South Bay Guitar Society upcoming events

SBGS Virtual Open Mic (23 Aug 2026)

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Host: Sebastian Quintero

At the 12:00 p.m. Open Mic start, use the Zoom link to join. If you'd like to perform, fill out the "Performer Signup" form beforehand. Performance order is first-come first-served, although those under 18 can go first. The class will end after everyone has played and may conclude before 12 p.m.

Everyone is welcome: Performers of all levels from beginner to professional are warmly received and encouraged. As we are a guitar society, only solo guitarists and ensembles that include at least one guitarist may play.

Acoustic only: Finger-picking styles only. Soloists and ensembles of guitar and other instruments such as violin, flute and ukulele are welcome.

Maximum time per performer: 10 minutes

Setup recommendation for performers:

An external microphone such as a Zoom USB digital microphone is recommended for good sound quality. For example, the Zoom H1n works very well. If you don’t have one, the microphone in your computer or mobile device will be adequate.

We recommend that you install the latest version of Zoom. Go to the Zoom/Check for Updates menu item and run the update, or go to Download Zoom Update.

Finally, we recommend that you turn on Original Sound while you are performing and turn if off when not performing.

Contact: 408-915-SBGS

SBGS In-Person Open Mic (23 Aug 2026)

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Host: Eugenia Teytelman

Everyone is Welcome: Performers at any level from beginners to professionals are warmly encouraged. As we are a guitar society, only solo guitarists and ensembles that include at least one guitarist may play. No charge to play or attend. Please bring your own footstool and music stand if needed! Or, just sit in the audience and enjoy.

Acoustic Only: Finger-picking nylon-string styles. Guitar soloists and ensembles that include other instruments with guitar are welcome.

Maximum time per performer: 10 minutes

Playing order: To play, sign in when you arrive. Performance order is first-come first-served, though players under age 18 may go first.

Contact: 408-915-SBGS

About the host

Local music teacher and performer Eugenia Teytelman grew up in Moscow, Russia, and started studying piano at age six before discovering the guitar at age 14. Since then, she has played both instruments and even made a short detour to study alto saxophone.

Eugenia has a B.A. degree in linguistics from Moscow State University and an M.A. from UC Berkeley. After working as a linguist and translator, Eugenia is back in school and pursuing her M.M. degree in guitar performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with David Tanenbaum.

Besides being half of Lady Fingers guitar duo, Eugenia teaches piano and classical guitar in San Jose, Calif.

Sanborn Classical Music Gathering (29 Aug 2026)

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Sanborn Classical Music Gathering

featuring the South Bay Guitar Society Ensemble, the Lady Fingers Guitar Duo, and others!

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., August 29, 2026

Sanborn County Park, Peterson Grove, Saratoga, Calif. Free admission with suggested donation

SBGS Open Mic at Los Altos Library (8 Sep 2026)

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 01:30:00 GMT

DIRECTIONS

Host: Artemy Kolesnikov

Everyone is Welcome: Performers at any level from beginners to professionals are warmly encouraged. As we are a guitar society, only solo guitarists and ensembles that include at least one guitarist may play. FREE to play or attend. Please bring your own footstool and music stand if needed! Or, just sit in the audience and enjoy.

Acoustic Only: Finger-picking nylon-string styles. Guitar soloists and ensembles that include other instruments with guitar are welcome.

Maximum time per performer: 10 minutes

Playing order: To play, sign in when you arrive. Performance order is first-come first-served, though players under age 18 may go first.

South Bay Guitar Society Fundraising Gala Concert (12 Sep 2026)

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

South Bay Guitar Society Fundraising Gala Concert

We're launching our 2026-2027 season with a Fundraising Gala Concert! Join us at 7:00 p.m. Saturday Sept. 12 at our new home at the Shared Arts Center in downtown San Jose and hear encore performances by some recent Prelude performers as well as our adult guitar ensemble.

Free admission with donations welcome. Please help us reach our fundraising goal of $5000.00. Your contributions will help us fulfill our mission of promoting the classical guitar to audiences of all ages and economic means here in the South Bay. You can contribute now by going to THIS LINK. In the "Comment" box, please type, "SBGS Fundraising Gala."

