ASU Guitar Series announces 2023–24 season

Close-up of a person's hand strumming a guitar.

Courtesy photo

By Lynne MacDonald |
October 12, 2023

The Arizona State University Guitar Series announces a 2023–24 season of discovery that will provide students opportunities to work together, support each other, and become part of the Phoenix and Arizona communities.

The series' opening concert on Oct. 24 features Croatian guitarist Lovro Peretić, winner of the 2022 Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Concert Artist Competition.

“The GFA Competition is widely recognized as the most prestigious international prize for classical guitar, and we are thrilled to welcome Lovro to ASU as part of his prize-winning tour,” said Martha Masters, assistant professor of guitar.

On Nov. 15, the ASU Guitar Studio will present their first recital, which will highlight all of the classical guitar students in the ASU Guitar Orchestra, as well as select chamber ensembles and soloists.

“I look forward to our students sharing their growth with the community in our first Studio Guitar Recital in November, where we are exploring a breadth of repertoire that is a ‘get-to-know-you’ type of program — something for everyone,” Masters said.

Masters joined the School of Music, Dance and Theatre in August and said she is spending time this year getting to know the strengths of the current guitar students.

“We are doing a lot of work as a group on how to raise our ensemble IQ and our engagement with each other and with our audience to enhance everyone’s experience of making and receiving music,” Masters said.

Masters added that the guitar studio students are working on eye contact, cueing, and all forms of physical and nonverbal communication that will make for better chamber musicians and help students to communicate more effectively with colleagues and audiences.

On Jan. 31, 2024, the guitar series welcomes Spanish guitarist Pablo Sainz Villegas for a master class from 5–7 p.m. in advance of his performances with The Phoenix Symphony. The spring season will include an April Guitar Studio Recital in collaboration with other musicians from the school.