Reuben Akins, age 18, is a senior at Weaver Academy for Performing and Visual Arts in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has been playing guitar for six years, working with Mark Charles Smith, and then Patrick Lui at Weaver. Reuben has competed in numerous local and regional guitar competitions, and performed with the Piedmont Classical Guitar Society, and the U.S. Guitar Orchestra with whom he will travel to Spain this summer. He has performed in master classes conducted by Elliott Frank, Adam Holzman, Erdong Li, Jason Vieaux, and Andrew Zohn. Reuben has a deep interest in jazz, plays regularly in community jazz jam sessions, and hosted a weekly radio show at Guilford College where he shared his broad interest in music. He also enjoys history and psychology.

Ethan Boyers, age 16, is a junior at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa, California.  He currently studies with Scott Cmiel at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Pre-College Division where he enjoys playing in a guitar orchestra and advanced guitar quartet as well as taking musicianship classes. Ethan also performs at his high school in chamber ensembles, jazz band, and theatre productions. Last fall, Ethan was the Music Director for A Midsummer Night's Dream at his school where he wrote and arranged an original score. Outside of the practice room and concert hall, Ethan plays varsity tennis, is involved in student leadership, and enjoys downhill skiing and traveling. 

Hilbert Chen is currently an eighth grader at Valley Christian School. He began studying classical guitar at age 3 and has studied with Robert Miller at the California Conservatory of Music. He has placed in several competitions, including: First in the Kithara Project Guitar Competition, First in the United States International Music Competition (Classical Guitar A), and was selected to be among the final ten competitors in the Parkening Young Guitarist Competition. Hilbert has performed in master classes conducted by Manuel Barrueco, Andrew York and other renowned guitarists. In addition to playing guitar, he enjoys playing baseball.

Elle Davisson, age 14, studies with Christopher Mallett at the California Conservatory of Music. Elle was a prize winner at the 2021 Southern Guitar Festival Youth Ensemble Competition, the 2021 Society of American Musicians Competition, the 2019 Guitar Foundation of America International Youth Competition, the 2017 Indiana International Guitar Competition, and the 2017 Boston GuitarFest Competition, among others. As part of the prize-winning Davisson Duo, Elle was featured in Classical Guitar Magazine’s Sunday Prodigy series, appeared on NPR’s From the Top (Show 361) and recently appeared on NPR Music's Tiny Desk (Home) Concert Series. 

Colin Guan, age 14, is a freshman at Sumner Hill Junior High in Clinton, Mississippi. He has played guitar for seven years and attended the Guitar Foundation of America Guitar Summit for two years. This event has given him the opportunity to meet Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Manuel Barrueco, and other renowned artists. He has also competed twice in the Southern Guitar Festival Competition. In addition to playing guitar he enjoys swimming and playing piano and clarinet.

Laurel Harned, age 16, is homeschooled and lives on her family’s organic farm in her hometown of Redlands, California. She started classical guitar lessons at the age of nine and has studied with Susan Graves for seven years. In addition to practicing guitar, Laurel enjoys learning about the lives of composers as well as the history and stories behind the music. Her other hobbies include reading, baking, backpacking, and trail running with her dog, Enzo.

Taylor Klinsky, age 17, is a senior at Pittsford Mendon High School. She began studying classical guitar at age 7 with Mr. John Wiesenthal at the Hochstein School of Music, then with Dr. Petar Kodzas, and currently with Dr. Lynn McGrath at the Eastman Community Music School (ECMS). Taylor has participated in many master classes with decorated guitarists and won awards in national competitions. She is currently a member of a string quartet and is an assistant teacher in the Guitar Adventure program at ECMS. In her free time, she enjoys playing guitar arrangements of video game music, cross-stitching, and creating digital drawings.

Mira Morales, a high school senior, has been playing classical guitar since she was seven years old and has enjoyed every minute of it. From ensemble and solo competitions to mentoring her own students, Mira has cultivated her passion for classical guitar by stepping outside of her comfort zone and immersing herself in the collaborative spirit of the music community. She enjoys playing piano, writing, and spending time with her young siblings. Mira studies classical guitar with Robert Miller at the California Conservatory of Music and is very excited to continue her pursuit of music in college.

Lukas Murdych, age 15, is a sophomore at Minnetonka High School in Minnesota. He has been playing guitar since the age of three and a half at Macphail Center for Music in Minneapolis, and has studied under Brent Weaver, Jean Seils, Dr. Radovanlija at the University of Minnesota, and Alan Johnston. He has participated in master classes conducted by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Berta Rojas, David Crittenden, Ana Vidovic, Antigoni Goni, Sharon Isbin, David Madsen, and Mir Ali. He also played in the 2nd Street Guitar quartet from 2015-2021. Lukas swims competitively for a club team most of the year, and for his high school team during the on-season. In addition to classical guitar, he plays electric guitar in his school’s Jazz Ensemble, and flute for the school’s Symphonic Band.

Reade Park, age 17, is a student in the Pre-College Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studies classical guitar with Scott Cmiel and composition with Robert Chastain. He is a prizewinner of multiple competitions, including the Guitar Foundation of America’s 2021 International Youth Competition and the 2022 National YoungArts Foundation competition. He  has appeared on NPR’s From the Top program, and performed in master classes conducted by Manuel Barrueco, Marcin Dylla, Eliot Fisk, Judicaël Perroy, Meng Su, Ben Verdery, and Jason Vieaux. Reade was also first-place winner of SFCM’s 2021 Kris Getz Composition Competition, with a work for solo flute. Outside the Conservatory, Reade enjoys math, playing classical piano pieces with swing, and cultivating carnivorous plants.

Trent Park, age 14, attends the math-based Proof School in San Francisco, California. He studies classical guitar with Scott Cmiel in the Pre-College Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he plays in a guitar quartet and is finishing the second highest level of the music theory curriculum. He has performed in master classes for Julian Grey, Judicaël Perroy, Meng Su, Scott Tennant, and Ben Verdery among others. Trent has also completed level nine in the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program in guitar and level eight in the MTAC Certificate of Merit program in piano. Outside of academics and music, Trent enjoys growing hydroponic chili peppers and playing blitz chess matches. 

Ian Tubbs, age 17, is a homeschooled junior from Bloomington, Indiana. He has been studying classical guitar for ten years under Dr. Nemanja Ostojic of the University of Indianapolis. He has been privileged to participate in and receive distinguished awards in a number of guitar competitions including the Indiana University International Guitar Festival, Guitar Art Festival in Belgrade, Serbia, and the James Stroud Classical Guitar Competition. He has received master class instruction from pedagogues and artists including Stephen Aron, Thibaut Garcia, Adam Holzman, Rene Izquierdo, Rovshan Mamedkuliev, and Tengyue Zhang.  In addition to classical guitar, Ian enjoys soccer, physics, hiking, photography, and his church youth group.

Owen Wang, age 16, is from Edison, New Jersey. He began guitar at five with Galina Jitlina in Canada. In 2020 he was selected as part of the Guitar Foundation of America Mentorship Program studying with Professor Denis Azabagic, his current teacher. Owen won 1st prize in the 2021 Latino Arts Strings Program Youth Competition, Advanced Group; and 2nd prize in the 2021 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Competition National Competition, Junior Division. In 2021 he received the full scholarship from the Guitarlab Summer Camp. That same year Owen and his sister Vivian Wang created four segments for the GFAtv youtube channel. In 2022 he was a finalist for the NPR radio show From the Top. Owen teaches classical guitar at the local Chinese school. His dream is to become a skilled, professional guitarist.