International Performing Artist Series

Use main doors on King St. Opposite Roy Thomson Hall in the Entertainment District. Conveniently located next to St. Andrew’s subway station.
Advance Tickets: $35 General | $30 Seniors | $25 Students
At the Door: $40 | $35 | $30

Advance Tickets available through Eventbrite at above link. Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase unless the event is cancelled. In that case, a refund will be issued within 60 days.

Born in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 1987, Mak has had an extraordinary global career as a soloist, collaborator, entrepreneur, recording artist and educator. By the age of 14, he was balancing his world champion status in karate with his love of music. Fortunately for us, he chose the guitar!

His repertoire ranges from Baroque and Renaissance to ethnic and avant garde music. As a testament to his wide-ranging appeal and versatility, Mak was invited by legendary singer-songwriter k.d. lang to perform as the opening act for the North American leg of her Ingénue Redux Tour.

Since his debut with the St. Petersburg Orchestra in 2009 at the age of 22, his many tours have taken him to China, Japan, the Balkans, Europe and North America. An enthusiastic recording artist, Mak’s albums capture a probing and continuous exploration of the world of guitar and its possibilities. He proudly plays and endorses an array of fabulous concert guitars made by diverse craftsmen.

Mak studied under Alvaro Pierri in Vienna, then pursued advanced studies in the U.S. with William Kanengeiser and Scott Tennant of LAGQ fame.  Mak incorporated the University of Southern California Thornton’s New Arts Leadership graduate program into his doctoral studies. He was the first guitarist in the university’s history to be admitted to this elite program.  Also an active entrepreneur and educator, Mak is Director of EuroStrings , a consortium of seventeen guitar festivals in Europe and numerous other societies and groups across the globe.

www.makgrgic.com

Use main doors on King St. Opposite Roy Thomson Hall in the Entertainment District. Conveniently located next to St. Andrew’s subway station.
Advance Tickets: $35 General | $30 Seniors | $25 Students
At the Door: $40 | $35 | $30

Advance Tickets available through Eventbrite at above link. Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase unless the event is cancelled. In that case, a refund will be issued within 60 days.

Referred to as a refined and elegant musician with a clear trajectory to stardom, Martha Masters is active as a solo recitalist, a chamber musician, an educator and promoter of guitar music around the world.

Recent performances in concert series and festivals have taken her from China and Europe to South, Central and North America. Masters first CD, Serenade, is now in its second printing and her Naxos recital disc sold over 10,000 copies worldwide in the first year of its release. She has released further CD’s and has published books with Mel Bay and Alfred.  In 2000, Masters won first prize in the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Solo Competition, including a recording contract with Naxos, a concert video with Mel Bay, and an extensive North American tour.  That same year she also won the Andres Segovia International Competition in Linares, Spain, and was a prizewinner or finalist in numerous other international competitions.

In addition to being on the guitar faculty of California State University Fullerton and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Masters is also President of the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA), dedicated to supporting the instrument, its players, and its music throughout the world.

Masters received both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Manuel Barrueco, and completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern Californiaas a student of Scott Tennant.

marthamasters.com

Use main doors on King St. Opposite Roy Thomson Hall in the Entertainment District. Conveniently located next to St. Andrew’s subway station.
Advance Tickets: $35 General | $30 Seniors | $15 Students
At the Door: $40 | $35 | $20

Advance Tickets available through Eventbrite at above link. Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase unless the event is cancelled. In that case, a refund will be issued within 60 days.

Raphaël Feuillâtre was born in 1996 and began classical guitar lessons at the age of 9, igniting his lifelong love and mastery of the guitar.  In 2012, he entered the Conservatory at Nantes and, three years later, was accepted into the class of Roland Dyens at the Paris National Superior Conservatory of Music and Dance where he obtained his Bachelor of Performing Arts degree in 2017 with highest honours. In 2019, Raphael completed his Master’s in Classical Guitar Performance.

Following his win at the 2018 Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Concert Artist Competition, classical guitar’s most prestigious competition, Raphaël completed the recording of his second CD for the Naxos Label, and set out on a nine-month tour of North America.  Other tours had included performances in the United States, Canada, Europe and South America as a soloist, masterclass teacher and outreach ambassador.

Prior to the 2018 GFA win, Raphaël participated in various other international guitar competitions obtaining several major awards. In 2017, he won 1^st prize in the International Guitar Competition Jose Tomas- Villa Petrer in Spain which awarded him the opportunity to record his first album with JSM Guitar records.  In 2015, Raphael won 1^st prize in the Concours & Festival de Guitare de Fontenay sous Bois (France), followed by other award -winning performances in Europe.

Raphaël now divides his time between performing and teaching and holds a permanent teaching position at the Music School of Villeneuve-la-Garenne in the Paris region.  