Concert:

Saturday Sept. 12, 2026, 7:00 p.m.

Shared Arts Center

99 Notre Dame Ave.

San Jose

Performers:

Bay Area Guitar Quartet (Alan Chen, Campbell Muffly, Quintin Muffly, Yuan Xing)

Cypress Strings Guitar Quartet (Grace DeMers, Maya Espinoza, Gretchen Peelman Daniela Wineterrowd)

Meezahn Kemal

Ashwin Naren

South Bay Guitar Ensemble

South Bay Guitar Society Tickets 2026-2027 (19 Sep 2026)

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The South Bay Guitar Society presents its 2026-2027 concert season

Individual concert tickets now available! Visit this link.

Season tickets are 25% off individual ticket prices

Sept 19 2026: Ziggy and Miles (Australia) Shared Arts Center, San Jose
Oct 17 2026: Giulia Ballarè (Italy) Shared Arts Center, San Jose
Nov 14 2026: Suvan Agarwal (USA) Shared Arts Center, San Jose
Feb 6 2027: Virgile Barthe (France) winner of the Guitar Foundation of America's 2025 International Concert Artist Competition, Tateuchi Hall at Community School of Music and Arts, Mountain View
March 13 2027: Cinzia Milani (Italy) 2027 Jerry Snyder GuitarFest at Shared Arts Center, San Jose
April 3 2027: Vera Danilina (Russia) Shared Arts Center, San Jose
May 8 2027: Berta Rojas (Paraguay) St. Francis Episcopal Church, San Jose

Ziggy and Miles, Guitar Duo in Concert (19 Sep 2026)

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Ziggy and Miles, guitar duo in concert

with a Prelude performance by Shiv Sitaram

DIRECTIONS: Shared Arts Center

Ziggy and Miles are two of Australia's finest young musicians forging an international career. Their performances are known for their “deeply considered musicianship, immaculate care and superlative technique," says Radio 5MBS of Adelaide. Winners of the 2023 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, the brothers are the first guitar duo and second guitarists to receive this prestigious award in the 65-year history of Young Concert Artists. Ziggy and Miles served as the 2024-25 Musicians-in-Residence at Dumbarton Oaks, a research institute affiliated with Harvard University.

The duo's latest recording Sidekick was featured as one of the best new classical albums of 2023 by WQXR, New York City's classical music radio station. Praised by Soundboard Magazine as “[played] with perfect unanimity and admirable virtuosity,” the album showcases new works written for the brothers, their own “transfixingly beautiful” (Limelight) arrangement of Debussy’s Clair de Lune, and works that have shaped their musical identity from Spain, Latin America, and Australia. The title track “Sidekick” is a character piece written for the brothers by award-winning Welsh composer Katie Jenkins and ties this theme together. In Jenkins’s own words, “they make fun of each other but need each other, they compete with one another but are stronger together.”

With more than 50 awards between them, Ziggy and Miles proved their artistry from a young age. Their accolades include major prizes in competitions and recognition from the Guitar Foundation of America, Adelaide International Guitar Festival, and Melbourne Recital Centre. Self-released in 2014, their debut album Recollections served as both a tribute to the music that inspired the brothers growing up and as their first professional milestone to look back upon and "recollect."

Originally from Melbourne, Ziggy and Miles are actively involved in community engagement and have a passion for providing education and music to people without access to live performances or high-quality music education. They have collaborated with organizations across Australia and the U.S. including Melbourne Recital Centre, the Juilliard School, and Project: Music Heals Us. One highlight for the brothers was their Music Always tour, partnering with Melbourne Recital Centre. This two-week 12-concert tour saw the brothers traveling across their home state of Victoria to senior-care facilities, community centers, medical facilities, and psychiatric wards. Ziggy and Miles regard this as one of their most emotionally challenging yet rewarding experiences as musicians to date.

Graduates of Juilliard, Ziggy and Miles were the first Australians and first guitar duo accepted into the school’s prestigious Artist Diploma program, where they also received the Norman Benzaquen Career Advancement Grant. During both their master’s and Artist Diploma studies at Juilliard, Ziggy and Miles studied under multiple Grammy winner Sharon Isbin, who has shaped and inspired their artistic identities. Their studies have been supported by Australian foundations including the American Australia Association, Ian Potter Cultural Trust, and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia.

