2:30pm Kimbell Art Museum – Renzo Piano Pavillion Auditorium 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 |
David Leisner, winner of the Leyenda Foundation’s 2026 Celedonio Romero Lifetime Achievement Award, is an extraordinarily versatile musician with a multi-faceted career as a performing artist, composer and teacher. “Among the finest guitarists of all time”, according to American Record Guide, Leisner is a featured recording artist for the Azica label, with 11 highly acclaimed solo CDs. His recent recordings of Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin with baritone Michael Kelly (Bright Shiny Things) and his solo album for Azica, Charms to Soothe, featuring early 19th-century music, garnered rave reviews. His latest album for Azica, a recordings of works he commissioned, called Dedications, is scheduled for release in November 2025. Other recordings are on the Naxos, Telarc and Koch labels, with a concert DVD published by Mel Bay. David Leisner’s recent seasons have taken him around the US, a major tour of Australia and New Zealand, and debuts and reappearances in China, Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, the U.K., Italy, Czech Republic, Greece, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico. An innovative three-concert series at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall included the first all-Bach guitar recital in New York’s history, and for 12 years, he was the Artistic Director of Guitar Plus, a New York series devoted to chamber music with the guitar. Celebrated for expanding the guitar repertoire, David Leisner has premiered and commissioned works by many important composers, including David Del Tredici, Virgil Thomson, Ned Rorem, Philip Glass, Richard Rodney Bennett, Peter Sculthorpe and Osvaldo Golijov. His recent Pandemic Commissions project elicited works from Pierre Jalbert, Laura Kaminsky, Chester Biscardi, Bun-Ching Lam and João Luiz. He has also spearheaded the revival of neglected 19th-century composers, J.K. Mertz and Wenzeslaus Matiegka. He has performed at the Santa Fe, Rockport, Vail Valley, Bargemusic, Bay Chamber, Cape Cod and Islands, Maui, Portland, Sitka, Music in the Vineyards, Crested Butte and Angel Fire chamber music festivals.
Mr. Leisner is also a highly respected composer, noted for the emotional and dramatic power of his music. Fanfare magazine described it as “rich in invention and melody, emotionally direct, and beautiful”, and Textura praised its “arresting melodic character, emotional depth, and dramatic sweep”. His music has been performed worldwide by eminent soloists, chamber ensembles and orchestras. An extensive discography includes the much-praised Cedille CD, Acrobats, performed by the Cavatina Duo, and Letter to the World, an album of his vocal chamber music. His compositions are published by Theodore Presser Co. and Dobermann-Ypann. Recent works and commissions include a guitar concerto, Wayfaring for Pepe Romero and the New American Sinfonietta, Singing to the Stars for soprano, violin, saxophone and 2 guitars for the New Music Festival at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Pranayama for the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, Love Dreams of the Exile for the Cavatina Duo and the Avalon Quartet and Das Wunderbare Wesen for baritone Wolfgang Holzmair and solo cello.
A distinguished teacher as well, Leisner is currently on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music and taught for over two decades at the New England Conservatory. His book about ergonomic guitar technique, Playing with Ease, is published by Oxford University Press. Primarily self-taught as both guitarist and composer, he briefly studied guitar with John Duarte, David Starobin and Angelo Gilardino and composition with Richard Winslow, Virgil Thomson, Charles Turner and David Del Tredici.
Jason Vieaux
Jason Vieaux April 11 & 12, 2026
| Dallas: Saturday Apr 11, 2026 7:30pm Westminster Presbyterian Church 8200 Devonshire Drive, Dallas, TX 75209 |
Fort Worth: Sun Apr 12, 2026 2:30pm Kimbell Art Museum – Renzo Piano Pavillion Auditorium 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 |
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.
Sought-after for his extensive concerto repertoire, Vieaux has performed with a long list of orchestras including Cleveland, Toronto, St. Louis, Houston, Columbus, and has made premiere recordings with the Nashville Symphony (Leshnoff Concerto) and the Norrköping Symphony (Beal Six Sixteen). He has worked with renowned conductors including Giancarlo Guerrero, Jahja Ling, Gerard Schwarz, and David Robertson. Vieaux’s passion for new music has fostered premieres from Jeff Beal, Avner Dorman, Vivian Fung, Pierre Jalbert, Jonathan Leshnoff, David Ludwig, Mark Mancina, and Dan Visconti, among many others.
