Jury:

There will be a set jury of finve voting members for all rounds of the competition plus one Safety Juror in the event of conflict of interest (i.e. if a competitor is a student of one of the jury members, etc.) s well as the Jury President (whose vote will only be counted in the event of a draw).


Jury Members

Dr. JEFFREY GEORGE
Jeffrey George, coordinator of guitar studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, received his bachelors degree in guitar performance under Paul Reilly at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. While teaching in the school of music as an associate instructor, he earned his MM in performance at Indiana University in Bloomington studying under the renowned Argentine guitarist, Ernesto Bitteti.

Dr. George completed the doctoral degree on a graduate scholarship at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ where he studied with celebrated American guitarist Frank Koonce and also taught for the ASU guitar college preparatory program. Mr. George has been the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships including support for academic programs at Berklee College of Music, Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA and the National Guitar Summer Workshop. He has been invited to play in masterclasses for Eliot Fisk, Manuel Barrueco, Christopher Parkening and Roberto Aussel.

Praised by musicians and critics nationwide, Jeffrey George is recognized as one of today's outstanding guitarists. Highlights of recent seasons include concerts in Memphis, New Orleans, Phoenix, Austin, Nashville, Indianapolis, and Pensacola, as well as London and British Columbia. He has been heard on National Public Radio and has recorded for the Public Broadcasting System. His doctoral dissertation, Angelo Michele Bartolotti: Performance Edition of Thirteen Suites from Libro Secondo di Chitarra (1655) was recently published by Mel Bay, Inc. Prior to his appointment at UL Lafayette, Mr. George coordinated the guitar program at Phoenix College in Arizona.

Mr. George's jazz teachers include Joe Pass, Jack Wilkins, Joe Diorio, Jon Herington and David Baker. His performance credentials include appearances with Joe Henderson, Billy Childs, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Oliver Nelson Jr., Ritchie Havens and Taj Mahal. He has performed in jazz festivals in Indianapolis, Newport, and Sedona, Arizona. Mr. George is an active member of the Guitar Foundation of America, American String Teachers Association, the International Association of Jazz Educators and the College Music Society.


ISAAC BUSTON (Nicaragua)
Born in Managua, Nicaragua, Isaac Bustos began playing popular Latin-American music on the guitar by ear at age 11. By age 12, he was accepted into the Conservatorio Nacional De Musica in Managua where he received top honors in guitar performance. Isaac immigrated with his family to the United States in 1988 and continued his studies with the late Cuban guitar virtuoso Juan Mercadal. An extensive performance career has taken Bustos to Canada, Central America and all over the US. He has gained critical acclaim and is quickly becoming recognized as one of the top young guitarists of his generation.

“Soulful and virtually flawless”, hails the Portland Oregonian and the Boston Globe writes, “In warm, round tones, the notes of Bach cascaded from the guitar, every note correct and played without hesitation.” He has made several Radio and Television appearances and has been invited to perform in the Portland Guitar Festival, St. Joseph Guitar Festival the Eastfield College Guitar Festival and the Texas Guitar Festival in Dallas.

An impressive array of top prizes include: First Prize -- 2005 Texas International Solo Guitar Competition, Dallas TX; First Prize – 2004 Lachine International Guitar Competition, Lachine, QC, Canada; First Prize – 2004 St. Joseph International Solo Guitar Competition, St. Joseph, MO; First Prize – 2004 Portland Solo Guitar Competition, Portland, OR; First Prize – 2004 East Carolina University Solo Guitar Competition, Greenville, NC; First Prize – 2002 University of New Hampshire Concerto Competition, Durham, NH; Top Prize – 2003 Appalachian State University Solo Guitar Competition, Boone, NC; Semi-finalist – 2000, 2001 and 2004 Guitar Foundation of America International Solo Guitar Competitions.