Ziggy and Miles play guitars by Australian luthier Jim Redgate and use Savarez strings. They are managed internationally by Young Concert Artists.

PROGRAM

Prelude performer Shiv Sitaram

Shiv Sitaram, age 16, studies with Scott Cmiel at the Pre-College Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he is also a member of the honors guitar quartet and guitar orchestra. Shiv has won prizes in the New York International Young Musician Competition, the Art of Strings Competition, and the Enkor Competition and has performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. He has also played in the Junior Bach Festival and in masterclass for Paul Galbraith, Meng Su, Marko Topchii, Jason Vieaux, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. Outside of music, Shiv is a student at Stanford Online High School and enjoys competitive computer programming and linguistics.

Masterclass with Ziggy and Miles (20 Sep 2026)

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Masterclass with guitar duo Ziggy and Miles

Performers are limited to TWO masterclasses per season (Sept 2026-May 2027).

Please note the start time of 11:00 a.m. Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

The general public is welcome to audit the class free.

Directions

The South Bay Guitar Society is pleased to present a masterclass with guitar duo Ziggy and Miles. Four players will perform individually and receive feedback from the duo in this educational event.

Registration required for the four performer slots. Performers under aged 18 must have a parent or guardian accompanying them at all times during the class.

Giulia Ballarè, Guitar Virtuoso in Concert (17 Oct 2026)

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Guitar Virtuoso Giulia Ballarè in concert

with a Prelude performance by Edward Liu

DIRECTIONS

Italian guitar virtuoso Giulia Ballarè is considered one of the most promising soloists of her generation and is regularly invited to play prestigious venues around the world. She is professor at Conservatoire de Musique de Genève in Switzerland and Conservatorio A. Vivali in Allessandria in Italy. She also organizes an annual masterclass in Novara in northwestern Italy.

In 2013 she released her first album Lyrically Spain with the label dotGuitar and released Untuned Guitar in 2019 with the Spanish label JSM Guitar Records. In 2019 she founded the Gauthey Ballarè Duo with French guitarist Pauline Gauthey. In 2023 they released their first album Lo Que Vendrá with JSM Guitar Records.

Between 2013 and 2018, Ballarè won more than 30 prizes in international competitions in Spain, Austria, Italy, and other countries. Among her accolades are first prizes in the Andrès Segovia, Ciudad de Coria, Forum Gitarre Wien, and Mottola competitions.

Now a Savarez Artist, Ballarè started playing guitar at age nine and she graduated in 2012 from the Conservatory of Novara studying under Guido Fichtner.

Prelude performer Edward Liu, student of Patrick O'Connell

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Giulia Ballarè (18 Oct 2026)

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Giulia Ballarè

Performers are limited to TWO masterclasses per season (Sept 2026-May 2027).

Please note the start time of 11:00 a.m. Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

The general public is welcome to audit the class free.

Directions

The South Bay Guitar Society is pleased to present a masterclass with guitar virtuoso Giulia Ballarè. Four players will perform individually and receive feedback from Ballarè in this educational event.

Registration required for the four performer slots. Performers under aged 18 must have a parent or guardian accompanying them at all times during the class.

Suvan Agarwal, Guitar Virtuoso in Concert (14 Nov 2026)

Sun, 15 Nov 2026 03:30:00 GMT

Guitar Virtuoso Suvan Agarwal in concert

with a Prelude performance by Asher Yamasaki

DIRECTIONS: Shared Arts Center

Internationally recognized American guitarist Suvan Agarwal won the first prizes at the Dutch Guitar Foundation International Guitar Competition, the Josefina P. Tuason International Guitar Competition, and the Elias Barreiro International Young Artists Competition. He received second prize, and the audience prize, at the Tokyo International Guitar Competition and a third prize at the Koblenz International Guitar Competition, the largest guitar competitions in Asia and Europe respectively. He has performed in the U.S., Scotland, Switzerland, and Japan at venues including the University of St. Andrews, Kings Place in London, and Hakuju Hall in Tokyo.