Vieaux’s extensive discography includes his “Bach Volume 2: Works for Violin” released on Azica in 2022 to rave reviews for his “eloquent and vibrant performances” (Gramophone). Additional 2022 releases include “Shining Night” featuring his duo with acclaimed violinist Anne Akiko Meyers (Avie Records) and Michael Fine’s “Concierto del Luna” with flutist Alexa Still (Sony Classical), both enjoying strong critical acclaim. Vieaux recorded Pat Metheny’s “Four Paths of Light”, a solo work dedicated to him by Pat, for Metheny’s 2021 album “Road to the Sun”. Jason Vieaux won the 2014 Best Instrumental Classical Solo Grammy Award for “Play”. The Huffington Post declared PLAY is “part of the revitalized interest in the classical guitar”.
A busy touring performer, Jason Vieaux enjoys repeated invitations from distinguished series, including San Francisco Performances, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and the 92nd Street Y, among others. Festival engagements include Ravinia, Caramoor, Domaine-Forget, Music@Menlo, Round Top, and the Eastern Music Festival. Overseas performance venues include Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Seoul Arts Center, Shanghai Concert Hall, Sala Sao Paolo, and Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.
Jason Vieaux enjoys ongoing performing and recording collaborations with the Escher String Quartet, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, harpist Yolanda Kondonassis, accordion/bandoneon virtuoso Julien Labro, and saxophone virtuoso Timothy McAllister.
In 2011 Vieaux co-founded the guitar department at the Curtis Institute of Music (with David Starobin). He has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music for 25 years. Jason’s online Guitar School for Artistworks Inc. has hundreds of subscribers from all over the world. He plays a guitar by Gernot Wagner, 2013, made in Frankfurt.
…faultless delivery… even the arpeggiated chords resound as a solitary line.
DownBeat
…virtuosic, flamboyant, dashing and, sometimes ineffably lyrical.
The New York Times
…perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.
NPR
…spirited and expressive guitarist
The New Yorker
Vieaux … makes everything look and sound easy. An uncommonly relaxed figure onstage, he seems immersed entirely in the moment. Every note comes out fully formed, but nothing he does feels premeditated, and the music, just a little understated, speaks eloquently for itself.
Washington Post
This terrific guitarist, a Philadelphia favorite, worked wonders with Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez… he played with elegance and fine-tuned precision… a marvel.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
…masterful ease, and great panache.
San Francisco Classical Voice
Vieaux’s new recording Play is not only like pop iTunes, it is part of the revitalized interest in the classical guitar.
The Huffington Post
Vieaux [was] nimble-fingered in a Vivaldi Concerto that was remarkable for its variety of colors.
Boston Globe
The writing for the solo instrument was fantastic— lyrical, virtuosic, tender, and passionate all at once. Vieaux proved to be an ideal soloist. [Leshnoff Concerto, Nashville Symphony] American Record Guide
Vieaux excelled in its flamenco-style flourishes, ethereal high notes and spiraling passage work. [Villa-Lobos Concerto, San Diego Symphony] San Diego Union Tribune
Vieaux showed why he is among the most talented guitarists of his generation, a player whose effortless technique and fluidity gave the concerto a singing voice.
Tampa Tribune
…one of America’s premier guitarists… Vieaux’s performance spun magic. Rarely has a single instrument so clearly painted such cinematic vistas and searching introspection
Fort-Worth Star-Telegram
Vieaux was first-class. One movement of Ponce’s Concierto del sur made me want to hear more of his work, such was the range of sounds he drew from his instrument.
New Zealand Herald
…among the elite of today’s classical guitarists.
Gramophone
Bokyung Byun
Bokyung Byun March 7 & 8, 2026
| Dallas: Saturday Mar 7, 2026 7:30pm Westminster Presbyterian Church 8200 Devonshire Drive, Dallas, TX 75209 |
Fort Worth: Sun Mar 8, 2026 2:30pm Kimbell Art Museum – Renzo Piano Pavillion Auditorium 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 |
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
A bevy of orchestras, festivals, workshops, and guitar societies look to Byun for solo performances and masterclasses. In recent seasons, Byun has performed as a soloist with orchestras, including the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Utah Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, among others. Her solo recital highlights include performances at the Philadelphia Guitar Festival, Aspen-Salida Concert Series, Toronto Guitar Weekend, Guitar Montréal, Ellnora | The Guitar Festival, and San Diego Guitar Festival. She was acclaimed for performing “eloquently through a diverse and challenging program,” by Michelle Fratus, president of the board of the Knoxville Guitar Society, and having “confidence, passion, excellent projection and great dynamic contrast” by Heather Morand Clark, president of the Guitar Society of Toronto.
