About
The Shenandoah Guitar Festival is a gathering of students, enthusiasts, and professionals in a celebration of the art of the guitar on the campus of Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.
The festival is open to students, amateurs, fans, and professionals of any age and experience level. Anyone who is interested in and passionate about the guitar is welcome to join us!
Individual tickets to the evening concerts are available for sale to those not registered as full participants in the festival. Limited seating at festival masterclasses is also open to the public for quiet observation.
Event Highlights
Full participants in the festival will have the opportunity to perform in the Festival Guitar Orchestra, led by Dr. Kami Rowan (Charles A. Dana Professor of Music at Guilford College, Greensboro, NC); to participate in special hands-on workshops; and (by audition) to play in masterclasses for SGF artist-faculty. Registration as a festival participant also includes admission to all festival concerts and events.
Festival Director
Colin Davin
Director of Guitar Studio
Associate Professor of Guitar
Shenandoah Conservatory
colin.davin@su.edu
Guest Artists
Kami Rowan
Guitar Orchestra Director
Kami Rowan, Charles A. Dana Professor of Music, has taught at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC since 1993. Her success has resulted in a nationally recognized classical guitar program within a liberal arts setting.
Gaëlle Solal
Guest Artist
Born into a music-loving family, Gaëlle Solal discovered the classical guitar at the age of five and began studying at the Marseille Conservatoire the following year. At just sixteen she took up a place at the Paris Conservatoire.
Gohar Vardanyan
Guest Artist
Widely admired for her technique, artistry, and passionate performances Armenian-American guitarist Gohar Vardanyan has performed throughout the United States and internationally. She has performed for numerous guitar societies, universities, and arts organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and guitar societies in Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Miami, and New York City to name a few.
Yasmin Williams
Guest Artist
Based in Alexandria, Virginia, Yasmin Williams is an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist and film composer. She has an unorthodox, modern style of guitar playing and utilizes various techniques including alternate tunings, percussive hits, and lap tapping in her music to great effect.
Andrew York
Guest Artist
Andrew York is one of today’s best loved composers for classical guitar and a performer of international stature. His compositions blend the styles of ancient eras with modern musical directions, creating music that is at once vital, multi-leveled and accessible.
Schedule of Events
Friday, June 14, 2024
| Time | Event | Location |
| 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. | Registration & Welcome | Armstrong Hall Lobby |
| 7 p.m. | Concert (Andrew York + Colin Davin) | Armstrong Concert Hall |
Saturday, June 15, 2024
| Time | Event | Location |
| 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Masterclass (Andrew York) | Armstrong Hall, Room 39 |
| 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) | |
| 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. | Large Ensemble Rehearsal | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. | Masterclass (Colin Davin) | Armstrong Hall, Room 39 |
| 5:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Dinner (on your own) | |
| 7 p.m. | Concert (Gaëlle Solal + Gohar Vardanyan) | Armstrong Concert Hall |
Sunday, June 16, 2024
| Time | Event | Location |
| 10 a.m. | Technique Workshop (Gaëlle Solal) | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. | Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop (Yasmin Williams) | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) | |
| 1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. | Large Ensemble Rehearsal | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. | Masterclass (Gohar Vardanyan) | Armstrong Hall, Room 39 |
| 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Dinner (on your own) | |
| 7 p.m. | Concert (Yasmin Williams + Student Ensembles) | Armstrong Concert Hall |
Schedule is subject to change.
Lodging Information
Shenandoah University (SU) is located near several area hotels that frequently welcome visitors from around the world for events on SU’s main campus.
Travel to Shenandoah University
Shenandoah University (SU) is located in historic Winchester, Virginia. Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) is the nearest major airport offering commercial flights to our area, and is about a one-hour drive from campus.
Contact Us
Questions? Email Director of the Guitar Studio and Associate Professor of Guitar Colin Davin at colin.davin@su.edu for more information.
