CCIMB 2016 SEMIFINALISTS

 

Andrew Blanch

Andrew Blanch, 24, Camperdown, Australia

A prize-winning classical guitarist Andrew Blanch earned a Bachelor of Music with first-class honors from the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, studying under Timothy Kain and Minh Le Hoang. Highlights of his career include playing solo in matinee and evening soirées at the Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall as part of the ‘Encore’ series. In 2010 Blanch won first prize at the Sydney Eisteddfod Classical guitar competition and in 2013, he placed fourth at the 15th International Guitar Competition of Sernancelhe in Portugal. Recently, he won the inaugural Whitworth Roach Classical Music Competition 2015 open to all instruments. Blanch regularly performs with duo partner Callum Henshaw and is a founding member of the Llewellyn Guitar Quartet. He is currently undertaking a performance PhD at ANU.

 

Fabian Cardozo

Fabian Cardozo, 29, Tucamán, Argentina

Fabian Cardozo discovered the guitar at an early age and was first taught by his father. In 2005, he obtained his degree in music performance from the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. He continued his studies at the Musik Akademie Basel, Switzerland, under the direction of Professor Pablo Marquez, receiving a master of arts in music performance in 2010 and a master of arts in music pedagogy in 2012. Cardoza has performed in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Mexico, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. He won 3rd prize at the 2nd International Guitar Competition Maurizio Biasini in Basel (Switzerland, 2013), 1st prize at the Enrico Mercatalli Chamber Music Competition (Italy, 2013), and many more. He currently lives in Basel, Switzerland, where he teaches guitar.

 

Clement Charpentier

Clément Charpentier, 22, Nancy, France

Originally from Ludres, France, Clément Charpentier studied classical guitar at the early age of seven at the Ludres music school. He graduated from the Conservatoire régional du Grand Nancy in 2014 with Frédéric Ben Atler, and is currently continuing his studies at the Pôle Supérieur d'enseignement artistique Paris Boulogne - Billancourt under guidance of Gérard Abiton. In 2015 he gave guitar recitals in Paris and Baumes-les-Messieurs and won 2nd prize at the National competition of Fontenay-sous-Bois (France). In addition to playing in a punk band, Charpentier has participated in electrical guitar courses of Stéphane Rambaud and Jacqueline Julien.

 

Andrea Ferrario

Andrea Ferrario, 32, Como, Italy

The Italian guitarist Andrea Ferrario studied classical guitar at the Guiseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in the studio of Francesco Diodovich, obtaining a first-class honors degree in 2012. He was awarded a scholarship to continue his studies with Lorenzo Micheli at the Istituto Musicale Pareggiato of Aosta, where he earned a master of music degree (summa cum laude) and his performing artist diploma. He participated in master classes with Giulio Tampalini, Matteo Mela, Angelo Gilardino, Frédéric Zigante, Edoardo Catemario, Andrew Zohn, and Jeffrey McFadden. He won several prizes at international guitar competitions including first prize at the Giulio Rospigliosi International Guitar Competition (2009), and second prize at the Atella Classical Guitar Competition (2011), and the 4th Città di Lissone Music Competition. Currently he is a professor of guitar (pre-college age) at the Conservatory of Aosta.

 

Mak Grgic

Mak Grgić, 28, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Mak Grgić began his classical guitar studies at the Ella Basic Conservatory of Music in Zagreb, Croatia. In 2010, he earned a Bachelor in Musical Education from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where he studied under Alvaro Pierri and in 2012, he received a Master of Music from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles, USA, where he studied with William Kanengiser. Grgic has performed with several orchestras such as the Maribor Opera Orchestra, the Spokane Symphony, St. Petersburg Symphony, and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he co-founded DC8, Da Camera Society’s contemporary music ensemble. Currently, he is pursuing a DMA at the University of Southern California with professors Scott Tennant and Brian Head.

 

Luis Guevara

Luis Guevara, 28, Santiago, Chile

From Chile, Luis Guevara began his guitar studies in 2002 at the Liceo of Experimental Arts with Marco Correa and continued his study with Ernesto Quezada at the Arts University of Chile, graduating in 2013. He has given concerts throughout the country, both as a soloist and chamber musician. Guevara has won numerous awards in international classical guitar competitions including 1st prize and best interpretation of the compulsory work of Miguel Llobet at the IX International Classical Guitar Competition "Miguel Llobet" (Barcelona, Spain, 2012); best performer of the obligatory work of Jorge Fernandez War at the 19th Warrior Foundation Guitar Competition (Madrid, Spain, 2012); and 1st prize at the International Guitar Competition Guitar Without Borders, (Chile, 2015).

 

Xavier Jara

Xavier Jara, 22, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Under the guidance of Alan Johnston, Xavier Jara, began studying guitar at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, MN. In 2009, he won 1st prize in both the Schubert Club and Thursday Musical scholarship competitions. Subsequently he gave numerous recitals including a concert for Dr. Paul Wirth’s Salon se Leve concert series. In 2011, he won 1st prize in the senior division of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America Competition, as well as 1st place in the youth division of the Indiana International Guitar Competition. The following year, he won 1st prize at the Andrés Segovia competition in Velbert, Germany, and the Sinaia international guitar competition in Romania. He recently graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where he studied with Olivier Chassain and Judicael Perroy.