In addition to guitar study, Bustos has performed several premieres. Most recently works by composers Peter Askim for solo guitar, Andrew Dickinson for four guitars, a work for two guitars and electronic sound effects by Jeremy Cumbo and “After Sylvius” a solo guitar work written for Isaac by composer/guitarist Frank Wallace.

Isaac has participated in Masterclasses of international world-renowned performing artists such as Manuel Barrueco, David Russell, Paul Galbraith, Fabio Zanon, Ricardo Iznaola, Odair Assad, Elliot Fisk and Jason Vieaux. He was also one of three performers chosen to play in the Pepe Romero Masterclass held at the prestigious Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He holds a Bachelor of Music in performance from the University of New Hampshire, where he held a full-music scholarship, and a Master of Music degree in performance from the University of Texas at Austin where he was the teaching assistant under the tutelage of world-renowned guitarist Adam Holzman. He is currently on faculty at Texas A&M University Department of Performance Studies.


MARIE-CAROLIN-LEBRIEZ (France)
Born in Northern France in 1975, guitarist Marie-Caroline Lebriez was accepted to the National Conservatory of Lille at the age of 9 and as a student of Philippe Gruneissen, was awarded a 1st Prize Diploma in guitar several years later.

She has been awarded additional 1st Prizes at various competitions, including Dunkerque, Lys Les Lannoy and the competition of Montdidier (Paris).

An active teacher for over 12 years at various music schools throughout Northern France, Mlle. Lebriez studied pedagogy with Karel Harms and Olivier Chassain of the Conservatoire Superieur de Musique (Paris) and Pedro Ibanez of the Conservatoire National de Region de Paris.

She has organized masterclasses and guitar seminars throughout France and in 1996 she formed a duo with Belgian guitarist, Claude Burvenich, with whom she has performed throughout France, Belgium, and the Czec Republic featuring a vast repertoire of music from France, South America and Spain.

Her love of chamber music and contemporary forms has recently been focused on music from North and South America. She is currently also accompanist for “Choer de Joi” - a chorale of over 100 vocalists conducted by noted chorale director, Antoine Dubois, featuring sacred music of North America, including the “Stabat Mater Speciosa - The Blue Virgin” of Anthony Glise, composed for chorale and solo guitar.

In 1998 she founded the association “Chord'accord” which helps promote the cultural awareness of the guitar, lute and mandolin.


ROGER ALLEN COPE (US)
During a life long career as musician Roger Allen Cope has served as orchestral soloist, concert performer, recitalist, lecturer, recording artist, and college level guitar teacher since 1978. He is currently Director of Guitar Studies at Brevard College, Brevard, NC. He also teaches at Flat Rock Guitar in historic Flat Rock, NC, and is widely regarded for successes as curriculum builder and for motivating young musicians. Mr. Cope is also a freelance writer on the arts, performing and teaching. His scholastic articles and critical reviews have appeared in GuitArt, Guitar Review, and GFA Soundboard. He is a regular contributor to Classical Voice North Carolina on-line at cvnc.org. In October of 2005 he was chosen to participate in the NEA Institute in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University, one of only 25 invited from across the USA.

As musician he has toured throughout the United States, Canada, Mallorca, and Spain for both solo and ensemble performances. In 1995 he was presented the TIMES-NEWS "TED" award as Outstanding Musician of the year. In 2003 he was awarded the Dr. Eliza B. Graue Extra Mile Award for his efforts in curriculum development at Blue Ridge Community College. In 2004 he was nominated for the Swalin Outstanding North Carolina Music Educator Award. His discography includes four recordings; as guest artist on Wanda Lu Green’s TELL’IN LIES, a compilation recording of holiday music from the Biltmore Estate for Jamlet Productions, and two CDs with Seattle flutist Lise Mann for the SONARI label that includes new music by Peter Schickele and Roupen Shakarian, and a disc of holiday music. Cope has premiered new music for guitar by Karen Thomas, David Leonard, Paul Elwood, and Bertil Van Boer. Since 2000 he has been a member of the distinguished adjudicating panel for the International Classical Guitar Competition at the Appalachian State University GuitarFest in Boone, NC held every spring.