Agarwal started playing guitar at the age of five under Frank Longay, creator of the Suzuki guitar method. During high school Agarwal studied guitar under Alexandra Viloteau (née Iranfar). He is a graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory, where he studied guitar under Stephen Aron and obtained two bachelor's degrees in guitar performance and physics. Agarwal is a recent graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he studied under professors Matthew McAllister and Allan Neave. He was a recipient of the prestigious ABRSM post-graduate fellowship. Under a full scholarship, Agarwal is currently pursuing a master’s degree at The Juilliard School under the guidance of Grammy winning guitarist Sharon Isbin. He has participated in masterclasses with David Russell and Leo Brouwer, among many others, and has received instruction from Gentaro Takada. He studied at the Aspen Music Festival and School in 2024 and 2025.

In addition to music, Agarwal's interests include physics and computer science. In 2022, he won a National Science Foundation scholarship to conduct geophysics research at the University of Hawaii, and in 2023 received a scholarship from the Friends of the University of Tokyo Foundation to pursue geophysics research at the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute. He studied at Waseda University in Japan in 2022 and was the first Oberlin College student to receive the Bridging Scholarship from the United States-Japan Bridging Foundation. Born in Japan, Agarwal grew up in Sunnyvale, Calif. His mother is Japanese-American and his father is Indian. He speaks English and Japanese.

Prelude performer Asher Yamasaki, student of Timothy Sherren

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Suvan Agarwal (15 Nov 2026)

Sun, 15 Nov 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Suvan Agarwal

Performers are limited to TWO masterclasses per season (Sept 2026-May 2027).

Please note the start time of 11:00 a.m. Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

The general public is welcome to audit the class free.

Directions

The South Bay Guitar Society is pleased to present a masterclass with guitar virtuoso Suvan Agarwal. Four players will perform individually and receive feedback from Agarwal in this educational event.

Registration required for the four performer slots. Performers under aged 18 must have a parent or guardian accompanying them at all times during the class.

Young Dae & Inja Kim Competition for Composers March 13, 2027 (8 Jan 2027)

Fri, 08 Jan 2027 18:00:00 GMT

YOUNG DAE AND INJA KIM COMPETITION FOR COMPOSERS

The South Bay Guitar Society invites composers to enter the Young Dae and Inja Kim Composition Competition. Participants should submit an original work for classical guitar quartet. The winner receive a cash prize and will have his or her work performed at the 2027 Jerry Snyder GuitarFest on March 13-14, 2027, at Starting Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., in San Jose

-Entry fee $35

-Participants must live, work, or study in San Francisco or the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Merced, Napa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, or Stanislaus

-Open to composers of all ages

-Submission must be an original work that has not won any prize or been previously performed

-Submit a piece for classical guitar quartet in standard notation, two to three minutes in length and of an intermediate level of difficulty

-Email submissions as PDF file and MP3 audio recording of MIDI playback to fractaljosh@gmail.com

-Deadline January 8, 2027

Questions? Contact South Bay Guitar Society president Josh Friedman at fractaljosh@gmail.com

Virgile Barthe, Guitar Foundation of America Winner in Concert (6 Feb 2027)

Sun, 07 Feb 2027 03:00:00 GMT

Guitar Foundation of America Competition Winner Virgile Barthe in concert

with a Prelude performance by Brandon Lee

DIRECTIONS: Tateuchi Hall, Community School of Music and Art

Please note the start time of 7:00 p.m. for this concert.

Born in 2003, Virgile Barthe is one of the most promising young talents in classical guitar. After studying at the Toulouse Conservatory with Benoît Albert, he was admitted at age 17 to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where he is currently pursuing a master’s degree under Judicaël Perroy. Barthe previously studied with Gabriel Bianco and Olivier Chassain.

A multiple international prizewinner, Barthe began attracting attention as a youth, winning major awards from the age of 16. In 2024, he won first prize at the prestigious Maurizio Biasini International Competition, performing as a soloist with the Sinfonieorchester Basel. The following year, Barthe claimed top prizes at both the Koblenz International Guitar Competition in Germany and the Guitar Foundation of America's International Concert Artist Competition, both among the most prestigious events in classical guitar.

