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Sal Contrino is a classical guitarist, teacher, and performer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sal received his BM from Queens University of Charlotte under the direction of Robert Teixeira. Following his studies at Queens, he completed his MM in Performance
with a concentration in String Pedagogy at the University of Louisville with Dr. Stephen Mattingly where Sal served as a teaching assistant. Sal has received performance awards from Queens University, Charlotte Music Club, and the Southern Guitar Festival and Competition Currently, Sal holds teaching positions at Queens University of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, Providence Day School, and Belmont Abbey. Additionally, he is the co-founder and codirector of the Queens University of Charlotte Guitar Symposium
Troy Conn is a professional jazz, classical, and rock guitarist who has been performing and instructing jazz for over two decades. His Charlotte-based jazz bands include Jazz Is Led, the Conn/Davis Duo, Ron Brendle Quartet, and the DJam Collective. Pulling from his classical guitar training, Conn often guest performs with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and numerous pit orchestras. Troy has toured through the UK and has been a performer at the Eclats d’Email Jazz Festival in Limoges France.
Conn graduated from UNC Charlotte with a BA in Music Performance, where he studied classical guitar with Michael Mosley After graduating, he was invited to study at the Berklee Guitar Sessions under a full scholarship. Since then, Conn has led workshops, sessions, and numerous camps and courses He currently teaches Applied Jazz Guitar at Queens University and UNC Charlotte as well as the Jazz Combo at UNC Charlotte He also works with Jazz Arts Charlotte as an instructor and a performer. Troy was awarded the UNC Charlotte Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023
Mary Akerman is a winner of the Guitar Foundation of America Competition and subsequently served on the GFA Board of Trustees for over ten years. She has performed/taught/adjudicated internationally and at many colleges and regional festivals, including the Columbus Guitar Symposium, the East Carolina Summer Guitar Workshop, the San Antonio Guitar Festival, and the GFA Festival. She is president of the Atlanta Guitar Guild.
Robert Teixeira lives in Charlotte, NC and is currently on the faculty at Queens University of Charlotte and Central Piedmont Community College He has recorded with his wife, cellist Tanja Bechtler, and regularly performs with the chamber music group, The Bechtler Ensemble. His compositions and arrangements are available through Clear Note Publications.
Bob and Mary met while in graduate school at Florida State University and formed a duo in 2008. Since forming they have performed regularly for chamber music organizations, colleges and university programs, and through guitar festival invitations Their CD, Music for Two Guitars, is available through Clear Note Publications.
Patrick Lui, is a masterful concert artist and a distinguished classical guitar teacher, celebrated for his exceptional talent and unwavering dedication For over four decades, he has inspired and nurtured countless young students, guiding them to over three hundred prizes and accolades. His students have triumphed at prestigious competitions such as the Guitar Festival America – Youth Division, James Stroud Guitar Competition, and have performed as young featured artists at Carnegie Hall. Many of his former students have become
successful performing artists, accomplished luthiers, and even a Grammy Award-winning music producer. His remarkable teaching and musicianship have earned him a place as one of the most respected classical guitar teachers for pre-college level students in the United States. Patrick served as the Director of Guitar Studies at Weaver Academy for Performing and Visual Arts in Greensboro, North Carolina USA, from 2005 until he relocated to Singapore to accompany his wife.
A celebrated concert artist, lecturer, clinician and adjudicator, Patrick has enthralled audiences with his fiery performances and poetic lyricism. His playing has been praised by music critics as “demonstrating not only virtuosity but also a lyric beauty and silky smoothness he has rarely heard.” Patrick’s performances are an inspired synthesis of artistic vision and technical mastery.
Patrick is one of the few full scholarship students of the legendary guitar pedagogue Aaron Shearer, known as the Dean of the American Classical Guitar. He also served as a teaching assistant for Professor Frank Koonce and an Interim Instructor of Guitar at Arizona State University.
The first album of his recordings titled Obra Sentilmentales is in queue to be released on CD Baby.
and Competition.
