Long Island Guitar Festival, April 1 to 9, 2017. 25th Year

"The "Long Island" in the festival title clearly refers to its location and origins, rather than to its scope." New York Times, March 2014

David Leisner – "He moved easily through the brisk passagework and sharp accenting of the Ginastera Sonata, and his approach to the work's many coloristic effects was remarkably fluent and free-spirited. In more lyrical music... he played with an affecting gracefulness and warmth."
– The New York Times

New York Times Article
About Festival 2014

"Long Island Guitar Festival...a very impressive concert lineup"
- Classical Guitar Magazine about Festival 2016

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25th Annual Long Island Guitar Festival

Long Island Guitar Festival

Festival 2017
Program Book

Festival Flyer

Festival Press Release

Competition Flyer

Welcome to the Long Island Guitar Festival Web site. In 2017 we celebrated our 25th season!

Performers at our 25th Festival included: David Leisner, Huy Thanh Nguyen, Raphaella Smits, Benjamin Verdery, Ana Vidovic, Gohar Vardanyan, Harris Becker, James Erickson, the Saigon Guitar Quartet (Nguyen Thanh Huy, Nguyen Tri Doan, Huynh Ba Tho, Tran Hoai Phuong), VIDA Guitar Quartet and Emerging Artist Kang Min Shin, first prize winner of the 2016 National High School Classical Guitar Competition. Showcase performers included Arvo Duo (Joenne Dumitrascu, violin and Ming-Jui Liu, guitar.)

High School Guitar Ensembles appearing at this year's Festival included: Bishop McGuinness High School Honors Guitar Ensemble (Kernersville, NC), Susan E. Wagner Guitar Ensemble (Staten Island, NY), Brentwood High School Guitar Club (Brentwood, NY), Harlem School of the Arts Guitar Ensemble (New York, NY), Freedom High School Guitar Ensemble (Orlando, FL) and Rocky Point Guitar Ensemble (Rocky Point, NY)

National High School Classical Guitar Competition
The Festival presented its National High School Classical Guitar Competition, open to high school students of all 50 states. Find out more on the Guitar Competition page.

Long Island Guitar Festival Guitar Orchestra
The LIGF Guitar Orchestra for high school students and others returned to the Festival in 2017, conducted by Alan Hirsh. Visit the Guitar Orchestra page to find out more.

Master Classes for Guitarists and Performers
In 2017 the Long Island Guitar Festival continued its tradition of presenting excellence in guitar performance and pedagogy with master classes given by the VIDA Guitar Quartet, Raphaella Smits, Benjamin Verdery and David Leisner.

Ensemble Showcases
Through its history the Long Island Guitar Festival has featured ensembles representing high schools from the tri-state area and other states including Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. Learn more on the Ensemble Showcases page.

Long Island Guitar Festival 2017 was funded in part by grants from The Augustine Foundation, The D'Addario Foundation for the Performing Arts, Murphy's Music & Violin Shop, Savarez, The John P. McGrath Fund of LIU and the LIU Post Department of Music.

Learn how you can make a tax-deductible contribution to the Long Island Guitar Festival or how your company or organization can become a Festival sponsor or advertise in the Festival program book distributed at all Festival events. For more information about making a contribution or sponsoring or advertising, e-mail us or call 516-299-3181.

Join the Festival Mailing List.

Festival Address:
Long Island Guitar Festival
Department of Music
LIU Post
720 Northern Blvd.
Brookville, NY 11548

Long Island Guitar Festival
Harris Becker, Director
James Erickson, Assistant Director
John Meschi, Advisor & Website Manager

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Last update: May 8, 2017

Festival Notes

Since 1993 the Long Island Guitar Festival has proudly presented such distinguished guitarists and performers as (in alphabetical order):

• Howard Alden
• Amaryllis Project
• Artesian Guitar Quartet (Harris Becker, Laura Lessard, James Erickson, Andrew Falino)
• Denis Azabagic
• Douglas Back
• Manuel Barrueco
• Rebecca Baulch
• Harris Becker
• Gene Bertoncini
• Pasquale Bianculli
• Gunnlaugur Björnsson
• Bishop McGuinness HS Guitar Ensemble
• Brentwood HS Guitar Ensemble
• Winslow Browning
• Jorge Caballero
• Thibault Cauvin
• Centreville HS Wildcat Guitar Ensemble
• Paul Cesarczyk
• Dennis Cinelli
• Amanda Cook
• Curtis HS Guitar Ensemble
• John Dearman
• Kevin Dolen
• Carlo Domeniconi
• Jérôme Ducharme
• Cem Duruöz
• Roland Dyens
• Eden Stell Guitar Duo
• Mark Elf
• John Etheridge (Williams-Etheridge Duo)
• Eduardo Fernández
• Hilary Field
• Eliot Fisk
• Paul Galbraith
• Boris Gaquere
• Pia Gazarek-Offermann
• Derek Gripper
• Guitar Trilogy
• Frederic Hand
• Freedom HS Guitar Ensemble
• Olav Chris Henriksen
• Adam Holzman
• William Kanengiser
• Koh Kazama
• Dennis Koster
• David Leisner
• Michael Lorimer
• Mare Duo
• Mark Marino
• Ronn McFarlane
• Chieli Minucci
• Ben Moran
• Howard Morgen
• Newman & Oltman Duo
• Pat O'Brien
• Matt Palmer
• Bucky Pizzarelli
• John Pizzarelli
• POBJFK Guitar Nation
• Simon Powis
• Gyan Riley
• Berta Rojas
• Hayley Savage
• Cecilia Siqueira
• Raphaella Smits
• David Starobin
• Ernesto Tamayo
• Scott Tennant
• Stony Brook Guitar Quartet (Jose Maldonado, Barkely Heuser, Yannis Petridis, James Kerr)
• Threefifty Duo
• Benjamin Verdery
• VIDA Guitar Quartet
• Ana Vidovic
• Jason Vieaux
• Frank Vignola
• Susan E. Wagner HS Guitar Ensemble
• Weaver Academy
• Jack Wilkins
• Jerry Willard
• John Williams (Williams-Etheridge Duo)
• Andrew York
• John Zaccari
• Fabio Zanon