Raphaël is an endorsed by Savarez, one of the world’s leading string manufacturers (founded in 1770).

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 and music were banned. Fei was the first-ever guitarist in China to enter a music school, and 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.

Fei’s artistry connects with audiences far beyond the guitar fraternity. She has been invited to play in more than 50 countries at numerous prestigious venues, and is frequently invited to play with the world’s leading orchestras, and collaborate with artists such as Ian Bostridge, Rosalind Plowright and Sir James Galway.

Gramophone magazine praised her as one of the leading innovators of her generation for continuing to build the guitar repertoire. Fei has made many acclaimed recordings for major labels. Her first received a gold disc and her second was selected as ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone magazine. Fei’s recent releases include a solo album, “Colours of Brazil,” (Decca Classics) and “Songs from our Ancestors,” which continues her successful collaboration with Ian Bostridge.

She has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, the BBC Proms, and documentaries on BBC and China Central Television. The UK classical music magazine, Classic FM, named Fei as one of the 100 top classical musicians of our time.

Use main doors on King St. Opposite Roy Thomson Hall in the Entertainment District. Conveniently located next to St. Andrew’s subway station.
Advance Tickets: $35 General | $30 Seniors | $15 Students
At the Door: $40 | $35 | $20

Advance Tickets available through Eventbrite at above link. Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase unless the event is cancelled. In that case, a refund will be issued within 60 days.

Born in Paris in 1973, Judicaël Perroy began his guitar studies at the Paris Academy of Music at the age of seven. An acknowledged prodigy by the age of eleven, he played two Vivaldi concertos conducted by André Girard at Le Mans.

In 1988 he was awarded a unanimous First Prize with a special mention at the National Academy of Aulnay-sous-Bois. In 1992 he won a unanimous first prize and the audience prize at the René Bartoli International Competition at the age of fourteen. He triumphed in the Seventh International Competition of Bourg-Madame, a competition in which the audience selects the prize-winner.

In 1996, Judicaël Perroy graduated from the Paris National Conservatoire of Music, earning the highest placement in his class, and in October 1997 won the Guitar Foundation of America International Solo Competition, earning him the winner’s tour of the Americas, with over sixty concerts and master-classes.

He is in great demand as a teacher and adjudicator at numerous international festivals. His students continue to win top prizes in regional, national and international competitions, while he tours extensively throughout the world.  He has made a number of recordings, while teaching at the National Academy of Aulnay-sous-Bois near Paris.  Since 2003 he has also been appearing in duo (Paris Guitar Duo) with the French guitarist Jeremy Jouve.

judicael-perroy.com

Use main doors on King St. Opposite Roy Thomson Hall in the Entertainment District. Conveniently located next to St. Andrew’s subway station.
Advance Tickets: $35 General | $30 Seniors | $15 Students
At the Door: $40 | $35 | $20

Advance Tickets available through Eventbrite at above link. Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase unless the event is cancelled. In that case, a refund will be issued within 60 days.

Alexandra and Yannis have emerged as leading musical artists of the Greek and International Guitar Community.  They both graduated with distinction from the National Conservatory of Athens.  Subsequently they completed postgraduate degrees in musical performance, studying with Gordon Crosskey,at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. Yannis holds a doctorate from Stony Brook University, New York.

Alexandra and Yannis have performed as a duo in major venues, festivals and universities throughout the U.S. and Europe, winning numerous awards.  They are leaders in enriching and transcribing the guitar duo repertoire and highlighting/transcribing a range of Greek composers and their works. All of their performances include the works of Greek composers, many of which have been dedicated to them. Last fall, they toured the USA and Canada presenting a body of work entitled “Four Greek Composers meet George Gershwin” including the iconic “Rhapsody in Blue.” Their repertoire includes, among others, music for two guitars by Bach, Telemann, Scarlatti, Debussy, Gershwin, Rodrigo, Hadjidakis, Britten and Koukos. As part of their collaboration with the historic recording label LYRA, they released the CD ‘’Rhapsody for Two Guitars” and Mediterranean Echoes”.  Petridis recently released the CD “Late 20^th Century Music for Guitar”.

Yannis has worked as a Teaching Assistant at Stony Brook University and currently teaches at the American College of Greece. Both Alexandra and Yannis teach at the National Conservatory of Athens and are Associates of the Heritage & Museums, Art, Culture and Education around the world. Since 2011, they are Artistic Directors of the Palaio Faliro Guitar Festival in Athens.

www.alexandrayannis.com

Born in Toronto in 1997, Tim Beattie is studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on full-scholarship in the MMus programme with Allan Neave and Matthew McAllister. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, studying with Gabriel Bianco, where he graduated with the distinction ‘cum laude’. Prior to moving to Amsterdam, Tim studied in the pre-college school at the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) with maestro Robert Hamilton, and then completed a year of undergraduate studies with GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he received the 2016 Ablan Honors Award in Guitar. 

