Jason Vieaux has eight recordings to his credit and many more to come with his multi-record deal with Azica Records. His latest release, Images of Metheny, is a disc of music by American Jazz guitarist/composer Pat Metheny. Metheny, after listening to this landmark recording, declared: "I am flattered to be included in Jason's musical world. And I am honored that a musician of his stature has directed his considerable talents to manifest such beautiful and true renditions of these pieces in such a personal way." Sevilla: The Music of Isaac Albeniz, was rated one of the Top Ten Classical CDs of 2003 by The Philadelphia Inquirer and Cleveland’s Plain Dealer. Mr. Vieaux recorded his first CD when he was just 19; two years later this was followed by Laureate Series Guitar Recital on Naxos, which went on to sell over 40,000 copies internationally. Vieaux also has two duo CDs with flutist Gary Schocker, Dream Travels and Arioso. Mr. Vieaux's recordings and live performances are heard nationally on the radio and worldwide via the Internet, and he is regularly broadcast via NPR, on such top-rated programs as "Performance Today", "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition". A solo CD of Bach lute works is scheduled for a December 2007 release.

Jason Vieaux began guitar studies at age eight with Jeremy Sparks in Buffalo, New York, and continued study at The Cleveland Institute of Music with John Holmquist. He is the youngest First Prize winner in the history of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Competition, a Naumburg International Guitar Competition prizewinner, and a recipient of The Cleveland Institute of Music's Alumni Achievement Award. In 1995, Mr. Vieaux was honored as an Artistic Ambassador of the United States to Southeast Asia, concertizing in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar (Burma). He has also toured Europe, Mexico, Canada, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand.

Mr. Vieaux is a regularly featured guest with orchestras across the United States. He has performed as concerto soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Pops, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Auckland Philharmonia, Santa Fe Symphony and San Diego Symphony, working with snull, Luis Biava, Jahja Ling, Rossen Milanov, Stefan Sanderling, Alasdair Neale, Steven Smith and Carl Topilow. As a passionate advocate of new music, Vieaux has premièred new pieces by José Luis Merlin, Eric Sessler, Arthur Hernandez, Gary Schocker and Fazil Say, and plays works by Allen Krantz, Mario Davidovsky, Augusta Read-Thomas, Roberto Sierra and John Corigliano.

Aside from his duties as a performer, Mr. Vieaux is highly dedicated to the art of teaching. He currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is Head of the Cleveland Institute of Music Guitar Department, making him the youngest Department Head to serve at the prestigious conservatory. He is also affiliated with Philadelphia-based Astral Artistic.

Adam Holzman has received rave reviews from concert critics around the world. He as been hailed as “...polished and quite dazzling,” by The N.Y. Times. Mr. Holzman has performed at the prestigious Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, distinguished New York venues such as Kaufman Hall at the 92nd St. Y, Merkin Hall, and Carnegie Recital Hall as well as in music festivals and series from Miami to San Francisco and from Boston to New Orleans. His extensive international performances have taken him throughout Europe, Canada, Mexico, Central and Latin America.

Mr. Holzman’s recording for the Naxos label have been critically acclaimed (see Reviews). The first two are discs of the music of Fernando Sor and have been called “...irresistible” by Gramophone Magazine. Vol. I and II of the music of Manuel Ponce are also now available. Of the Sonata for Guitar and harpsichord on Ponce Volume II Classical Guitar Magazine (England) says “It’s a fine and substantial work and here it receives the finest recording yet...”. His recording debut, on HRH Records, is a collection of rarely or never before recorded selections. According to The American Record Guide this performance is “...so flawless he makes it all sound easy.” Of his release of The Venezuelan Waltzes of Antonio Lauro the American Record Guide had this to say: “The landmark recording was David Russell’s 1980 LP. Now, 20 years later, comes another masterly recording by Adam Holzman: in many ways it raises the benchmark still further.” His newest Naxos release is the Bardenklange, Opus 13, of Johann Kaspar Mertz.

Mr. Holzman’s commitment to new music has led him to co-commission Samuel Adler’s First Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra. He was the first person to perform the music of Roland Dyens in North America and he has also premiered works by composers Robert Helps and Stephen Funk Pearson.

Adam Holzman is founder of the Guitar Department at the University of Texas at Austin where, in addition to his active performing career, he heads a thriving guitar studio. From 1992-1994 Mr. Holzman held the title of “Maestro Extraordinario” given by the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico, where he served as artist-in-residence. In 2001, Adam Holzman was awarded the Ernst von Dohnanyi Prize for Outstanding Achievement from Florida State University and the Robert W. Hamilton Fine Arts Award from the University of Texas.