Committed to expanding the role of a 21st-century musician, Byun’s concert program often features contemporary music alongside traditional repertoire. As Byun herself says, “it’s vital and exciting to audiences for concerts to join the new with the old. For guitar music to continue to grow, I believe that new works must actively be cultivated in programming, and it is my hope that audiences leave my performances with new experiences.” This skill at navigating both classic repertoire and fresh work has led her to co-found Sounding Board: The New Music Initiative for Guitarists and Composers. The project focuses on promoting collaborative relationships between composers and performers to create new works for guitar, and its inaugural festival in Besançon, France in 2019 has been praised as “extraordinary, in the strict sense of the word,” by La Presse de Gray in France.
Bokyung’s debut recording in 2020 has been praised by Soundboard Magazine as, “a very beautiful disc…We are treated to extraordinary musicianship, technical assurance, and beauty of sound.” In 2022, American Record Guide chose her Naxos Laurate Series recording as the Critics’ Choice Album, remarking her style as “very reminiscent of Andres Segovia.”
Born in Seoul, Korea, Byun began playing guitar at the age of six. At eleven, she took the stage for her first solo recital, leading to an early start in her teen years performing numerous concert tours around Korea, to enthusiastic response, including millions of views on YouTube. By her teen years, she had gained national attention for first-prize finishes in three renowned competitions: the Korea Guitar Association, the Music Association of Korea, and the Guitar Foundation of America International Youth Competition.
Byun soon moved to the United States, where she briefly studied in Los Angeles before moving to New York City, where she entered The Juilliard School at the age of sixteen. 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.
In 2020, Byun co-founded Guitarlab which has provided an innovative online learning platform offering cutting-edge classes designed for young professionals around the world. 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).
Reviews:
“Amazing technical abilities, a powerful and luscious sound, and a profound sense of musical interpretation.”
“The applause didn’t stop when the four chapters of ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ ended. Music lovers in the capital couldn’t help but admire Bokyung Byun’s talent. Ms. Minh Ha, an audience member, said: “I’ve been a fan of Bokyung Byun for a long time, and it’s fortunate that SSO brought her to Hanoi. Her performance today did not disappoint the audience who love guitar and love Bokyung Byun.”
-Vietnam Posts, 2022
“Here is a simple fact: with artistry such as Ms. Byun’s, the state-of-the-art of guitar performance has reached a new level.”
-Soundboard Magazine
“She showed off a thorough expressivity and impressive technical agility, seemingly without breaking a sweat…Byun went on to capture something supremely blissful, beautiful, and meaningful in this music.”
-ClevelandClassical.com
“Extraordinary, in the strict sense of the word.”
-La Presse de Gray
“Bokyung’s artistry and technique break the limits of conventional classical guitar.”
-San Diego Guitar Festival
“Bokyung Byun played the Villa-Lobos concerto with confidence, passion, excellent projection and great dynamic contrast.”
-Guitar Society of Toronto
“Bokyung’s confident and quite extraordinary rendition of Britten’s notoriously difficult Nocturnal after John Dowland…truly brought out the depth of its many tonal colors and shading”
-Classical Guitar Magazine
“What a joy it was for all in attendance at the Knoxville Guitar Society concert…to hear Bokyung Byun play eloquently through a diverse and challenging program!”
-Knoxville Guitar Society
Beijing Duo
Beijing Duo February 14 & 15, 2026
| Dallas: Saturday Feb 14, 2026 7:30pm Westminster Presbyterian Church 8200 Devonshire Drive, Dallas, TX 75209 |
Fort Worth: Sun Feb 15, 2025 2:30pm Please note venue change for this concert. University Christian Church
2720 S University Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76109 |
The Beijing Guitar Duo has performed around the world in halls such as the Concertgebouw, Palau de Musica, Tchaikovsky Hall and the National Theatre in Beijing. This season will take them to a 12-city concert tour in the United States in February (Washington D.C., Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Knoxville) as well as other performances in Europe and China. The duo regularly collaborates with orchestras, in ensemble with flutist Marina Piccinini, guitarists Grigoryan Brothers and with their mentor Manuel Barrueco touring in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
Virginia Luque
Virginia Luque October 4 & 5, 2025
| Dallas: Saturday Oct 4, 2025 7:30pm Westminster Presbyterian Church 8200 Devonshire Drive, Dallas, TX 75209 |
Fort Worth: Sun Oct 5, 2025 3:15pm Kimbell Art Museum – Renzo Piano Pavillion Auditorium 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 |
Virginia Luque plays classical and flamenco music in a Spanish romantic style, combining extraordinary technical virtuosity with beautiful tone and musicianship.