Mr. Cope is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Music where his teacher was Bruce Holzman. He has had additional study with Eliot Fisk and numerous master class performances for Christopher Parkening, Oscar Ghiglia, Michael Lorimer and Angel Romero. Further activities include interpretive studies from a broad range of disciplines and specialists including musicians Leo Brouwer, Beverly Wolf, Paul Badura-Skoda and Aaron Copland.


What the press has said: "Cope is an artist of impressive technical ability ... selections convinced me, moved me, came alive - in particular the pieces by Bach, Villa-Lobos and Albeniz." Lakeland Ledger (FL). "Cope played with a sensitivity that I have never heard on any recording. His phrasing and dynamics were exquisite, and his tone quality absolutely breathtaking ... This man can play a musical line!" The State Journal-Register
(IL). "One hot classical guitarist ... a star." T. Roe Oldt, The Ledger.


ANDREW DICKENSON (US)
J. Andrew Dickenson is a founding member of the New York Guitar Quartet and is President and Artistic Director of the New York City Classical Guitar Society. He has performed extensively in the United States in a variety of innovative locations and situations as a soloist, chamber musician, with soprano Yeonjune Suh, and as a founding member of the 1 East Guitar Quartet. He has performed at prestigious venues in New York City such as Columbia University and in Washington, DC at the Corcoran Art Museum and has worked with high profile acts such as Trio Sorella and the SONOS Chamber Orchestra. An avid protagonist of new music and art, Andrew has actively commissioned several young and pioneering composers to write music for his performances, including Terry Champlin, Brian Grundstrom, and Judah Adashi, and has collaborated with many multi-media artists to produce shows at Baltimore's Augenmusik festival and the Academy of Art in Philadelphia. Recent tours have taken him to the Lahina Jodo Buddhist Mission in Hawaii, the School for Visual and Performing Arts, and Knua Hall in Seoul, Korea.

A scholarship winner from both the Peabody Conservatory of Music and the Mannes College of Music, Andrew's primary teachers include Julian Gray, Robert Trent, and Frederic Hand, and he has also studied with Manuel Barrueco, Peter Golladay, Sergio Assad, William Kanengiser, Michael Newman, Terry Champlin and Carlo Domeniconi. Andrew holds a Bachelors of Music from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and a Masters of Music from the Mannes College of Music in New York City and has attended the Penzance Guitar Workshop in Penzance, England. During the summer of 1998, he spent several months studying with the acclaimed guitarist/composer Gilbert Biberian in England as a recipient of the Johns Hopkins Provost's Award for Undergraduate Research.

Andrew is Professor of Music and Guitar at Cecil Community College. Also a writer, Andrew is founder of NYlon Review and has been published internationally in magazines such as Soundboard and Classical Guitar. He serves on the advisory board of the International Studio of Music in New York City and is Music Professor at Cecil Community College.


SAFETY JURORS (in the event of conflict of interest)

MICHAEL FUSON (US)
One of the region’s leading (classically-trained) rock guitarists, Michael has performed in venues throughout the US includinsg Gazzari’s and the Troubadour on “The Strip,” in Los Angeles (some of the former haunts of Elton John, John Lennon and Nilsson). Michael completed his Bachelor’s a classical violinist and has worked in concert, studio and commercial aspects of the music industry for the past 25 years. http://www.michaelfuson.com


THOMAS RANSOM (US)
A graduate of Berklee School fo Music (Boston), Ransom is a renowned producer and owner of Ransomed Productions (US). He has produced and engineered numerous internationally-released CDs and has been cited for his flawless production in such magazines as Audiofile, Gramophone (US) and Les Cahiers de la Guitare (France). Additionally, Thomas has released three of his own CDs and has written and arranged numerous instrumental and vocal compositions for radio and television productions.