Southwest Guitar Symposium

Schedule Page

 
FRIDAY, MARCH 13

9:00 AM – Registration Check-in (ART Bldg. Lobby)

10:00 AM – 3:00PM – Preliminary Round - Open and Highschool Divisions (Recital Hall)

3:30 PM – Duo Latino Americano and UTSA Guitar Duo (Recital Hall)

5:00 PM – Guitar Ensemble Showcase

7:30PM – Concert – Isaac Bustos Recital (Recital Hall)

SATURDAY MARCH 14

10:00 AM – 1:00PM – Open and Highschool Divisions - Semi-Finals (Recital Hall)

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Masterclasses – Bustos (AR 2.03.18A)

1:00 PM – 3:00PM – Masterclasses – Dotson/Kacherski (AR. 2.03.08)

5:00 PM – Winners Concert – Camden Wells and Alberto Daniel Quintanill (Recital Hall)

7:30PM – Evening Concert – An Tran and Rene Izquierdo (Recital Hall)

SUNDAY MARCH 15

11:00 AM – Highschool and Professional Competitions Final Round.

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Rene Izquierdo Masterclass – (AR 2.03.18A)

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM – An Tran Masterclass – (AR 2.03.08)

4:00 PM – John David Quijano (Recital Hall)

6:00PM – Closing Concert – Jonathan Dotson and Jay Kacherski

Symposium Artists

Dr. Isaac Bustos, Artistic Director (Nicaragua)

“Soulful and virtually flawless,” hails the Portland Oregonian and the Boston Globe

writes, “In warm, round tones, the notes of Bach cascaded from the guitar, every note correct and played without hesitation.” Classical guitarist, pedagogue and educator Dr. Isaac Bustos, enjoys an extensive performing career that has taken him to Canada, Central America, Europe, China, and all over the US. Bustos has made several Radio and Television appearances and is in demand as clinician and master class teacher invited to perform in some of the most prestigious festivals around the globe.

Dr. Bustos has acquired an impressive number of top prizes in over 12 major international competitions, 7 of which are first prizes. Isaac has premiered new guitar works by composers Nico Muhly, Blas Atehortúa, Samuel Zyman, Frank Wallace, Mark Cruz, Peter Lieuwen, and Joe Williams II. In the Spring of 2019, he premiered a new concerto for guitar and orchestra, commissioned and dedicated to him, by American composer Peter Lieuwen under the baton of maestro Franz Anton Krager and the University of Houston Symphony Orchestra. Isaac has recorded for the Delos, MSR and Vgo Recordings labels.

 Chamber music collaborations have included performances with the Grammy award-winning ensembles Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Conspirare Choir, the Turtle Creek Chorale and legendary Mexican cellist Carlos Prieto. Bustos is also a founding member of the award-winning Texas Guitar Quartet and has released two critically acclaimed discs with the group. Highlights of the 2023-24 season included performances with the Chattanooga Symphony, Austin Classical Guitar, and Southwest Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Cusco, and Camerata de Queretaro.

Isaac holds a Bachelor of Music degree in guitar performance from the University of

New Hampshire, a Master of Music degree and Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he worked under the guidance of renowned American guitarist Adam Holzman.

As an educator, his commitment to teaching is reflected in the success of his students whose prize-winning performances have included victories in numerous competitions around the Us. Dr. Bustos serves on the faculty at the University of Texas – San Antonio School of Music, where he is head of guitar studies and artistic director of the Southwest Guitar Symposium.

Rene Izquierdo (CUBA/USA)

Cuban-born René Izquierdo is a unique artist and passionate educator whose career has been dedicated to inspiring individuals and connecting communities. Whether passionately performing on stage, devotedly mentoring his students, fundraising, or leading community outreach, René’s multi-faceted approach endeavors to continue creating experiences that enrich people’s lives and add beauty to our world.

Through his “unforgettable versatility, sensitivity and sublime musicianship” (Classical Guitar Magazine), René has firmly established himself as one of the world’s classical guitar virtuosos. He is celebrated for his ability to weave an unparalleled technical command of his instrument with his gift of storytelling, accomplishing an intimate musical experience with his audience.

With over seventy engagements per year, whether as a solo performer, chamber musician, or as a guest soloist with orchestras, he has performed to critical acclaim touring extensively throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He is frequently invited by renowned festivals and institutions, having played at stages such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Manaus Opera House in Brazil, and National Recital Hall in Taiwan.

