About the Festival
The Long Island Guitar Festival is an annual international festival presented by the Department of Music of the School of Visual and Performing Arts at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. The Festival represents the continuing commitment of Long Island University to reach out to the artistic community and continue an established tradition of excellence in guitar performance and pedagogy.
Festival 2011
The 19th annual Long Island Guitar Festival was held April 13 to 17, 2011. Artists appearing at the Festival included: Paul O'Dette, Raphaella Smits, Eduardo Fernández, Gene Bertoncini and Harris Becker, Dale Stuckenbruck, Veronica Salas, James Erickson, Bishop McGuinness High School Guitar Ensemble, Brentwood High School Guitar Ensemble and Emerging Artist Julian Bogoya.
The Long Island Guitar Festival presents master classes, concerts and workshops by the world's most outstanding guitarists and teachers. Workshops have included Computer Music Notation for Guitarists, Composers and Arrangers, High School Guitar Ensemble Workshops, Fingerboard Harmony and Chamber Music Workshops. Special concerts have included the "Legacy of Segovia" with Segovia protegé Michael Lorimer, the U.S. debut of renowned guitarist composer Carlo Domeniconi, C.W. Post alumni concerts and new music concerts including world premieres. The festival has established partnerships with high schools including Greenwich High School and the United Nations International School, as well as local community colleges.
A Special Festival Event
In 2002 the Long Island Guitar Festival celebrated its tenth anniversary. As part of the celebration, Guitar x 2 (Festival Director Harris Becker and Pasquale Bianculli) premiered Long Island Suite, a guitar duo written for them by Carlo Domeniconi to mark the anniversary.
In the past the Long Island Guitar Festival has proudly presented such distinguished guitarists as Carlo Domeniconi, Manuel Barrueco, Michael Lorimer, Eduardo Fernández, Fabio Zanon, Howard Alden, David Leisner, Paul Galbraith, Jorge Caballero, Olav Chris Henriksen, Mark Elf, Eliot Fisk, Ben Moran, Frank Vignola, Chieli Minucci, Jerry Willard, Gene Bertoncini, Howard Morgen, Jack Wilkins, Pat O’Brien, Dennis Koster, Harris Becker, Ernesto Tamayo, Kevin Dolen, Pasquale Bianculli, Mark Marino, Cecilia Siqueira, Dennis Cinelli, Weaver Academy, Winslow Browning, John Zaccari, Guitar Trilogy, David Starobin, Benjamin Verdery, Denis Azabagic, Amanda Cook, Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Roland Dyens, Curtis High School Guitar Ensemble, Ronn McFarlane, Cem Duruöz, Frederic Hand, Paul Cesarczyk, Hayley Savage, Rebecca Baulch, Scott Tennant, John Dearman, Andrew York, William Kanengiser, Adam Holzman, Raphaella Smits, Boris Gaquere, Gyan Riley, Ana Vidovic, Jérôme Ducharme, Newman & Oltman Duo, Threefifty Duo, Pia Gazarek-Offermann and Simon Powis.
To learn more about the history of the Long Island Guitar Festival, please visit these Web pages:
Past Festival Web sites: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 and 1996
Festival Poster/Flyers: 1995, 1994 and 1993
Reprint of New York Times Review of Guitar Festival 2001
Last update: October 2, 2016