Regularly invited to perform at international festivals, Barthe is praised for the elegance of his playing and his wide-ranging repertoire spanning from Baroque to contemporary music. He collaborates with flutist Lucie Fischer in a flute-guitar duo and also teaches guitar in Saint-Maurice, France.

Prelude performer Brandon Lee

Masterclass with GFA Competition Winner Virgile Barthe (7 Feb 2027)

Sun, 07 Feb 2027 19:00:00 GMT

Masterclass with Guitar Foundation of America Competition Winner Virgile Barthe

This masterclass is now full. If you'd like to join a waitlist, please email sbgs.secretary@gmail.com. First-come first-served.

Performers are limited to TWO masterclasses per season (Sept 2026-May 2027).

Please note the start time of 11:00 a.m. Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

The general public is welcome to audit the class free.

Directions

The South Bay Guitar Society is pleased to present a masterclass with guitar virtuoso Virgile Barthe. Four players will perform individually and receive feedback from Barthe in this educational event.

Registration required for the four performer slots. Performers under aged 18 must have a parent or guardian accompanying them at all times during the class.

Junior Division Youth Competition (13 Mar 2027)

Sat, 13 Mar 2027 17:00:00 GMT

South Bay Guitar Society's Junior Division Youth Competition-March 13, 2027

For classical guitarists age 13 and under. Participant must be born AFTER March 13, 2013. If you were born ON March 13, 2013, or prior, YOU'RE TOO OLD for the Junior division.)

Date: MORNING of Saturday March 13, 2027

Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

Time limit: 5 minutes from the first note. Performer will be stopped at the time limit with no penalty.

Entry Fee: $25.00, payable at sbgs.org. Please note that your spot is not reserved until you've paid the entry fee.

Competition limited to the first 15 registrants. You can enter in only one age category. Previous first-place winners cannot re-enter in the same age category.

Apply here

Repertoire: One or more solo works from the classical guitar repertoire. Transcriptions and arrangements permitted; no concerto movements or cadenzas. All works to be performed from memory on a standard six-string classical guitar.

Performer must begin each selection at the beginning of the piece. Do NOT take repeats.

Performer must bring his/her own footstool or other guitar lift if needed. Performer must bring three photocopies of the sheet music for all works. Photocopies will not be returned to the performer and will be discarded by SBGS following the competition.

Scoring: Three judges will use the scoring rubric below. Total scores from each judge will be combined to rank the top three competitors. There will be no ties, honorable mention, or audience choice awards. Judges’ decisions are final.

The competition will be open to a public audience.

Results for the Junior Division will be announced during intermission of the Saturday ticketed concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at Shared Arts Center. All performers will receive judges' scores and comments via email after the event.

Awards:

First Prize - $500.00

Second Prize - $300.00

Third Prize - $100.00

The First Prize winner of the Junior Age Division will be invited to perform as a Prelude performer in SBGS's 2027-2028 season. If the First Prize winner is unable to perform, the opportunity will be offered to the Second Prize winner.

If the entry fee poses a financial hardship, please contact us at sbgs.secretary@gmail.com to request a fee waiver. No questions asked.

Please note that the performer must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.

Judges to be announced.

Questions? Contact us at sbgs.secretary@gmail.com

2027 Jerry Snyder GuitarFest (13 Mar 2027)

Sat, 13 Mar 2027 17:00:00 GMT

2027 Jerry Snyder GuitarFest

DIRECTIONS: Shared Arts Center

Join the South Bay Guitar Society on March 13-14, 2027, for our annual Jerry Snyder GuitarFest! Experience two days of masterclasses, our Youth Competition, virtuoso performances, a luthier display, and more.

Time: Saturday-Sunday March 13-14, 2027, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

Contact: 408-915-SBGS

Cinzia Milani, Guitar Virtuoso in Concert (13 Mar 2027)

Sun, 14 Mar 2027 03:30:00 GMT

Guitar Virtuoso Cinzia Milani in concert at the 2027 Jerry Snyder GuitarFest

with a Prelude performance by Campbell Muffly

DIRECTIONS: Shared Arts Center

Cinzia Milani has caught the attention of British and American press, which define her as "a rare combination of beauty, grace, natural elegance..." and note her "a deep sense of music with a brilliant technique and a powerful sound and expression, considered among the best exponents of the concert artists in the world...."