Self-described as a lifelong learner and explorer, his recording projects reflect his wide-ranging interests. Through his discography, René seeks to expand the guitar repertoire frequently performing new arrangements, lesser-known music of the 20th century as well as world premieres of concertos and new compositions.

As an educator, René is passionate about engaging the mind and the heart. Through his teachings all around the world, he shares his belief that the greatest musicians not only have the technical mastery to communicate effectively but also are deeply curious, and equally adept at analytical and emotional modes of thought.

An Tran (Vietnam/USA)

Hailed by The Boston Globe for his “subtle, graceful virtuosity” and described as a “Vietnamese Guitar Virtuoso” by Austin Classical Guitar, guitarist An Tran continues to impress audiences with his innate musicality and dynamic artistry. In recent seasons, An has been invited to perform recitals at international concert stages such as the Guitar Society of Toronto, Córdoba Guitar Society, Segovia Classical Guitar Series, New Orleans International Guitar Festival, Latin- American International Guitar Festival, Bangkok Guitar Society, and Hanoi International Guitar Festival, among others.

Building on the momentum of his numerous successes, An signed a recording contract with Naxos and released the album “Napoléon Coste: Guitar Works, Vol. 6” in June 2023. His performance received acclaim from the American Record Guide, which praised his “immaculate ornaments and cultivated sense of phrasing”. His debut album, entitled “Stay, My Beloved”, was included in the 2020 "Recordings of the Year" by Chicago Tribune and was praised by Classical Guitar Magazine as “an unforgettable journey to a world you’ve probably never been to” with “highly virtuosic passages that display what a gifted guitarist An Tran truly is”. Released on Frameworks Records (Sony Orchard) in April 2020, the album features all Vietnamese guitar music, portraying different elements of Vietnamese traditional music and original compositions by Vietnamese composers. It was described by the Guitar Foundation of America’s Soundboard Magazine as “deeply moving music at its best” and praised for “Tran’s sense of space, touch, and mood is exquisite”.

An Tran has been featured in many radio, podcast, newspaper and television programs by Performance Today, Classical Guitar Alive!, Tonebase Podcast, Vietnam Airlines’ Heritage Magazine and Vietnam Television (VTV) among numerous others. He has won over a dozen international guitar competitions and music awards, including top prizes from Berlin International Guitar Competition, New Orleans International Guitar Competition, and Society of American Musicians Guitar Competition to name a few.

After leaving the Vietnam National Academy of Music, An Tran received his B.A in Music from North Park University (Chicago), where he studied with Julie Goldberg and Tom Zelle. In 2019, An was presented with the university’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award. An received his Master of Music, along with the Southeast Asia Studies Fellowship from Yale University, studying with Benjamin Verdery. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree with the Program Honors at Northwestern University, studying with Anne Waller.

An Tran is the guitar professor at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and Northern Illinois University (NIU), where he established the NIU International Guitar Concert Series and serves as a faculty affiliate at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. He is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Chicago Artopia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making art accessible to everyone on the Southwest side of Chicago. He also serves as a board member of the Chicago Classical Guitar Society. An Tran is a D’Addario Artist and is managed by Jean Schreiber Management. An performs on guitars made by Stephan Connor in Boston, USA.

John David Quijano – (COLOMBIA)

John David Quijano completed his undergraduate and master’s studies in music at the Pontifical Javeriana University of Colombia, graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors and receiving the Concierto Meritorio distinction, under the guidance of Maestro Carlos Posada.

 During his professional training, he pursued private studies with Bruce Holzman (Tallahassee) and Nicholas Goluses (Rochester). In Spain, he attended the performance courses in Santiago de Compostela as a scholarship student, studying with the renowned maestro José Luis Rodrigo.

 He has performed as a soloist at the XXXIII International Guitar Festival of Morelia (Mexico), the Mangostino de Oro Festival 2023, the Fifth International Guitar Meeting at the University of Cauca (Popayán), and the El Nogal Guitar Festival at the National Pedagogical University (2022). He has also appeared at the Tenth Edition of the International Guitar Meeting at Compensar, the Fifth International Festival of the Fernando Sor School of Music, and the Uniquindío GuitarArt Festival. In the United States, he served as a Guest Artist with the Department of Music at Oral Roberts University (Tulsa), among others.

 In March 2009, he won the Young Performers Competition at Javeriana University. He has appeared as a guitar soloist with the Colombian Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatory of Tolima.

 He has served as a guitar instructor in the Master of Music program at Universidad Central and with the Colombian Youth Symphony Orchestra. Since 2016, he has been in charge of the guitar department at the Conservatory of Music of Tolima.

