This unique Texas competition designed to showcase outstanding classical guitar students will award $6,000 in cash prizes to the winners. Over the three-day event, students can compete and attend master classes, a performance by last year's winners, a concert featuring Duo Stoyanova and Luis Leite, and a concert by Gabriel Guillén.

On Thursday, Mar. 16 at 8 pm the festivities will begin with the 2005 Winners Concert with 1st Place – Isaac Bustos; 2nd Place – Marco Sartor; and 3rd Place – Thibault Cauvin. The 2005 Winners Concert is free and open to the public.

Finalists will be announced on Friday, Mar. 17 at 8 pm during a concert by Duo Stoyanova and Luis Leite.

At 2 pm on Saturday, Mar. 18, the finalists will compete before local and international judges. The finals are free and open to the public. The winners will be announced during the evening concert at 8 pm. The first half of the program will feature Gabriel Guillén. The 2006 winners will perform the concert’s second half.

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About the performers:

2005 1st place winner - Isaac Bustos, who is originally from Nicaragua, has performed extensively throughout the United States. His professor at The University of Texas at Austin, Adam Holzman, claims Bustos “is the finest performance student in the program and ranks in the top two or three performers that I have been associated with in my 20 years of teaching at the college level. He has a dazzling technique, the best sound (tone and volume) I have ever taught, a willingness to continue to learn and a natural and mature musicianship well beyond his years.”

2005 2nd place winner - Marco Sartor has performed at concerts and festivals in the U.S., Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Uruguay. This former student of Eduardo Fernandez was a finalist at the Guitar Foundation of America International Competition in 2001, 2002 and 2003. He won first prize in the 2002 Schadt String Competition, the 2003 MTNA Competition and last year’s the Appalachian Guitarfest Competition.

2005 3rd place winner - Thibault Cauvin has performed at numerous festivals, has played on radio stations around the world and recently released a CD, Thibault Cauvin Guítare. He continues to study classical guitar, a pursuit he began at the age of six. Olivier Chassain, Cauvin’s instructor, says he is impressed by the young man’s “flawless technique,” “beautiful musical expression” and “overflowing energy.” In 2003 and 2004, Cauvin won more than 10 first prize awards in international competitions.

Duo  Stoyanova  
"Two young skilled classical guitarists from Bulgaria form the Duo Stoyanova. Both musicians attended professor Bernhard Hebb's master class at the Arts Academy in Bremen, Germany and also performed at famous festivals and competitions... Both guitarists interact extremely well with the listener in colourful and embracing melodies and harmonies which touches one deep inside. The techniques used are of a top-notch quality and express intimate and challenging musical journeys... showing how perfect the musical skills of both guitar players are, not only showing fabulous team work but also the atmospheres created sounds like poetry which touches ones deepest feelings. Admirable is the modern approach of Duo Stoyanova presenting us new dimensions in classical guitar music trespassing brilliant musical borders." – Henk te Veldhuis, Bridge Guitar Reviews.

Luis Leite was born in 1979 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He studied privately with Antonio Gomes and at the University of Rio de Janeiro under Carlos A. Carvalho and Nicolas Barros, graduating in 2002. He also studied with Oscar Ghiglia at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena (Italy) and played in master classes for distinguished guitarists, such as David Russell, Joaquin Clerch, Fabio Zanon, Zoran Dukic and Eduardo Isaac, among others. Luis Leite won the first prize at two major national competitions in Brazil, the Ivor Mairants International Guitar Award in London, and the John Duarte Guitar Competition in Rust (Austria). As a Chamber Musician he has played in duos, trios, quartets and with many different kinds of ensembles, performing all styles of music, ranging from renaissance and baroque music to contemporary productions. He also played in many different popular music groups, from African music to Choro and Brazilian Jazz. As a Soloist he has played concerts in the major cities of his native country, as well as in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England and Austria.

Born in Maracay, Venezuela, Gabriel Guillén 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.

The 2006 winners are:

1st place winner - Marco Sartor has performed at concerts and festivals in the U.S., Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Uruguay. This former student of Eduardo Fernandez was a finalist at the Guitar Foundation of America International Competition in 2001, 2002 and 2003. He won first prize in the 2002 Schadt String Competition, the 2003 MTNA Competition and last year’s the Appalachian Guitarfest Competition.

2nd place winner - Aleksandr Tsiboulski is a Fullbright Scholar from the University of Adelaide currently studying with Adam Holzman at the University of Texas. Holzman calls him “one of the finest talents I have had the privilege of working with” and “an extremely bright young man filled with great promise as a musician.” Tsiboulski has performed in Australia, Canada, Mexico, England, and New Zealand. He won 1st prize in the Australian Guitar Competition in 2000, the Sydney Guitar Competition in 2001, and the Gisborne Instrumental Music Competition in 2003.

3rd place winner - Thibault Cauvin has performed at numerous festivals, has played on radio stations around the world and recently released a CD, Thibault Cauvin Guítare. He continues to study classical guitar, a pursuit he began at the age of six. Olivier Chassain, Cauvin’s instructor, says he is impressed by the young man’s “flawless technique,” “beautiful musical expression” and “overflowing energy.” In 2003 and 2004, Cauvin won more than 10 first prize awards in international competitions.