Sara d’Ippolito Reichert is an award-winning performing artist, composer, and educator with musical influences that span many genres. Born into a multicultural and musical family, d'Ippolito grew up in Lamezia Terme (Calabria, Italy). She holds a degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. She has performed extensively as a soloist and as part of an ensemble throughout Europe and North America. Sara received first prize at the 2024 Guitar Symposium at Queens University of Charlotte and most recently received first prize at the University of Louisville Guitar Festival and
Sara d'Ippolito has performed in numerous venues as a soloist and as part of ensembles As a theater lover, she loves to collaborate in different productions. In 2010 she worked with Nicola Piovani as an on-stage musician in Shakespeare's play “Two Gentlemen of Verona”, adapted by Vincenzo Cerami, held at the Globe Theater of Rome. Other notable performances are in 2011 as a soloist in "Maria de Buenos Aires", Piazzolla’s tango opera presented by Danceworks Performance Company, the Milwaukee Opera Theatre, the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee dance department at Calvary Presbyterian Church In 2015 she performed in the ballet “Giselle”, presented by Milwaukee Ballet at Marcus Center for the Arts. In 2023, she performed Germaine Tailleferre’s concerto for two guitars and orchestra with the Orquesta Juvenil Universitaria Eduardo Mata (OJUEM) in Mexico City at the Sala Nezahualcóyotl
Sara d'Ippolito has many interests and experiences as a guitarist, ukulele player, and vocalist. She has worked in various teaching settings: one-on-one and group environments, schools and outreach programs, workshops, and masterclasses. From 2012 to 2016 she was the head of the guitar program at the national award-winning Latino Arts Strings Program in Milwaukee, WI. Since 2015, d'Ippolito leads the Jazz-Folk duo “Sara and Kenny”. She has lived in Rome, Tallinn, Milwaukee, London, Berlin, Chicago, and now Minneapolis.
After a year at Roosevelt University in Chicago, under the instruction of Denis Azabagic, Sara d'Ippolito is currently pursuing a DMA at the University of Minnesota with Maja Radovanlija. Her research focuses on Women and Gender studies in classical guitar, highlighting diverse women composers from the past, present and future.
Sara d’Ippolito Reichert plays a guitar by Noemi Schembri.
his unique blend of powerful virtuosity, beautiful tone, and natural musicianship, Elliot Frank is a frequent guest performer and teacher at guitar festivals, as concerto soloist and on concert series throughout the Americas and Europe. Most recently he has appeared at the Appalachian Guitar Festival, El Llanto de la Guitarra International Guitar Festival in Ragusa, Sicily, Tiempo de Guitarras at the Palazzo Francica Nava in Siracusa, Sicily, Tidewater Classic Guitar, the Florida Guitar Festival, the Utah Classical Guitar Society, Great Guitarists at Stetson, as concerto soloist with the McClean Orchestra, and at the Queens University Guitar Symposium, Guitar Sarasota, the Southwest Guitar Symposium in San Antonio, and the Columbus State University Guitar Symposium. Other highlights include performances for the Mediterranean Guitar Festival in Cervo, Italy, the Sea and Guitars Festival in Vrsar, Croatia, the inaugural Encuentro Internacional de Guitarra Villa Caletas in Herradura, Costa Rica, Sauble Beach Festival of the Classic Guitar in Sauble Beach, Ontario and at the Sixth Guitar Festival of the Dominican Republic. He has also been a featured performer at the 2006 Guitar Foundation of America Festival, the Appalachian Guitar Fest, the Alexandria Guitar Festival, the Festival Lachine in Montreal, Canada, and at the 2003 Southwest Guitar Festival in San Antonio. He has also performed for the North Carolina Bach Festival, and the Tennessee Guitar Festival. His first compact disc, South American Guitar Music, has been praised as being “eloquent” and “delightful.” An aficionado of guitar music of Hispanic cultures, he has performed lecture/recitals pertaining to the music of Antonio Lauro for the Guitar Foundation of America at international festivals in Pasadena and New Orleans. He has premiered a number of works for guitar including Concerto da Camera for guitar and chamber orchestra by Mark Taggart and the E Sonata by Andrew Zohn.