Alejandro Montiel (USA)

Described by Soundboard Magazine as a "flawless musician, filled to the brim with polished technique," GRAMMY™-nominated guitarist, arranger, and recording artist Alejandro Montiel enjoys a performing career that has taken him throughout the United States, Mexico, China, Central & South America, and Europe. He holds graduate degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and the University of Texas at Austin. Alejandro has premiered pieces by Joseph V. Williams, Mark Cruz, John Truitt, Brian Herrington, and Samuel Zyman. Alejandro has collaborated with cellist Bion Tsang on a new score by Joseph Williams for the Alfred Hitchcock silent film "The Lodger” and was part of the 2015 world-premiere of Nico Muhly's new work for chamber choir and guitar ensemble titled “How Little You Are.” He gave the Houston premiere of Clarice Assad’s “Three Sketches” for two guitars and violin. In 2023, Alejandro performed the Peruvian premiere of Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto Madrigal” in the famous Catedral del Cusco. Besides being a regularly invited artist, adjudicator, and clinician for guitar festivals around the US, Dr. Montiel was on faculty at Sam Houston State University and is currently on faculty at both Lone Star College – Montgomery and University of Texas San Antonio. Alejandro is also a sought-after chamber musician throughout Texas - notable collaborations include the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Conspirare, soprano Estelí Gómez, Line Upon Line percussion group, violinist Jennifer Choi, flutist Julee Kim-Walker, clarinetist Håkan Rosengren, and cellist Louis-Marie Fardet. Additionally, Dr. Montiel has been featured on multiple recordings, including the Texas Guitar Quartet's critically acclaimed debut album "RED" and its follow up, “ICON.”

UTSA Guitar Ensemble

The UTSA Guitar Ensemble has a long history dating back to the early days of the UTSA School of Music’s guitar program. Since its inception, award-winning UTSAGE has aimed to provide another outlet for our students to share their talents with the San Antonio community and beyond. Accolades include First Prize in the collegiate large ensemble category at the 2023 Brownsville Guitar Ensemble Festival & Competition. Since 2021, members of UTSAGE have collaborated multiple times with Austin Classical Guitar as part of their Composer-in-Residence Program. Through this program, they’ve been able to work closely with composers Clarice Assad, Rena Esmail, and Marek Pasieczny, as well as guitar students from all over Texas to help bring to life new compositions. In spring 2024, UTSAGE collaborated with Grammy-winning classical guitarist David Russell during his residency in San Antonio.

UTSA Graduate Guitar Duo

Fernando Vilchis (Mexico)

Fernando Vilchis Garcia (b. May 1, 2000) is a Mexican classical guitarist. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), graduating with honors in 2023. He has performed extensively in Mexico and abroad, with appearances at major venues such as the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, as well as in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Vilchis has received the State Youth Award (2021) from the Government of the State of Mexico, and the Creadores Escénicos grant (2023) from FONCA–SACPC for his project From Music to Folly: The Folia in the 20th and 21st Centuries. He has also won top prizes in national and international guitar competitions in Italy, Spain, Mexico and the United States

Paulo Mora (Costa Rica)

A Costa Rican guitarist, he began his journey with popular guitar at the age of 15. At 18, he joined the Pre-University Program at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), where he completed his studies under the mentorship of masters Luis Zumbado and Jorge Luis Zamora.

Throughout his artistic career, he has distinguished himself as a soloist and chamber musician. With the UCR Guitar Orchestra, he has performed at various national and international events in countries such as Nicaragua, the United States, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, and Panama.
He has been a prize-winner in several editions of the National Guitar Competition of Costa Rica, receiving the following awards: Third Place, intermediate level (2012). Second Place, advanced level (2013). Third Place, advanced level (2014). First Place, advanced level (2015). Finalist at the Culiacán International Guitar Competition, Mexico (2015).

Since 2008, he has been a member of the UCR Guitar Orchestra, participating in the recording of the albums 25 Años and Son José. In the pedagogical field, he served as a classical guitar instructor in the pre-university program at the UCR Caribbean Campus from 2023 to 2025. Currently, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Guitar from the University of Costa Rica and is pursuing a Master of Music (M.M.) in Classical Guitar at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), USA, under the guidance of Dr. Isaac Bustos.