Ms. Luque has recently recorded Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. She has been awarded First Prize at several international competitions, including the “Manuel de Falla” Competition for Classical Guitar in Granada, Spain, and has received the Lincoln Center Scholarship among other awards.
Concerto performances have included the Concierto de Aranjuez with the New York Virtuosi Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Riverside Symphony, the Seoul Symphony Orchestra, the Izmir Symphony Orchestra, Antalya Symphony Orchestra and she has premiered her own concerto with the Alexandria Symphony.
Recitals have included Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, The Metropolitan Opera House, The Frick Collection in New York City, and numerous concert halls throughout the United States. She was also invited by Christopher Parkening to do a special guest recital at the Christopher Parkening International Master Class at Montana State University.
A native of Algeciras (Cadiz), Spain, Ms. Luque began playing the guitar when she was four, started formal training when she was six, and gave her first concert at the age of seven. After hearing her play, Ms. Luque was invited by the legendary Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia to study privately with him.
She received her Master’s degree in Spain and at Segovia’s suggestion came to America where she also received a Master’s degree from the Juilliard School in New York City.
Ms. Luque’s other pursuits have garnered her a First Prize in the International Competition of Poetry based in Puerto Rico and she has also graduated as “Chef” from the French Culinary Institute of New York.
Leonela Alejandro GFA Winner
Leonela Alejandro November 8 & 9, 2025
| Dallas: Saturday Nov 8, 2025 7:30pm Westminster Presbyterian Church 8200 Devonshire Drive, Dallas, TX 75209 |
Fort Worth: Sun Nov 9, 2025 2:30pm Kimbell Art Museum – Renzo Piano Pavillion Auditorium 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 |
Winner of the Rose Augustine Grand Prize in the 2024 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition, Leonela Alejandro is a classical guitarist from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. She has garnered attention as a soloist, captivating audiences with her powerful and energetic performance style. She has been invited to perform in numerous venues in the United States and Europe, including the Latino Arts Guitar Festival, Northern Illinois University International Guitar Concert Series, Southern Guitar Festival, Florida Guitar Festival, Marlow Guitar Series, Louisville Guitar Society, Orange County Guitar Circle, and José Tomás Villa de Petrer Guitar Festival.
Leonela has also placed in over a dozen competitions in the United States, with more than ten first-prize placements including the Louisville Guitar Festival, Appalachian State Guitar Festival, Columbus State University Guitar Symposium, Indiana Guitar Festival, and Chicago Guitar Festival, among others. She has also succeeded abroad as an international competitor, receiving prizes from the le Domaine Forget de Charlevoix guitar Competition, Ciudad de Coria International Guitar Competition, and the Iserlohn International Guitar Competition.
Leonela formally began her musical education when she was seven years old. Following her work with various Puerto Rican teachers including Jomel Rivera, Julio Reyes, and Rey Nieves, she decided to dedicate her professional life to this passion. In 2016, she was accepted into the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico at just 16 years old, studying with world-renowned performer Maestro Iván Rijos. After two fruitful years in the Conservatory, she transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and completed her undergraduate degree with Cuban virtuoso René Izquierdo in 2020. Leonela recently completed her graduate studies with Dr. Andrew Zohn at Columbus State University in 2023.
Apart from her celebrated resume in competition settings, Leonela has established herself as a soloist in orchestral settings. She has performed multiple concerti with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Roselín Pabón including Antonio Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto in D major, RV 93, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Guitar Concerto No.1 in D Major, Op.99. She was the soloist in the recent premiere of Atanas Ourkouzounov’s Concertino for Guitar, Percussion and Strings under the direction of Paul Hostetter. She also has appeared as a solo mandolinist with the Schwob School of Music Wind Ensemble as a soloist in Ottorino Respighi’s Roman Festivals under the direction of Jamie L. Nix.