She has performed around Canada and the U.S. and taught guitar masterclasses at Royal Conservatory of Toronto. In addition to recording for Rai Radio 2 and Antenna 3, she has collaborated with composer Adelmo Prandi to catalogue previously unpublished music for the guitar. Tracks from her CD "Ritratto di Donna" on the Jump Musical Edition label have been broadcast on RAI in Italy as well as on national television in France, Germany, and Japan.

Milani has also performed as a guitarist, dancer, and singer in the Argentinian show "Sonatango" and later recorded a CD under the same name. She recorded the CD "Guitar" under the Amadeus label, including music by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Margola, Domeniconi, Prandi, and work written for her by Italian composers Raffaele Cacciola and Marco Betta.

Milani is creator of the show "Venere," which includes her performances of her own compositions, in collaboration with the dance company Performing Danza. This show represents the feminine universe told through music and dance. She is working on a series of recordings dedicated to composers and guitarists of the last century, the first CD of which is entitled "A Tribute to Ida Presti." Classical Guitar Magazine nominated Milani's video of Presti's "Danse Rythmique" its "Video Pick of the Week." Other recordings in the series include tributes to Teresa De Rogatis and Maria Luisa Anido. International press notes that Milani's work has "created a new artistic path that draws abundantly from the past, presenting it in a new light. It's a work of revitalization, of revisitation, of stylistic revival. Highly recommended."

After beginning the guitar at a very young age, Milani graduated from the Conservatorio "A Boito" in Parma, Italy, at the age of 18. She studied with Mauro Storti and later studied interpretative analysis with Argentinian composer Oscar Roberto Casares.

Milani is sponsored by Royal Classics Strings and Bam guitar cases. In addition to her career as a guitarist, Milani plays the violin and has played in various orchestras in Italy, Spain, and France.

Prelude performer Campbell Muffly, student of Scott Cmiel and Angelica Artelt

Senior Division Youth Competition (14 Mar 2027)

Sun, 14 Mar 2027 16:00:00 GMT

South Bay Guitar Society's Senior Division Youth Competition-March 14, 2027

For classical guitarists age 14 through 18. Participant must be born on or after March 15, 2008 AND on or before March 14, 2013. If you were born on March 14, 2008, or before, YOU'RE TOO OLD for the Senior Division. If you were born on March 15, 2013, or after, YOU'RE TOO YOUNG for the Senior Division.

Date: MORNING of Sunday March 14, 2027

Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

Time limit: 7 minutes from the first note. Performer will be stopped at the time limit with no penalty.

Entry Fee: $25.00, payable at sbgs.org. Please note that your spot is not reserved until you've paid the entry fee.

Competition limited to the first 15 registrants. You can enter in only one age category. Previous first-place winners cannot re-enter in the same age category.

Apply here

Performer must begin each selection at the beginning of the piece. Do NOT take repeats.

Performer must bring his/her own footstool or other guitar lift if needed.

Performer must bring three photocopies of the sheet music for all works. Photocopies will not be returned to the performer and will be discarded by SBGS following the competition.

The competition will be open to a public audience.

Results for the Senior Division will be announced via email the evening of Sunday March 14. All performers will receive judges' scores and comments via email after the event. Winners will receive certificates and prize money via U.S. Mail.

Awards:

First Prize - $500.00

Second Prize - $300.00

Third Prize - $100.00

The First Prize winner of the Senior Division will be invited to perform as a Prelude performer in SBGS's 2027-2028 season. If the First Prize winner is unable to perform, the opportunity will be offered to the Second Prize winner.

If the entry fee poses a financial hardship, please contact us at sbgs.secretary@gmail.com to request a fee waiver. No questions asked.

Please note that the performer must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.

Judges to be announced.

Questions? Contact us at sbgs.secretary@gmail.com

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Cinzia Milani (14 Mar 2027)

Sun, 14 Mar 2027 20:00:00 GMT

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Cinzia Milani at the 2027 Jerry Snyder GuitarFest

This masterclass is now full. If you'd like to join a waitlist, please email sbgs.secretary@gmail.com. First-come first-served.