Duo LatinoAmerican

Founded in Peru in 2020, the Latinoamerican Duo brings together Colombian violinist Lorena López and Peruvian guitarist Harry Mendoza, two musicians devoted to presenting Latin American music through a refined and deeply connected chamber music language. Their work is rooted in classical tradition while drawing inspiration from the rhythms, colors, and expressive nuances of diverse Latin American regions, resulting in a distinctive and cohesive sound for violin and guitar.

The duo’s concerts are conceived as musical journeys across Latin America, weaving together works by composers from different countries and traditions. Each program is carefully curated to highlight the unique character of each region—its rhythms, textures, and emotional landscapes— while maintaining a subtle, warm, and unified classical aesthetic that connects the repertoire into a single expressive narrative.

They have performed in major venues throughout Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Bolivia, China, and Europe, contributing to the international dissemination of Latin American repertoire and actively promoting contemporary works written for their ensemble. Alongside their artistic work, they are also engaged cultural leaders as Artistic Directors of the Ximénez Abril International Festival, a project dedicated to the rediscovery of the music of Peruvian composer Pedro Ximénez Abril Tirado and to fostering cultural exchange among musicians from different countries. In recognition of their artistic and cultural work, the duo received support from the Ministry of Culture of Peru in 2024.

Currently, Lorena López and Harry Mendoza are pursuing a Master’s degree in Chamber Music at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) on full merit-based scholarships. Under the guidance of Dr. Isaac Bustos and Dr. Nicole Cherry, their studies focus on deepening ensemble performance, exploring repertoire and aesthetics, and further shaping the duo’s Latin American interpretive identity. At the core of the Latinoamerican Duo’s artistic vision is the creation of performances that act as sensitive bridges between audiences and the diverse musical voices of Latin America. Their work seeks to offer experiences that connect, communicate, and resonate—inviting listeners to encounter Latin American music as a living, expressive, and profoundly human art form.

Dr. Jonathan Dotson (USA)

"Dotson dazzled with his relentless technical strength and interpretive skill... Dotson left us breathless and appreciative" 

- Soundboard Magazine

 A relentless and passionate ambassador for the classical guitar, Dotson has concertized in venues ranging from nightclubs in Austin, TX, to gothic cathedrals in Palencia, Spain. His guitar has brought him to stages on four continents over the past 20 years. 

 Dr. Dotson has been an invited guest at many colleges and universities throughout the country. He holds eight top prizes in international classical guitar competitions, including the Dallas International Guitar competition, the Houston "Classical Minds" Guitar Competition, the Brownsville Guitar Competition, and Boston Guitarfest, and is a frequent clinician and adjudicator for guitar festivals and competitions throughout the nation. Dotson is also an active chamber musician and recording artist , with engagements at the Guitar Foundation of America Convention, the Festival Internacional de Guitarra del Noreste in Saltillo, MX, and The Victoria Bach Festival, among others.  

 From 2004 to 2018, Jonathan was a founding member of the world-renowned Texas Guitar Quartet, one of the premier guitar ensembles in the US. Since returning to Florida in 2021, he has been a featured performer at the annual Romanza Festivale in St. Augustine, and performs regularly as a concert artist throughout the state. He is also the resident classical guitarist for the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island and holds several other residencies at luxury resorts in the area.

Jonathan holds three degrees in music including a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was the recipient of the Mary Winton Green Endowed Presidential Scholarship in music. He has served on the faculty of the Texas Southmost College (TSC) department of Humanities and the University of Texas- Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Music and continues to perform regularly.

 Since 2024, Dr. Dotson has been the director of the guitar program at St John's County Center for the Arts (SJCCA) at St. Augustine High School. He lives in St. Augustine with his wife Millie and their three dachshunds (Mabel, Punky, and Rosie) and their cat Mo, who frequently brings home gifts for the family. 

Dr. Jay Kacherski (USA)

"Virtuosismo" and "technical dominance" are the words used by the press to describe American guitarist, Jay Kacherski. A native of New York, Kacherski has performed around the world as a soloist, in duo with piano, and as a member of the GRAMMY-nominated Texas Guitar Quartet. He has performed at distinguished music festivals and venues such as the Festival International de Guitarra de Taxco, Mexico, the Bunkyo Japanese Cultural Center in São Paulo, Brazil, the Brevard Music Center, Round Top, the New Orleans International Guitar Festival, the Austin Classical Guitar Society, the GuitUNAM guitar festival in Mexico City, Casa Sors & the Manuel de Falla Conservatory in Barcelona & the Festival Música al Gironès, Spain, and the International Guitar Art Festival in Shenzhen, China. He has also collaborated with Grammy-winners and nominees such as the chamber choir Conspirare, Chilean flutist Viviana Guzman, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and renowned American composer Libby Larsen. 