Tim has won over 40 awards in competitions in Europe and North America, including the 2019 Hamilton International Guitar Competition (1st prize, Audience Favourite Prize), and 2018 Brussels International Guitar Competition (1st prize). He was named the “Most Promising Youth” by the City of Barrie (his hometown) at the City’s 2016 Arts Awards Ceremony. 

Tim has performed  in chamber music settings with with Rosanne Philippens, the CvA Score Collective under the direction of Ed Spanjaard (Nieuw Ensemble), and others. Though his primary focus is on classical guitar, Tim has studied other genres including jazz, blues, rock, and percussive acoustic guitar. He has had the opportunity to play for world-renowned guitarists such as Roland Dyens, Bill Kanengiser, Tommy Emmanuel, and Eli Kassner among many others. 

Tim has an active performance schedule, playing regularly in settings ranging from local seniors’ residences to live radio, as well as major concert halls throughout North America and Europe. He was a featured performer at the 2014 Montréal International Guitar Festival; more highlights include solo performances for Chamber Music Orillia, Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival, and a live-televised performance at the Barrie Arts and Culture Awards. timbeattie.ca.websitematic.ca

Austin Wahl, a native Minnesotan, has won prizes at a dozen competitions in the US and Canada. He has performed in masterclasses for Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Paul Galbraith, Manuel Barrueco, Sharon Isbin, Eliot Fisk, Lorenzo Micheli, Matteo Mela, Roland Dyens, and Raphaella Smits, among others. He began study of the classical guitar at age five with Alan Johnston, a founding member of the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, and as a young artist was active in the regionally known MacPhail Guitar Quartet with Xavier Jara, Henry Johnston, and Luke Banchy. Subsequently, he earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as a performer’s certificate at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he is currently a doctoral student of Dr. Nicholas Goluses.

In addition to his classical guitar playing, Wahl enjoys many other styles of music. He won the 2009 youth division of the Minnesota State Fair Bluegrass Flatpicking competition and has performed in a bluegrass band masterclass for internationally known banjoist Bela Fleck. At age 14, he built a fully functional electric guitar (dubbed the “Wahl-o-Caster”) with a body of solid purpleheart, which weighed in at nearly fifteen pounds. Since the fall of 2017, Wahl has led the bass section of the Mount Hope World Singers in Rochester.

Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today’s classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is the guitarist that goes beyond the classical. Among his extensive discography is the 2015 Grammy-winning album for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, Play.

Vieaux has earned a reputation for putting his expressiveness and virtuosity at the service of a remarkably wide range of music. His solo recitals have been a feature at every major guitar series in North America and important guitar festivals in Asia, Australia, Europe, and Mexico. Jason Vieaux has performed as concerto soloist with over 100 orchestras, including Cleveland, Toronto, Houston, Nashville, San Diego, Buffalo, Auckland Philharmonia, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s.  

Recent and future performance highlights include returns to the Caramoor Festival as Artist-in-Residence, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, New York’s 92Y, Ravinia Festival, Eastern Music Festival, Curtis Presents, and performances at the Phillips Collection, the National Gallery of Art, Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colon, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Seoul Arts Center, and Shanghai Concert Hall.

He has forged his reputation as a first-rate chamber musician and programmer through performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Bard Music Festival, Music@Menlo, San Francisco Performances, Cleveland Chamber Music Society and many others. Chamber music collaborators include the Escher String Quartet; Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke; violinists Nigel Armstrong, Anne Akiko Meyers, Kristin Lee, and Tessa Lark; acclaimed harpist Yolanda Kondonassis; and accordion/bandoneon virtuoso Julien Labro.

Vieaux’s passion for new music has fostered premieres of works by Jonathan Leshnoff, Avner Dorman, Dan Visconti, Vivian Fung and many more. Vieaux recently premiered Visconti’s “Living Language” Guitar Concerto with the California Symphony and recorded Leshnoff’s Guitar Concerto live with the Nashville Symphony, released in May 2019 on Naxos.

Jason Vieaux has two upcoming releases on Azica Records: Dance, with the Escher String Quartet (July 19, 2019), featuring Boccherini’s Guitar Quintet and Aaron Jay Kernis’100 Greatest Dance Hits, as well as a new solo Bach album. Recent recordings include Jeff Beal’s “Six Sixteen” Guitar Concerto with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra (BIS); Infusion (Azica), a collaboration with bandoneonist Julien Labro; Ginastera’s Guitar Sonata, featured on Ginastera: One Hundred (Oberlin Music) produced by harpist Yolanda Kondonassis; and Together (Azica), a duo album with Kondonassis.

 About Jason Vieaux’s album Play:
“If you ever want to give a friend a disc that will cement his or her love for the guitar, this is a perfect candidate.”
– Soundboard Magazine