Elliot Frank is also a prizewinner in national and international competitions including the Concurso Internacional de la Casa de España in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Elliot Frank was selected to initiate the guitar studies program for East Carolina University where he has held the title of Professor of Guitar for the past 35 years He retired from college teaching this year but continues to maintain an active concert schedule His students and alumni, continue to distinguish themselves with an impressive array of first prizes in national and international competitions, on the concert stage, and they hold teaching positions at universities across the United States Elliot Frank is the founder and artistic director of the ECU Summer Guitar Festival, one of the most well-known events and well-loved events of the summer for the past 27 years.
Elliot Frank plays a 2020 Dennis Tolz guitar.
The musical relationship between guitarists Erdong Li and Andrew Zohn began in 2013 as student and teacher. Li left his native China to pursue graduate studies under Zohn’s direction at the Schwob School of Music (Columbus State University). Upon Li’s joining the faculty of the Schwob School in 2018, the two have toured extensively throughout the United States and China including performances in such major events as Guangzhou and Liaoning International Guitar Festivals, Solstice Guitar Symposium (Connecticut), and the ECU Summer Guitar Workshop (North Carolina).
Andrew Zohn has enjoyed a decades-long career as a performer, composer, and much sought-after teacher. He has performed concerts on five continents including venues in China, Malaysia, Egypt, Argentina, as well as throughout North America and Europe. Students of Andrew Zohn have won prizes in over 100 international competitions and have been featured on National Public Radio. 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. Zohn’s latest solo recording Eterna Saudade was released in 2019 through Contrastes Records (Spain).Andrew
Erdong Li has performed on the guitar throughout China and the United States, with the mission of promoting cultural exchange through musical celebration Currently serving on the faculty of the Schwob School of Music (Columbus State University), Li also is vicechairman of the Wenzhou Guitar Association (China) and tours throughout China annually as a part of W E Duo with violinist Weiru Sheng. Li received his Master’s Degree at the Schwob School of Music and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in classical guitar performance from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. During his time in Beijing, he was also actively performing on electric guitar in a rock band throughout the region This rich combination of influences from two cultures results in a truly special approach to music, one which includes a variety of styles ranging from acoustic folk to electric guitar, and which allows students to develop brilliant sound, solid musical skills, and abundant creativity.
Erdong Li and Andrew Zohn play exclusively on Augustine Strings.
The artistry of Rene Izquierdo is internationally recognized as one of the most important guitarists in the concert stage today. He has been praised for his “unforgettable versatility, sensitivity and sublime musicianship” by classical guitar magazine and “flawless technique wedded to a perfectly refined aesthetic sensibility… notes are etched in place with gorgeous sound and infallible musical direction” by Soundboard Magazine.
As a concert artist, Rene has performed throughout North and South America, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Russia, Europe and Asia as solo recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra He has received wide critical acclaim for his performances and is recognized among the world’s elite of classical guitar players.
His career has focused on bringing the guitar and its music to all corners of the world During his three decades of concertizing, his international tours have earned him the highest praise from audiences and critics alike Rene’s commitment to expanding the guitar repertoire has led him to collaborations with great composers such as Carlos Rafael Rivera, Jorge Morel, Yalil Guerra, Olga AmelkinaVera, Benjamin Verdery among many others
A native from Cuba, Rene graduated from the Guillermo Tomas, Amadeo Roldan Conservatory and Superior Institute of Art in Havana. In the United States, he earned a Master of Music and Artist Diploma degrees from Yale University School of Music as well as a Master of Music Education from Lehmann College. He founded the guitar program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he is currently the guitar professor and director of guitar studies at this institution.
As a leading classical guitarist, Mr. Izquierdo is a recipient of numerous awards He is a prize winner of JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Competition, Extremadura International Guitar Competition, Schadt String competition, Stotsenberg International Guitar Competition among others.