 Jay Kacherski spent two years living in Mexico as a Fulbright Scholar and member of the guitar faculty at the Escuela Nacional de Música, the music conservatory for the National University of Mexico (UNAM) researching, performing, and promoting contemporary classical guitar music of Mexico.  His guide and teacher for this work was the world-renowned Mexican guitarist Dr. Juan Carlos Laguna.  Kacherski has since premiered and recorded many new works from Mexico and has created a complete catalog of Mexican guitar works with links to videos, audio, scores, and more that can be found at www.kacherskiguitar.com. 

 His debut solo album Synthesis: 20^th & 21^st Century Guitar Music from Mexico was the culmination of his Fulbright work. The recording, which is on the Frameworks Records label, has been hailed as a “…brilliant album” and “one of the finest guitar solo recordings of recent years” by Soundboard magazine.  His latest recording Landscapes with Brazilian pianist Lina Morita, also on the Frameworks Records label, is an album of new works for piano and guitar duo by award winning composers such as Jefferson Todd Frazier, Olga Amelkina-Vera, and Luciana Bigazzi among others. Soundboard magazine called it “an impressive album both in music and performances” and Phoenix Classical said “the pairing works brilliantly…; your performance is excellent – great technique throughout, a poetic sense of phrasing from both piano & guitar.”  The duo has also commissioned a new works by the celebrated composers like Brazilian American composer Clarice Asaad and Spanish composer José Galeote among others.

 Jay Kacherski is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas and was formerly on the guitar faculty at Loyola University of New Orleans, the University of New Orleans, and McNeese State University, as well as NOCCA, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He has presented at music conventions and festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad and is often invited to adjudicate at national and international competitions. As an educator, his students have been finalists and winners of international solo and chamber music competitions and recipients of scholarships for continued study.

 Kacherski is the Artistic Director of the Gulf Coast Guitar Association, the Houston Classical Guitar Festival and Competition, and the Del Mar Summer Guitar Camp. His academic studies include a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Music degree in Guitar Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, and undergraduate degrees from Florida Southern College where he graduated with honors.

Alberto Daniel Quintanilla – 1^st Prize Winner of the 2025 SWGS Open Division (MEXICO)

 Born in 1998 in Guanajuato, Mexico, Alberto Daniel Quintanilla is considered one of his generation's most outstanding Mexican guitarists. He graduated with an honorable mention in Conservatorio de las Rosas in Morelia, Mexico with Professor Rodrigo Nefthalí.
 
He has won over 40 prizes in national and international competitions, including 1st prize awards in all the most important guitar competitions in Mexico, such as 1st prize in the Culiacan International Competition, 1st prize in the International Competition in Paracho, 1st prize in the Silvestre Revueltas Guitar Competition, 1st prize in the National Guitar Competition of Mexico,  2nd prize in the International Youth Competition of the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA), 1st prize at Queens University Guitar Competition, 1st prize at Columbus State University Guitar Symposium and Competition, and 1st prize at the Chicago Guitar Competition. 
 
He has been invited to perform at prestigious venues in Mexico, such as the National Art Museum of Mexico, Conjunto Santander in Guadalajara, and CIDEG’s concert hall in Paracho, among others. Also, he has performed in some venues in the United States, such as the Lowman Concert Hall in Idyllwild, California, the Latin-American Guitar Festival in Chicago, and UW-Milwaukee’s Recital Hall. 
 
In addition to his soloist career, Alberto has collaborated with different orchestras in Mexico, working with important conductors such as Gordon Campbell and Román Revueltas. He is also part of Cuarteto Curicaueri, a guitar quartet founded in 2017, performing a vast Mexican and Latin American music repertoire. 
 
Currently, he is pursuing his master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, studying with Professor René Izquierdo. He uses an instrument made by Mexican luthier Abel García López, and Knobloch strings. 

Camden Wells

Camden Wells (16) is a junior at the Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy (LASA) in Austin, Texas. He began his musical journey at the age of seven and has dedicated nearly a decade to his development as a guitarist, currently studying under the tutelage of Jeremy Waldrip.

Camden is an active member of the Austin guitar community, performing with the prestigious Austin Classical Guitar Youth Orchestra (ACGYO) and the Honors Guitar Quartet at the Orpheus Academy of Music. 

Beyond his musical and academic pursuits, Camden is a year-round competitive swimmer. In his free time, he enjoys gaming, doing puzzles, and watching horror films and shows.

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