Performers are limited to TWO masterclasses per season (Sept 2026-May 2027).

Please note the start time of 1:00 p.m. Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

The general public is welcome to audit the class free.

Directions

The South Bay Guitar Society is pleased to present a masterclass with guitar virtuoso Cinzia Milani . Four players will perform individually and receive feedback from Milani in this educational event.

Registration required for the four performer slots. Performers under aged 18 must have a parent or guardian accompanying them at all times during the class.

Vera Danilina, Guitar Virtuoso in Concert (3 Apr 2027)

Sun, 04 Apr 2027 02:30:00 GMT

Guitar Virtuoso Vera Danilina in concert

with a Prelude performer to be announced

DIRECTIONS: Shared Arts Center

Originally from Russia, Vera Danilina is renowned for her distinctive performance style, expressive stage presence, and contribution to the development of classical guitar.

After winning the "Michele Pittaluga" International Classical Guitar Competition in 2022, Danilina performed a series of solo concerts in prestigious Italian venues. In 2023, she performed at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow during the Guitar Virtuosos festival and toured France as part of a concert series organized by Amis des Jeunes Artistes Musiciens. That year Danilina also released her debut album on the Contrastes Records label, receiving high praise from critics and audiences alike.

Since 2023, Danilina has bee creating a documentary entitled "Vera Venezia," directed by Lilia Timirzyanova. The film chronicles her artistic journey, blending her guitar performance with the history and culture of Venice.

Danilina collaborates with contemporary composers including Andrey Zelensky, Sergey Kravchuk, Nikita Koshkin, and Mathias Duplessy, whose works form a significant part of her repertoire. Modern composers including Konstantin Vassiliev and Sergey Kravchuk have written for her, reflecting her influence and efforts to expand the boundaries of the classical guitar.

Born in Penza, Russia, Danilina's artistry was significantly influenced by her mother, a professional actress. She began studying guitar at the age of five under the guidance of Olga Odrina. Danilina has studied at the M.A. Balakirev Music College in Nizhny Novgorod, the M.I. Glinka State Conservatory, and the Regional Conservatory of Paris under the mentorship of Jérémy Jouve.

Danilina's technique, which she developed during her early studies, is distinct from that of other classical guitarists. Her right-hand position, featuring an extended pinky finger, allows for exceptional precision, speed, and expressiveness. Danilina's technique blends elements of tirando and apoyando, allowing a rich and powerful sound. Inspired by the traditions of 19th-century romantic guitarists including Dionisio Aguado and Fernando Sor, her style is a modern reinterpretation of historical techniques.

Danilina is sponsored by Altamira Guitars, Savarez, and Nevaton.

Prelude performer to be announced

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Vera Danilina (4 Apr 2027)

Sun, 04 Apr 2027 18:00:00 GMT

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Vera Danilina

This masterclass is now full. If you'd like to join a waitlist, please email sbgs.secretary@gmail.com. First-come first-served.

Performers are limited to TWO masterclasses per season (Sept 2026-May 2027).

Please note the start time of 11:00 a.m. Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

The general public is welcome to audit the class free.

Directions

The South Bay Guitar Society is pleased to present a masterclass with guitar virtuoso Vera Danilina. Four players will perform individually and receive feedback from Danilina in this educational event.

Registration required for the four performer slots. Performers under aged 18 must have a parent or guardian accompanying them at all times during the class.

Berta Rojas, Guitar Virtuoso in Concert (8 May 2027)

Sun, 09 May 2027 02:30:00 GMT

Guitar Virtuoso Berta Rojas in concert

with a Prelude performance by Lukas Lin

DIRECTIONS: St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1205 Pine Ave., San Jose

With the 2025 release of The Journey of the Strings, an ambitious multimedia exploration of the guitar's rich history in the Americas, Latin Grammy winner Berta Rojas reaffirms her status as not only one of today's foremost classical guitarists but also an influential force in the music world.

Hailed as a “guitarist extraordinaire” by The Washington Post, she is a global ambassador for the classical guitar, seeking to stretch boundaries and bridge cultural divides. In The Journey of the Strings, a soul-touching tale of musical transformation presented across multiple formats—vinyl, streaming, videos, app and augmented reality book—Berta continues that mission.