He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Carolyn and their son Benjamin.

Bruce Holzman, Associate Professor of Guitar at the Florida State University,  has been Director of the Guitar Program since 1972.

Professor Holzman has been on the Artists' Faculties of The Iserlohn International Guitar Symposium, Germany, Stetson International Guitar Workshop, Columbus States Guitar Symposium, Domaine Forget Academie of Music and Dance, Quebec, Canada, National Guitar Summer Workshop, New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes, Boston Guitarfest, and Toronto Guitarfest. He has been an adjudicator for the following competitions, among others: The International Competition of the Ard, Germany, Iserlohn International Guitar Competition, Guitar Foundation of America, The Boston Guitarfest International Competition, The Domaine Forget Guitar Competition, The Schadt String Concerto Competition, The Joanne Falletta Concerto Competition, and the Columbus State University Guitar Symposium Competition.

Bruce Holzman was awarded a special Lifetime Achievement award at the Fifth New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes held in his honor, "El Maestro/Tradition of the Masters."

American guitarist Andrew Zohn is recognized internationally for his work as a performer, instructor, and composer.  A prize winner in five international competitions including the Guitar Foundation of America and the Stotsenberg International, Zohn has performed concerts on four continents as a soloist and as part of Duo Spiritoso with acclaimed Canadian guitarist Jeffrey McFadden including venues in New York, Rotterdam, Vancouver, Honolulu, Buenos Aires, and Puerto Rico.  In 2008, Zohn served as a visiting artist at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China.

Andrew Zohn holds a doctorate of music degree from Florida State University, a master of music from the University of Texas, and a bachelor of music from the North Carolina School of the Arts.  Since 1999, he has served on the faculty of Columbus State University in Georgia, where he directs the annual CSU Guitar Symposium.  Each summer, Dr. Zohn performs and teaches of many prestigious music festivals around the world including the Mediterranean Guitar Festival in Italy and the Sauble Beach Festival in Canada.   Students of Andrew Zohn have won prizes in several international competitions and have been featured on the American national radio program From the Top.

Andrew Zohn regularly receives commissions to compose new works for performing artists and arts institutions. He has four times been the recipient of a Plus Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).  Original compositions and transcriptions by Andrew Zohn are published through Les Productions d’Oz, Canada, Tuscany publications (Theodore Presser), and FJH Publications.  His recordings for Clear Note and Centaur Records have received wide acclaim from American Record Guide, Classical Guitar Magazine, GuitArt Magazine, Soundboard, Guitarra Magazine, and Rosewood Review.

Mary Akerman performed at the 2000 Guitar Foundation of America Festival and has served on the advisory board of that organization.  She  has given concerts and masterclasses at the  Festival de Guitarra Paracho in Paracho, Mexico, the Festival Internacional de Guitarra del Noreste in Saltillo, Mexico, the Southwestern Guitar Festival in San Antonio, Texas and at the ECU Summer Music Workshop in Greenville, North Carolina.  In addition to giving solo concerts throughout the US and internationally, she has   performed with the Atlanta Symphony,recorded with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Festival Singers, and has played on National Public Radio's "In Performance Today" program.Mary Akerman is a first prize winner in the Guitar Foundation of America Competition and the Casa de Espana of Puerto Rico Competition.  She was also awarded the bronze medal in the  Concours International Radio France.

Her educational credits include Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Georgia and postgraduate studies in performance at Florida State University.  In 1986 she had the honor of being selected to perform in the Master Class of Andres Segovia.  She also studied with Jose Tomas in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

A resident of Atlanta Georgia, she teaches classical guitar at Kennesaw State University.

Since moving to Charlotte in 1999, Bob has appeared as a soloist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and the North Carolina Dance Theater.  He has also developed and perfomed arrangements to accompany the Moving Poets Theater and Dance Company.  In addition to his duo performances with guitarist Mary Akerman,  he performs regularly with his wife, cellist Tanja Bechtler and with the seven member world music ensemble, "Without Borders" .  Robert currently holds teaching positions at Queens University of Charlotte, and Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC.

Bob and Mary met over twenty years ago as students at Florida State University and in recent years have been performing duo concerts together. This is a collaboration of old friends and of two similarly styled musicians. In their studies with Professor Bruce Holzman, they developed an appreciation for tone and control that Bruce is famous for instilling in his students.

