About the Festival
The Long Island Guitar Festival is an annual international festival presented by the Department of Music of the School of Performing Arts at the LIU 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.
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, LIU 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.
In the past the Long Island Guitar Festival has proudly presented such distinguished guitarists and performers as (in alphabetical order):
• Artesian Guitar Quartet
• Amaryllis Project
• Denis Azabagic
• Douglas Back
• Manuel Barrueco
• Rebecca Baulch
• Harris Becker
• Gene Bertoncini
• Pasquale Bianculli
• Bishop McGuinness HS Guitar Ensemble
• Gunnlaugur Björnsson
• Brentwood HS Guitar Ensemble
• Winslow Browning
• Jorge Caballero
• Thibault Cauvin
• Centreville HS Wildcat Guitar Ensemble
• Paul Cesarczyk
• Amanda Cook
• Dennis Cinelli
• Kevin Dolen
• Carlo Domeniconi
• Curtis HS Guitar Ensemble
• John Dearman
• Roland Dyens
• Jérôme Ducharme
• Cem Duruöz
• Mark Elf
• Eden Stell Guitar Duo
• James Erickson
• 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
• Huy Thanh Nguyen
• Pat O'Brien
• Matt Palmer
• Bucky and John Pizzarelli
• POBJFK Guitar Nation
• Simon Powis
• Gyan Riley
• Berta Rojas
• Hayley Savage
• Cecilia Siqueira
• Raphaella Smits
• David Starobin
• Ernesto Tamayo
• Scott Tennant
• Saigon Guitar Quartet (Nguyen Thanh Huy, Nguyen Tri Doan, Huynh Ba Tho, Tran Hoai Phuong)
• Stony Brook Guitar Quartet (Jose Maldonado, Barkely Heuser, Yannis Petridis,James Kerr)
• Threefifty Duo
• Gohar Vardanyan
• Benjamin Verdery
• VIDA Guitar Quartet
• Ana Vidovic
• Jason Vieaux
• Frank Vignola
• Susan E. Wagner HS Guitar Ensemble
• Weaver Academy
• Jack Wilkins
• Jerry Willard
• Williams-Etheridge Duo (John Williams and John Etheridge)
• Andrew York
• John Zaccari
• Fabio Zanon.
Festival 2017
The 25th annual Long Island Guitar Festival was held April 1 to 9, 2017 on the LIU Post campus of Long Island University in Brookville, NY USA.
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 Festival 2017 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)
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.
Also featured were our National High School Classical Guitar Competition, Ensemble Showcases and the LIGF Guitar Orchestra.
Special Festival Events
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.
Featured during Festival 2012 was the World Premiere of Harrisdale Concerto for Guitar & Saw/Violin and Guitar Orchestra by Dr. Alan Hirsh, celebrating the Festival's twentieth anniversary. At YouTube: First Movement, Second Movement.
Festival 2012 was dedicated to the memory and music of Howard Morgen. A special tribute to him, "Remembering Howard Morgen" was held on the last day of the Festival Sunday, April 22.
To learn more about the history of the Long Island Guitar Festival, please visit these Web pages:
Past Festival Web sites: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 and 1996
Press Coverage
New York Times. May 6, 2001
Classical Guitar Magazine. June 2005
Classical Guitar Magazine. December 2013
New York Times. March 29, 2014
Classical Guitar Magazine, March 2016
Fingerstyle Guitar Journal, July 2017
Last update: March 11, 2018