International Performing Artist Series

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 Europe, 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. 

Through international competition, Tim has won over 40 awards.  Most recently, this includes  1^st prize honours at the 2020 GuitarFest West competition. 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 Rosanne Philippens, the CvA Score Collective under the direction of Ed Spanjaard (Nieuw Ensemble), and others. Though his primary focus is the classical guitar, Tim has studied other genres including jazz, blues, rock, and percussive acoustic guitar. Tim has an active professional schedule, performing regularly in major concert venues 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

Austin Wahl is a native of Minnesota who has won prizes at a dozen competitions in the US and Canada, and has performed in a range of prestigious masterclasses for legendary guitarists such as Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Sharon Isbin, Lorenzo Micheli, and Roland Dyens, among others.

He began studying classical guitar at the age of 5 with Alan Johnston, a founding member of the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, and subsequently earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY where he is currently completing his Doctoral Degree in music performance.

In addition to his classical guitar playing, Austin 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! In addition to his guitar prowess, Austin has led the bass section of the Mount Hope World Singers in Rochester.

www.austinwahl.com

Winner of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) competition in 2019 and defined as the “Classical Guitar Revelation 2017” by French “Guitar Classical Magazine”, Johan Smith has been invited to perform in renowned festivals across the world. He is currently preparing the recording of his second album (Naxos, 2020), as well as a tour that spans from China, to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

His particular interest in contemporary music has led him to collaborate with several composers, including Josquin Schwizgebel and Arnaud Fillion who dedicated to him his “Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra”, created in Budapest in 2019.

Born in 1990 in Geneva, Johan obtained a Bachelor in 2015 and a “Master of Arts in Instrumental Pedagogy” in 2017 at the University of Music of Lausanne, in the class of Dagoberto Linhares. In addition to his activity as a guitar teacher at the Conservatoire of Morges, he also obtained in 2019 the most important academic title in the field of musical performance in Switzerland: the “Master of Arts specializing in Music Performance Soloist”, awarded by the highest grade.

In a completely different approach, he is the founder, composer, performer and graphic designer in the extreme metal band “Stortregn”, with whom he has already recorded four albums and played on three continents since 2005.

www.johansmith.net
www.facebook.com/johanguitare

Praised for his “visceral and imaginative performances” by the Washington Post, top prize winning classical guitaristand recording artist Adam Levin has performed on four continents across the globe.  Levin has performed extensively across the United States at renowned venues such as the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago; Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts; repeat appearances at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City; and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.  In Europe, Levin has performed in some of the finest venues in Spain, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.

The recipient of numerous top prizes, Adam Levin has been recognized by the Society of American Musicians, the Lake Forest Concerto Competition, Minnesota’s Schubert Competition, Boston GuitarFest, Concurso Internacional de les Corts para Jóvenes Intérpretes in Barcelona, Concurso Internazionale Di Gargnano, and Certamen Internacional Luys Milan de Guitarra in Valencia.

As an ambassador of the guitar, Mr Levin is dedicated to sharing the guitar in underserved and unconventional spaces.  He was director of the Concert for Gulf Coast Aid for Hurricane Katrina victims, which raised $10,000.  He was awarded the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship to conduct 200 hours of innovative community work in Boston public schools, prisons, and rehabilitation centers.  Demonstrating his long-term commitment to music advocacy, Levin is a founding member of Kithara Project (www.kitharaproject.org), an organization whose mission it is to improve the lives of children and youth through the classical guitar.  They currently run three year-round guitar education programs in Boston, Albuquerque, and Mexico City.

www.adamlevinguitar.com

Known for her energy, expression and technique, Daniela Rossi is an exciting classical guitarist from Argentina. She graduated from the Conservatory of Bahia Blance in her hometown in 2006 and has worked with many leading guitarists and teachers worldwide. Daniela has a deep understanding of the music of her native country, which she plays on the CD “Invierno Porteno” with her duet partner, Argentinian guitarist Sebastian Pompilio.

Her orchestral debut was at the age of 21 in Mexico and she has gone on to win numerous performance awards and prizes across South America and Europe. She has performed in solo recitals, duets, small ensembles and as a guest artist at many important festivals around the world. Daniela has attracted the attention of important composers such as Jeffrey McFadden and Vincent Lindsey-Clarke, who have dedicated works to her. In addition to this honour, she has worked on several new pieces commissioned by the International Guitar Foundation such as Graham Lynch’s “Orpheus” for guitar and orchestra.

Daniela enjoys performing works from all periods including works by contemporary composers written for guitar. She is particularly interested in the works of Giulio Regondi and has just recorded a CD of his works.

Daniela combines her exciting performing career with an equally successful teaching career, working with all levels and ages to extend their musicality and technical competence.

www.danielarossiguitarist.com

Born in Istanbul, Celil Refik Kaya has been playing and performing in concerts since the age of 6. He has been a prizewinner and “ground-breaking” musician in many international competitions.  He became the youngest first-prize winner of the 2012 JoAnn Faletta International Guitar Concerto Competition with the Buffalo Philharmonic, was the third recipient of Harvard’s prestigious Dumbarton Oaks Early Musician Fellowship, received the “Rising Young Musician of the Year” award by the Donizetti Classical Music Awards in Istanbul and earned the Harrington Fellowship at the University of Texas. As well, he has collaborated with our generation’s great composers including Lowell Liebermann, Jorge Morel, and Roberto Sierra, and has studied with many of our greatest musicians, including Grammy-award winner Sharon Isbin.

Celil is also an avid composer with more than 100 works for orchestra, solo guitar, violin, piano, string trio, and duets to his credit. His chamber and instrumental works have been performed around the world. His original compositions and recorded works have been published by Naxos and other labels in Canada and the United States. As well, he has appeared as a concert soloist and has given premiere performances of numerous works and composers at venues including Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House.

At age 19, he completed his Bachelor of Music Degree with highest honours at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory in Istanbul and went on to a Master of Music at Mannes College of Music in New York City under full scholarship.

www.celilrefikkaya.com

Classical guitarist 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.

In May 2003, he was bestowed the great honour of being made “adopted son” of Es Migjorn, the town in Minorca where he grew up. Later the town named a street after him, “Avinguda David Russell”. In November of that year he was given the Medal of Honour of the Conservatory of the Balearics.

David Russell has had an exclusive recording contract with Telarc International since 1995, and has recorded sixteen CDs up to now; among them is Aire Latino, which received a Grammy in 2005 in the category of best instrumental soloist in classical music. After winning the Grammy award, the Spanish town of Nigrán (where he currently resides) held an emotional ceremony and gave him the silver medal of the town – a very high honour.

During his studies at the Royal Academy, David Russell twice won the Julian Bream Guitar Prize. Later he won numerous international competitions, including the Andrés Segovia Competition, the José Ramírez Competition and Spain’s prestigious Francisco Tárrega Competition.

David Russell spends his time touring the world and appearing regularly at prestigious halls in cities such as New York, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Madrid, Toronto and 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 a sense of adventure to each piece.

In May of 2005 he received an homage from the music conservatory of Vigo, culminating with the opening of the new Auditorium named “Auditorio David Russell”.

In 2009 David was named honorary member of “Amigos de la Guitarra”, the oldest guitar society in Spain, and received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 2014.  He received a “Hall of Fame” award for excellence in artistic achievement from the Guitar Foundation of America in 2018.

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”.

www.davidrussellguitar.com