Leonela is an Augustine Strings Ambassador and her string of choice are Paragon Reds. She performs on guitars built by luthiers Stephan Connor and Martin Blackwell.
Leonela has also placed in over a dozen competitions in the United States, with more than ten first-prize placements including the Louisville Guitar Festival, Appalachian State Guitar Festival, Columbus State University Guitar Symposium, Indiana Guitar Festival, and Chicago Guitar Festival, among others. She has also succeeded abroad as an international competitor, receiving prizes from the le Domaine Forget de Charlevoix guitar Competition, Ciudad de Coria International Guitar Competition, and the Iserlohn International Guitar Competition.
Leonela formally began her musical education when she was seven years old. Following her work with various Puerto Rican teachers including Jomel Rivera, Julio Reyes, and Rey Nieves, she decided to dedicate her professional life to this passion. In 2016, she was accepted into the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico at just 16 years old, studying with world-renowned performer Maestro Iván Rijos. After two fruitful years in the Conservatory, she transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and completed her undergraduate degree with Cuban virtuoso René Izquierdo in 2020. Leonela recently completed her graduate studies with Dr. Andrew Zohn at Columbus State University in 2023.
Apart from her celebrated resume in competition settings, Leonela has established herself as a soloist in orchestral settings. She has performed multiple concerti with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Roselín Pabón including Antonio Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto in D major, RV 93, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Guitar Concerto No.1 in D Major, Op.99. She was the soloist in the recent premiere of Atanas Ourkouzounov’s Concertino for Guitar, Percussion and Strings under the direction of Paul Hostetter. She also has appeared as a solo mandolinist with the Schwob School of Music Wind Ensemble as a soloist in Ottorino Respighi’s Roman Festivals under the direction of Jamie L. Nix.
Leonela is an Augustine Strings Ambassador and her string of choice are Paragon Reds. She performs on guitars built by luthiers Stephan Connor and Martin Blackwell.
Beijing Guitar Duo
Beijing Guitar Duo
Mar 16 & 17, 2024
| Dallas: Sat Mar 16, 2024 7:30pm St. Monica Catholic Church 9933 Midway Rd, Dallas, TX 75220
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Fort Worth: Sun Mar 17, 2024 2:30pm Kimbell Art Museum – Renzo Piano Pavilion Auditorium 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 |
Composed of guitarist Meng Su and Yameng Wang, the Beijing Guitar Duo has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. This past season took them to countries such as Germany, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, China, Panama, and the United States. The duo has toured extensively with their mentor Manuel Barrueco, appearing in such countries as Germany, Finland, Spain, Russia, as well as the United States.
The Beijing Guitar Duo’s performances and recordings have impressed the public with “an ability and artistry that exceeds their years.” Their debut CD Maracaípe, received a Latin-GRAMMY nomination for the titled piece, which was dedicated to them by renowned guitarist/composer Sergio Assad. Their second CD, Bach to Tan Dun, has been widely noted for the world-premiere recording of Tan Dun’s Eight Memories in Watercolor, specially arranged for the duo by Manuel Barrueco. A recording in trio, China West, with Maestro Barrueco was released in May 2014.
Meng Su and Yameng Wang were born in the coastal city of Qingdao, China. They came to the partnership with exceptional credentials, including a string of competition awards. Ms. Su’s honors include victories at the Vienna Youth Guitar Competition and the Christopher Parkening Young Guitarist Competition, while Ms. Wang was the youngest guitarist to win the Tokyo International Guitar Competition at the age of 12, and was invited by Radio France to perform at the prestigious Paris International Guitar Art Week at age 14. Both young artists had given solo recitals in China and abroad, and had made solo recordings before they formed the duo.
In addition to concertizing, the members of the duo share a love for teaching which brings them to major conservatories in the world for master classes and to judge competitions. Since 2011 they have been Artists-in-residence for the San Francisco Performances. This four-year residency program brings them to the Bay Area every year for community outreach, performances, and master classes in public schools as well as for the San Francisco Conservatory.
The Beijing Guitar Duo is proudly supported by the Maryland State Art Council’s Touring Artists Grant program since 2014.
MENG SU
Born in the coastal city of Qingdao, in the province of Shandong, China in 1988, Meng Su demonstrated her artistic gifts as an exceptionally talented guitarist from an early age.