Marko Feri took his Diploma in guitar at the “G.Tartini” conservatory in Trieste (Italy) and then performed in many masterclasses with David Russell, Manuel Barrueco and Alberto Ponce. He has won prizes in national and international contests (“Fernando Sor” in Rome, “Nicola Fago” in Taranto, “Lilian Caraian” in Trieste) and plays regularly in important music festivals (Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, USA, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Germany, France, Romania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Austria, Belgium), both as a soloist and with chamber music ensembles - “Gorni Kramer Quartet”, duo with jazz singer Martina Feri, duo with flutist E.Michelazzi, “Italian Guitar Consort”, “Concordia Chamber Orchestra” (Operita Maria de Buenos Aires by A.Piazzolla). He has recorded seven CD’s: “Nocturnal” like soloist; “Notes Vagabondes - Live” and “Modulante” with the Gorni Kramer Quartet; “20th Century Original Works For Flute And Guitar” with Michelazzi; “Viva Sevilla” with the “Italian Guitar Consort” and the english soprano Lorna Windsor; “Astor Piazzolla-Orchestral Works” with the Concordia Chamber Orchestra; “Evasion” (music by Piazzolla and Bolling) with Evasion group. He is guitar teacher at the Glasbena Matica “Marij Kogoj” in Trieste, Italy. He is also the artistic director of the International Guitar Festival “Kras”  in Slovenia.

Known for the depth and precision in his playing, guitarist  Patrick Lui has established himself as both a notable performer and a gifted teacher. Prize winner of several competitions, including the first Hong Kong Guitar Competition, the Yamaha Guitar Competition, and the Hong Kong, Macau, and Canton Invitational Guitar Competition, a finalist in the East Carolina Guitar Festival, and a semi-finalist in the Tokyo International Guitar Competition, his performances have been heard in the United States, Canada, Japan, and China. He has performed as a recitalist, a soloist with orchestras, and as an ensemble player.

Patrick Lui holds degrees from North Carolina School of the Arts, Arizona State University, and has attended the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.  He has studied with such teachers as Wilson Yuen, Susan McKethan, Larry Almeida, Aaron Shearer, and Frank Koonce.  He has also worked in master classes with Gerald Garcia, Roberto Assuel, Robert Guthrie, Pepe Romero, and Manuel Burreco.

Patrick Lui has taught at Arizona State University, Salem College, Catawba College, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Forsyth Technical Community College.   He currently teaches at the Weaver Academy for Performance and Visual Arts. Since 1995, Lui has dedicated himself to the education of young guitarists.  One of his student was recently featured on the NPR and PBS Television Show 'From the Top.”  His students have won over 50 prizes in the Columbus State University Guitar Symposium, the East Carolina Guitar Competition, South Carolina Guitar Competition, the Appalachian Guitar Festival, the Greensboro Music Academy Guitar Competition, America String Teachers Association Guitar Competition and most recently, the Guitar Foundation of America Competition.

Joseph Ikner (Teacher Trainer) is frequently invited to perform as a soloist and chamber musician at university campuses, music festivals and for a variety of audiences throughout eastern North America. Enthusiastically received performances for the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC and a tour of Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama highlight Joseph Ikner’s recent concert happenings. In January 2002, Mr. Ikner premiered Comedic Situation, a commissioned work for solo guitar by Dr. Andrew Zohn. Following the debut, The North Carolina Arts Council awarded Joseph Ikner a grant to help fund his first recording, Premiere. Selections from Premiere have been featured on public radio stations and the CD is available for purchase at www.iknermusic.com. Joseph Ikner’s accomplishments at several solo guitar competitions include: Finalist, Aranjuez Strings International Guitar Competition, 2001; 1st prize, South Carolina National Guitar Competition, 2001; 1st prize, North Carolina Music Teacher’s Association Collegiate Artist Guitar Competition, 1997 & 1999; Finalist, East Carolina University Summer Guitar Workshop Guitar Competition, 1999. Widely regarded as a dedicated, conscientious and effective guitar pedagogue, Joseph Ikner is regularly sought to conduct master classes and clinics. Joseph Ikner has also directed guitar studies at Campbell University. He holds a MM, and BM, magna cum laude, in Guitar Performance from East Carolina University and is currently seeking a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Guitar Performance at Shenandoah Conservatory. Joseph Ikner has been a faculty member of the ECU Summer Guitar Workshop since it’s inception in 1996.