Joann Falletta INTERNATIONAL Guitar Concerto Competition History

2008

The momentum of the Competition continued! The City of Buffalo greeted 2008’s Competitors and Judges with open arms and demonstrated it by purchasing more tickets than ever before.

There were many firsts in 2008’s Competition beginning with not only one but two female guitarists competing. Artist Hugo Rodriguez was welcomed as the official artist of the Competition and his vibrant artwork graced the Competition’s print promotion, Kleinhans stage and in the Buffalo/Niagara Airport Art Gallery. A community outreach program titled Guitar Days was added to the roster of events which sent the international guitarists out into the community to perform at various locations including Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Chautauqua Institution, Barnes and Noble, Orchard Park High School along master classes presented at the Buffalo Academy of the Visual and Performing Arts.

Perhaps the most exciting addition to 2008’s Competition was its live local broadcast of the semi-finals on WNED-FM which was also a live international broadcast via the WNED website. It reinforced the Competition as a world class event and allowed the competitors’ fans, friends and family back home the opportunity to listen to their performances live from Buffalo, NY.

2008’s judge panel included world-renowned guitarist Eduardo Fernandez, president of the Guitar Foundation of America Brian Head, leading classical guitarist David Leisner, host of radio show Classical Guitar Alive! Tony Morris, and Spanish guitar virtuoso Enrique Muñoz Teruel.

The 3 competitors who advanced to the finals were Benjamin Beirs representing the U.S., Laura Klemke representing Germany and three-time semifinalist Marco Sartor representing Uruguay. After three magnificent performances with the full Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Laura Klemke was honored by the orchestra with the Musicians Award and Marco Sartor took the Audience Favorite Award and named 1st place winner of the Competition.

2006

The 2nd biennial JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition continued to build on the success of the first one. The momentum continued and delivered us back to Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, NY with another world-class event. It was hard to believe that two years had passed since the inaugural year and 2006’s competition solidified the competition’s place as one of the foremost musical events in the entire world.

The 2006 judge panel welcomed back Joanne Castellani and Michael Andriaccio who continued to serve as co-directors of the competition, classically trained musician and owner of Dusman Audio, Inc. David Dusman and Classical 94.5/WNED-FM program host John Landis. New to the panel were free-lance composer Miguel del Aquila, guitarist and program director for the Orange County Guitar Circle Jeff Cogan, winner of the first competition Marcin Dylla, critically acclaimed producer David Frost and international classical guitarist Eduardo Pascual Diez.

Ten of the finest guitarists on the planet, representing Peru, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Uruguay and the US, participated and the international panel of esteemed judges faced the difficult but wonderful challenge of whom to bestow first place prize. It was the 2nd place winner of 2004’s event, Pablo Garibay of Mexico, who stood onstage besides JoAnn Falletta and took a bow as the winner of the 2nd JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition.

2004

The inaugural JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition was a spectacular event that grabbed the attention of the guitar community around the globe. The first ever guitar concerto competition received such an overwhelming response that it truly served as a testament of the need for such a competition. It also paid tribute to the international appeal of Buffalo Philharmonic conductor JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic itself.

The 2004 judge panel included Joanne Castellani and Michael Andriaccio whom are regarded as one of the elite chamber ensembles on the music scene today and also co-directors of the competition, composer Jack Behrens, Grammy nominated guitarist Carlos Bonell, classically trained musician and owner of Dusman Audio, Inc. David Dusman, associate professor of guitar at Florida State University Bruce Holzman, Classical 94.5/WNED-FM program host John Landis and one of the leading composers of his generation Roberto Sierra.

The semifinalists whom performed before the judge panel hailed from Canada, Mexico, Germany, Urugay, Argentina, Poland, Sweden, Brazil and the US. In the end it was Marcin Dylla of Poland who captured the title of first ever winner of the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition.

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