Embarking on an exciting guitar career as one of the most outstanding guitarists of her generation, Meng Su began her training in classical guitar with renowned Professor Chen Zhi at the age of nine, where she quickly began attracting attention as a remarkable young talent. Before graduating from the High School of the Central Conservatory of Music of China in 2006, Ms. Su had already won many awards, including the 5th Vienna Youth Guitar Competition, the 48th Tokyo International Guitar Competition, the Christopher Parkening Young Guitarist Competition, and the 2nd Iserlohn International Guitar Competition in Germany.
As a performing artist, she has performed solo, duo, and quartet concerts across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Austria, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Finland, Croatia, Korea, Japan, and China, in which she has impressed audiences with an ability and artistry that exceeds her years.
Ms. Su performs regularly in chamber music setting, both with orchestras as a soloist, this past season she performed the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo and Osvaldo Golijov’s Ayre for a chamber music ensemble.
Meng Su obtained her Performer’s Certificate and the Graduate Performer’s Diploma from Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, USA, and is currently continuing her studies with guitar virtuoso Manuel Barrueco in the chamber music program.
Ms. Su’s discography includes a live CD and DVD release of a 2005 guitar concert in Korea as well as a release of “Four Angels.”
YAMENG WANG
Born in Qingdao, China in 1981, Yameng Wang fell in love with the classical guitar at a young age and began studying with the leading guitar professor in China, Professor Chen Zhi, when she was 10 years old.
She became the youngest winner of the Tokyo International Guitar Competition at the age of 12. She went on to win second prize in the “Michele Pittaluga” International Guitar Competition in Italy at the age of 13, and at the age of 14 she was invited by Radio France to perform at the Paris International Guitar Art Week and won second prize in La Infanta Doña Cristina International Guitar Competition in Spain. Classical Guitar magazine noted that at the age of 14, she already played like a seasoned professional.
After graduating from the Central Conservatory of Music of China in 2006, Ms. Wang enrolled in the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. There, she finished her Masters of Music degree in 2008 and is currently in the Graduate Performance Diploma program, studying with Maestro Manuel Barrueco.
Ms. Wang has given acclaimed recitals across the US, France, Italy, Holland, Germany, Ireland, Finland, Croatia,, Britain, Austria, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, Japan, and Malaysia both as a soloist and in chamber music setting.
Her first album, “Caprice” was recorded when she was 16 years old. “A Very Special Album” was released in 1999, and in 2003 she contributed GHA’s album, “The Best of Classical Guitar.” In 2005 she released “Classic Guitar – Aquarelle, Un Sueño en la Floresta.”
Program
Prelude, Fugue et Variation, Op.18
CÉSAR FRANCK (1822-1890)
Prélude (Andantino)
Lento (arr. Ophee)
Fugue (Allegretto ma non troppo)
Variation (Andantino)
Petite Suite
CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
En bateau
Cortège (arr. Meng Su)
Menuet
Ballet
Dolly Suite, Op. 56
GABRIEL FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Berceuse
Mi-a-ou (arr. Meng Su)
Le Jardin de Dolly
Kitty-valse
Tendresse
Le pas espagnole
Intermission
Valses poéticos
ENRIQUE GRANADOS (1867-1916)
Vivace molto
Melodico (arr. Duo Gruber-Maklar)
Tempo de vals noble
Tempo de vals lento
Allegro humoristico
Allegretto (elegante)
Quasi ad libitum (sentimental)
Vivo
Presto – Andante – Tempo del primer vals
Bajo la Palmera
ISAAC ALBÉNIZ (1860-1909)
Castilla (arr. M. Llobet)
Tango Suite
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992)
Allegro
Andante
Allegro vivace
Manuel Barrueco
Manuel Barrueco
April 6 & 7, 2024
| Dallas: Sat Apr 6, 2024 7:30pm St. Monica Catholic Church 9933 Midway Rd, Dallas, TX 75220 |
Fort Worth: Sun Apr 7, 2024 2:30pm Kimbell Art Museum – Renzo Piano Pavilion Auditorium 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 7610 |
Manuel Barrueco is internationally recognized as one of the most important guitarists of our time. His unique artistry has been continually described as that of a superb instrumentalist and a superior and elegant musician, possessing a seductive sound and uncommon lyrical gifts.