She earned a Latin Grammy in 2022 for her album Legado, and one of the pieces she performed on the recording—Anido's Portrait—won its composer Sergio Assad the award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

Berta has received three other Latin Grammy nominations as well: Best Tango Album for History of Tango (2015), recorded with the Camerata Bariloche; Best Classical Album for Salsa Roja (2014); and Best Instrumental Album for Día y Medio (A Day and a Half), a collaboration with clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera (2012). In 2025, she was appointed to the Latin Recording Academy's prestigious Board of Directors.

Berta's electrifying technique, warmth and musical artistry have won audiences' hearts worldwide, including at such major venues as the 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall of Jazz in New York; the South Bank Centre and Shakespeare's Globe as a guest of the grand master John Williams in London; the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; and Flagey Studio 4 in Brussels, performing with the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra for Belgian National Television.

In 2011, Berta with D’Rivera initiated the four-year tour “In the Footsteps of Mangoré," following the travels of Paraguay's Agustín Barrios, pioneer of the classical guitar in the Americas. The duo performed in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, concluding at the National Theater of San Salvador, the final resting place of the celebrated composer.

Wherever she performs, Berta transports listeners, taking them on a colorful voyage of sound, often embracing new works by composers in diverse genres.

In addition to continually expanding her own artistic career with frequent international concert tours and master classes, Berta is passionately committed to encouraging and furthering the study and playing of the classical guitar. A particular focus is on promoting the music of her country Paraguay as well as Latin American music more widely. Providing ongoing support for the careers of young upcoming guitarists is an area dear to her heart, with projects in formats such as the Barrios WorldWideWeb Competition, the Ensemble Pu Rory (in the Guaraní language, Festive Sounds), Instrumentoteca and Jeporeka, among others.

After initial studies in Paraguay under masters Felipe Sosa and Violeta de Mestral, Berta continued her musical education in Uruguay as a student of Abel Carlevaro, Eduardo Fernández and Mario Payseé. She went on to earn a master's in music at the Peabody Institute under Manuel Barrueco, Ray Chester, and Julian Gray. In 2017, Berta joined the faculty of Berklee College of Music as an Associate Professor, sharing her knowledge and love of music with a select group of young guitarists from around the world.

She was named a Fellow of the Americas of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for her artistic excellence, and honored by her country with the title, Illustrious Ambassador of Musical Arts, granted by the Senate. In 2015, the Chamber of Deputies awarded her the National Order of Merit of the Comuneros, and the Cabildo of the capital, Asunción, the title of Master of the Arts. The Autonomous University of Encarnación granted her an Honorary Doctorate in 2016, as did the Universidad Americana. The Foreign Ministry of Paraguay gave her the National Order of Merit Don José Falcón in 2017 in acknowledgement for her outstanding contribution to culture. The Carlos Colombino Award bestowed by the National Secretariat of Culture followed suit. In 2019, the National University of Asunción also granted her an Honorary Doctorate. In 2022, Berta received the Golden Guitar Award: A Life Dedicated to the Guitar, bestowed by the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Milan. More recently in 2023, she was awarded the National Order of Merit in the Grade of “Grand Cross," the highest degree of recognition granted by Paraguay.

Prelude performer Lukas Lin, student of Yuri Liberzon

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Berta Rojas (9 May 2027)

Sun, 09 May 2027 18:00:00 GMT

Masterclass with Guitar Virtuoso Berta Rojas

This masterclass is now full. If you'd like to join a waitlist, please email sbgs.secretary@gmail.com. First-come first-served.

Performers are limited to TWO masterclasses per season (Sept 2026-May 2027).

Please note the start time of 11:00 a.m. Location: Shared Arts Center, 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose

The general public is welcome to audit the class free.

Directions

The South Bay Guitar Society is pleased to present a masterclass with guitar virtuoso Berta Rojas. Four players will perform individually and receive feedback from Rojas in this educational event.

Registration required for the four performer slots. Performers under aged 18 must have a parent or guardian accompanying them at all times during the class.