“Flawless technique weeded to a perfectly refined aesthetic sensibility... notes are etched in place with gorgeous sound and infallible musical direction ” –Soundboard Magazine, 2020
“Izquierdo’s playing is nimble, stylish, fluent and innately expressive Like any good new version of familiar music, it made the ear hear it afresh, discovering new details. Persuasive performance.” - Shepperd Express Nov 29, 2016
Kathryn Greenhoot Recital Hall
Friday January 31, 2025
7:00 PM
Sal Contrino
Prelude I Dale Kavanagh (b. 1958)
Fantasia Roberto Gerhard (1896-1970)
Sonata for Guitar Op. 61 Joaquin Turina (1882-1949)
I. Lento - Allegro - Allegretto Tranquillo - Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro vivo
- INTERMISSIONAkerman-Teixeira Duo
Who is Eve? Miroslav Lonçar (b.1964)
Sonata in E Minor, K.9 Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Sonata in A Major, K.113
Tango Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) Castilla
The Holzman’s Duet Sergio Assad (b. 1952)
- INTERMISSIONTroy Conn - PROGRAM WILL BE ANNOUNCED FROM THE STAGEFriday
Kathryn Greenhoot Recital Hall
Saturday, February 1, 2025 3:30 PM
Patrick Lui
Cancion Antón Garcia Abril (1933-2021)
(Con sentimento)
Evocacion
(La guitar, hace llorar a los sueños/The guitar, makes mournful dreams)
Cançò En El Mar Jaume Pahissa (1880-1969)
Dos Temas De Recuerdos
I. Prelude - por el viejo camino
II. Dialogo
La Serra (The Greenshouse) Mario Barbieri (1888-1968)
I. Myosotis alpestris (Alphine Forget-me-not)
II. Viola del pensiero gigante (Giant Pansy)
III. Ciclamino di Persia (Giant of Persia)
IV. Orchidea (Orchid)
V. Gelsomino d’India (Jasmine)
VI. Rosa di Gerico (Rose of Jericho)
VII. Mimosa podia sensitive (Tumbleweed)
Aires de Son Gerardo Tamez (b. 1948)
I. Aire Istmeño
II Quedo
III. Son Trunco
Kathryn Greenhoot Recital Hall
Saturday, February 1, 2025 4:15 PM
Sara d’Ippolito Reichert
Dans le souffle du temps Lilith Guegamian (b. 1971)
Etude III “ en pensant a Bach” Ida Presti (1924-1967)
Sonatina (194-): Teresa De Rogatis (1893-1979)
I. Andantino
II. Largo
III. Tempo di minuetto
IV. A capriccio
La ronde des sorcières et la naissance des déesses Guegamian
Kathryn Greenhoot Recital Hall
Saturday, February 1, 2025
7:00 PM
Elliot Frank
El Negrito Antonio Lauro (1917-1986)
El niño
Maria Luisa
Preludio in C minor Agustín Barrios (1885-1944)
Preludio Opus 5 no 1
Platero y Yo Eduardo Sainz de la Maza (1903-1982)
Platero
La Azotea
La Muerte
A Platero en su Tierra
Solea Regino Sainz de la Maza (1896-1981)
Petenera
Zapateado
- INTERMISSION -
Li & Zohn Duo
From Quartetto D. 173 Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
I. Allegro con brio Arr. Julian Bream
Passacaglia George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Johann Halverson (1864-1935) Arr Andrew Zohn (b 1970) Saturday
Kathryn Greenhoot Recital Hall
Saturday, February 1, 2025
7:00 PM
Serenata Andaluza Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
Cero Sonatina (2001) Andrew Zohn (b. 1970)
I. Il Mare
II. Le Scale
III. Il Cielo
Jongo Paulo Bellinatti (b. 1950)
- INTERMISSION -
René Izquierdo
Guajira a Mi Madre Antonio Rojas (1921-2008)
Mirándote Eduardo Martín (b. 1956)
La Comparsa Ernesto Lecuona (1895-1963)
Arr. Manuel Barrueco (b. 1952)
Elogio de la Danza Leo Brouwer (b. 1939)
Whirler of the Dance Carlos Rafael Rivera (b. 1970)
Son del Barrio Martín Saturday
