kevin gallagher - electric guitarist

Kevin R. Gallagher began playing rock guitar in his formative years but his musical appetite quickly led him to study jazz and ultimately, classical guitar. His renowned gift for the classical guitar won him numerous scholarships and awards while studying with Benjamin Verdery at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and at the Julliard School under the tutelage of Sharon Isbin.As one of the world's leading classical guitarists, he was the first-prize winner in the 1993 Guitar Foundation of America, the 1994 American String Teachers Association, and the 1993 Artists International Competition. Most notably, Mr. Gallagher also earned the distinct honor of being the only American classical guitarist ever to win first prize in the prestigious Francisco Tárrega Guitar Competition in Spain (1997).Following his studies at Julliard, Mr. Gallagher gave many classical guitar performances and masterclasses throughout the world, including those in Spain, Germany, Sweden, Greece, Turkey, Brazil, and England. He has recorded four classical guitar CDs. His recording for Naxos Records Guitar Recital- Music from the Renaissance and Baroque was hailed as "...one of the very best NAXOS guitar recordings" by Classical Guitar Magazine (London) in 2000.In the summer of 2001, Kevin decided to expand the scope of his concert programs to also include works for electric guitar. Since then, he has performed concerts using the classical guitar for more traditional repertoire and the electric guitar for contemporary music. Kevin is active in encouraging composers to write new music for the instruments of today - such as the electric guitar, turntables, synthesizers etc. This unique approach to composition is widening the audience and interest for new music as well as educating composers who never have the chance to study these modern instruments in a traditional conservatory education.Mr. Gallagher has arranged numerous works for the solo electric guitar, including pieces by famed international composers Jacob Ter Veldhuis, Steve Reich, Leo Brouwer, and Arvo Pärt among others. Urban Mosaics by Marco Oppedisano and Vignettes by Beata Moon were written especially for him.a