 

Vincent Kappes

Vincent Kappes, 22, Echirolles, France

At age 10, Vincent Kappes began to play the classical guitar with Yvonne Talmon in Eybens, Paris. Following his Bachelor of Music degree from the Conservatory of Grenoble in 2012, he was accepted into Jeremy Jouve’s class at the Conservatory of Aulnay-Sous-Bois in his native country. Since 2014 he has been studying at the prestigious National Superior Music and Dance Conservatory of Paris (CNSMDP) with Ronald Dyens. Kappes won 1st prize at the national Fontenay-sous-Bois competition (2013) and 2nd prize at the national competition René Bartolli, Level Honour ll (2006). In 2013 he performed solo concerts at the guitar festivals of Baumes les Messieurs and of Vervins “Guitare en Picardie,” as well as duo concerts with Thomas Czaba at the guitar festival of Baumes les Messieurs. In addition to the classical guitar, Kappes plays electric guitar, electric bass, and folk guitar.

 

Damien Lancelle

Damien Lancelle, 30, Maubeuge, France

From Northern France, Damien Lancelle began studying the violin at the age of 5. At age 12, he started playing the guitar and pursued his musical studies at the Conservatoire National de Région in Versailles with French guitar virtuoso Judicael Perroy. In 2006 he moved to Vienna, Austria to study under the guidance of Brigitte Zaczek at the University for Music and Performing Arts, from which he earned a Master of Arts. He is a prizewinner of numerous international guitar competitions, including the Guitar Forum Competition in Vienna and the Guitar Foundation of America Concert Artist Competition, and won 1st Prize at the prestigious Heinsberg International Guitar Competition in 2013. In addition to performing recitals as a soloist and concerts with orchestra, Damien Lancelle dedicates himself actively to the arrangement and chamber music with the ensemble Spirituosi.

 

Stephen Lochbaum

Stephen Lochbaum, 34, Richmond, BC, Canada

Stephen Lochbaum began his classical music training later than most of his peers but achieved much in a short span of time. Within six years, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Victoria under the guidance of Alexander Dunn, won the National Music Festival of Canada, and studied and performed alongside the legendary guitarist Pepe Romero. He has won first prize at several international guitar competition including the University of Louisville International Competition, and the Middle Tennessee State University International Competition, the Texas A&M University International Festival and Competition (2014), to name a few. In addition, Lochbaum is an established jazz guitarist appearing in numerous international jazz, tango, and flamenco festivals. Currently, Lochbaum is pursuing his doctoral studies at the University of North Texas, where he was awarded a teaching fellowship.

 

Jelena Ratkovic

Jelena Ratkovic, 22, New York, NY, USA

Jelena Ratkovic received her Diplôme d’Études Musicales (Diploma of Musical Studies) from the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental du Val de Bièvre – L’Haÿ les Roses (France) in 2010. Earning her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague under the guidance of Zoran Dukić, Ratkovic has participated in many guitar festivals and has won numerous awards at international competitions, including 1st prize at the Concours Internationaux de Musique et de Chant in France, 2nd prize in 2007 and 1st prize in 2009 at the Scharpach Guitar Competition of the Twents Gitaar Festival in Enschede, Netherlands, and 1st prize in 2009 at the Youth Performer’s Competition of the International Guitar Festival in Rust, Austria. Her teachers include Leighann Narum, Meliset Abreu, Alice Artzt, Tania Chagnot, Stephen Aron, and Zoran Dukić.

 

Davide Giovanni Tomasi

Davide Giovanni Tomasi, 24, Pavia, Italy

Davide Giovanni Tomasi graduated with highest Honor in 2010 from the Guido Cantelli Conservatory in Novara at age 18. He studied with Guido Fichtner. After completing his Master of Music degree in 2012, he was accepted at the Chigiana Academy in Siena where he studied with Oscar Ghiglia and was awarded a certificate of merit. He has participated in master classes by Manuel Barrueco, Pavel Steidl, Paul Galbraith, and Zoran Dukić. Tomasi has won many prizes at important guitar competitions: the Szeged International Guitar Competition in Hungary, the XVIII Emilio Pujol International Guitar Competition in Italy, the 2nd International Guitar Competition in Groznjan in Croatia, and the IX Nikšic International Guitar Competition in Montenegro. He has performed in Italy, France, Germany, Croatia, Montenegro and Austria in solo recitals, orchestra concertos, and chamber music concerts.

 

Marko Topchii

Marko Topchii, 24, Kiev, Ukraine

Born into a musical family, Marko Topchii studied guitar under the direction of Volodymir Homenyuk and Boris Belskiy. In 2011, he earned his Master of Music degree from the National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts in Kharkov, where he studied with Volodymir Dotsenko. He has participated in master classes by Marcin Dylla, Tania Chagnot, Carlo Marchione, Judicaël Perroy, Aniello Desiderio, Elena Galuzevskaya, and more. A winner of more than 50 awards in international competitions, Topchii won prizes at the 5th Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Clasica Gredos San Diego (Spain, 2015), the 6th JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition (USA, 2014), and the prestigious International Robert J. Vidal Guitar Competition in Barbezieux (France 2011), to name a few. Currently, he is pursuing a doctorate degree at the Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music in Kiev with Yuri Alexik.

 

 

 

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