Thursday, Feb. 27, 7:30pm - Master Class with Don Miller
Recipient of New York state's highest teaching award, the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, as well as the NISOD Excellence Award from the University of Texas at Austin.
free admission

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Friday, Feb. 28

4:00pm - Master Class with Gabriel Guillen

 This Venezuelan guitarist, professor at the Joseph Haydn Konservatorium in Eisenstadt, Austirs, has performed and competed in more than 25 countries

8:00pm - 2002 Winner's Showcase - Gonzalo A. Molano and Milen Parashkevov
free admission

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Saturday, March 1

2:00pm - Competition Finals - free admission

8:00pm - Presentation of the winners followed by Gabriel Guillen in concert.
The internationally recognized, award-winning guitarist will present a delightful evening of classical guitar at its best to conclude the competition festivities. $15 reserved, $10 student (free student tickets at the door)

About the performers

Dr. Donald Miller, professor emeritus of Music at Onondaga Community College, has given workshops and clinics on developing reading skills through guitar ensemble performance throughout the U.S. He was an award winning jazz guitarist while still a student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he received his Bachelors and Masters degrees. During this time, Miller placed first at the University of Notre Dame Jazz Festival and recorded an LP with his quartet, which received three stars in Downbeat. Dr. Miller received his Doctorate in Music from the University of Southern California in 1981. In 1991, he received New York States highest teaching award, the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as the NISOD Excellence Award from the University of Texas at Austin. Miller retired from La Moyne College in May of 2000.

Miller, in his work as an author, composer, and arranger has published many choral compositions. His Finger Lakes Suite was premiered by the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra in 1989 and from 2000-2002, he completed a series of six ensemble books for Mel Bay Publications, Inc. entitled The Donald Miller Guitar Ensemble Series.

Gonzalo A. Molano, first place winner of the 2002 Texas Guitar Competition, was born in Bogota, Colombia. Educated at Pontifica Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, as well as the University of Arizona
where he received his Bachelor’s of Music degree under Maestro Thomas Patterson. Gonzalo is the recent first prize winner of the Society of American Musicians. He has been awarded top prizes in other competi-tions such as the Schaefer Guitar Competition and the Stevens Guitar Competition. Gonzalo has performed throughout Colombia and the United States. He currently resides in Chicago where he actively performs and teaches the guitar.

Milen Parashkevov, third place winner of the 2002 Texas Guitar Competition, was born in Shumen, Bulgaria. Milen received a Performance Diploma from Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria and completed a Masters of Music degree at Texas Tech University. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including First Place in a competition in Varna Bulgaria in 1990. He took the Second Prize in the 1995 Plovdiv, Bulgaria Competition, the 2002 Appalachian Guitar Competition and the 2002 Lachine Guitar Competition in Montreal. Milen was a semi-finalist in the 2001 GFA Competition. In addition to these accolades, Milen has delighted audiences with concerts in Bulgaria, Austria, and Texas

Gabriel Guillén was Born in Maracay, Venezuela, and began studying guitar at age eight under Uruguayan Mario Vidalin who introduced him to the techniques of Abel Carlevaro
and the music of Uruguay and Argentina. Years later, Guillén studied at the Escuela Superior de Musica Jose Angel Lamas. During 1984-1988, Gabriel performed in most guitar festivals throughout Venezuela. His most impressive production in 1986 was his performance on the Radio Caracas Television program Clasicos Domincales, where only the most important artists in Venezuela are presented. In 1987, he won third prize in the Antonio Lauro Competition and first prize for the Rotary International, and received a scholarship to study in Europe and moved to Vienna, Austria. After completing his studies in Europe, Guillén received the Merit Award of the Austrian government, the "Amigo de Venezuela" Award of the foundation Venezuela Positiva and the Honor Award of the Rotary Club Caracas-Avila. He currently teaches at the Joseph Haydn Konservatorium in Eisenstadt, Austria, and continues to perform in more than 25 countries.