His career has been dedicated to bringing the guitar to the main musical centers of the world. During three decades of concertizing, he has performed across the United Sates from the New World Symphony in Miami to the Seattle Symphony, and from the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to New York’s Lincoln Center.
He has appeared with such prestigious orchestras as the Philadelphia Orchestra and with the Boston Symphony under the direction of Seiji Ozawa, in the American Premiere of Toru’s Takemitsu’s To the Edge of Dream. In addition, he appears regularly with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and with San Francisco Performances.
His international tours have taken him to some of the most important musical centers in the world. Highlights include the Musikverein in Vienna, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Royal Albert Hall in London, Philharmonie in Berlin, Teatro Real in Madrid, and Palau de la Musica in Barcelona. In Asia he has completed a dozen tours of Japan and made repeated appearances in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China, and Hong Kong. Barrueco’s tours of Latin America have included performances in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Puerto Rico.
He has also performed as a guest soloist with other international orchestras, such as the Russian State Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, New Japan Philharmonic, Auckland Symphony in New Zealand, Orquestra Sinfonica do Estado de Sao Paulo (OSESP), in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the radio symphonies of Munich and Frankfurt.
This coming season 2016-2017 includes solo recitals in the United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, and Italy, an appearance with the Puerto Rico Symphony and conductor Max Valdes, performances with the Cuarteto Casals in the United States, and the Beijing Guitar Duo in the United States and Europe. He will continue being an Artist-in-residence for the University of Alicante, Spain. In the 2017-2018 concert season, Mr. Barrueco will offer two solo tours in Europe (November 2017 and March 2018).
Barrueco’s commitment to contemporary music and to the expansion of the guitar repertoire has led him to collaborations with many distinguished composers such as Steven Stucky, Michael Daugherty, Roberto Sierra, Arvo Pärt, Jonathan Leshnoff, Gabriela Lena Frank, Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky, and Toru Takemitsu, whose last orchestral work Spectral Canticle was a double concerto written specifically for Manuel Barrueco and violinist Frank Peter Zimmerman.
Manuel Barrueco has appeared on a wide array of television programs including “CBS Sunday Morning”, A&E’s “Breakfast with the Arts”, and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” on PBS. He was featured in a Lexus car commercial, and his work in music inspired Michael Lawrence’s biographical documentary: “Manuel Barrueco: A Gift and a Life” which has been aired by PBS stations around the United States. Barrueco’s performances have been broadcast by television stations around the world such as NHK in Japan, Bayerische Rundfunk in Germany, and RTVE in Spain.
Barrueco’s recording catalogue includes over a dozen recordings for the EMI label. His recording of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with conductor and tenor Plácido Domingo and the Philharmonia Orchestra was cited as the best recording of that piece in Classic CD Magazine. His Koch Classics release, Concierto Barroco, with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia and conductor Víctor Pablo Pérez, received a Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Classical Recording.” His early recordings, available on VOX, have become a classic amongst guitar recordings.
In 2007 Manuel Barrueco received a Grammy nomination for the “Best Instrumental Soloist Performance” for his Solo Piazzolla, which was the first recording to be released on the exclusive Manuel Barrueco Collection on Tonar Music. Tango Sensations and Sounds of the Americas came out subsequently in collaboration with the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, the latter received a Latin Grammy Award for “Inca Dances” by Gabriela Lena Frank for “Best Classical Contemporary Composition.” Virtuoso Guitar Duos was released in 2009 and includes the most breathtaking guitar duos from the Spanish and Latin-American repertoire. In 2010 he released a solo recording, Tárrega!, which includes works and arrangements of the Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega and which received a Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Classical Album.” His latest release Chaconne–A Baroque Recital came out in 2012.
This past season he released two recordings: Medea, which includes Barrueco’s arrangement of the ballet by flamenco guitarist/composer Manolo Sanlúcar recorded with the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and Víctor Pablo Pérez conducting, and China West, a recording of guitar trios in collaboration with his protégés, the Beijing Guitar Duo (Meng Su & Yameng Wang).
Manuel Barrueco began playing the guitar at the age of eight, and he attended the Esteban Salas Conservatory in his native Cuba. He immigrated with his family to the United States in 1967, as political refugees. Later, he completed his advanced studies at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he now shares his love for music with a small number of exceptionally gifted young guitarists from all over the world.
In 2011, Manuel Barrueco received the United States Artist Fontanals Fellowship for Artistic Excellence.