BGFest XVII Competitions ACADEMY PERFORMANCE COMPETITION
BGFest XVIII Academy Performance Competition is only open to registered participants in the Academy program (Age 15-30, with exceptions for younger participants). Participant’s active attendance at the festival is required. Participants should submit a copy of identification before receiving their prize.
Rules
- First round: participants must submit a video made specifically for the BGFest XVIII Academy Performance Competition. Candidates should introduce themselves and the pieces they will play at the beginning of the recording. The verbal introduction shall include “this is my recording for the 2023 Boston GuitarFest Academy performance competition”.
- Repertoire : 10 minutes of 2 Contrasting pieces of free choice composers from XV-XXI Century.
- Video Requirements: The recording should consist of a single take, have clear audio and image quality. Performer’s face, hands, and the entire guitar should be fully visible in the video.
- Final Round: The 5 Finalists would select a new 20 minutes program (different from the first round) of their choice to be performed in person on June 28th, 2023 at Multicultural Arts Center, Cambridge. This is a public performance.
- The decisions of the Jury are final.
- The first prize winner would be performing a 25-45 minutes program on Sunday, July 2nd at Multicultural Arts Center. This is a public performance.
BGFest XVII Competitions ACADEMY PERFORMANCE COMPETITION: JURY
Bruce Holzman
Classical Guitarists
Bruce Holzman
Classical Guitarists
Professor of Guitar at the Florida State University, has been Director of the Guitar Program since 1972. Holzman's students have won many prestigious prizes in competitions worldwide, a partial list includes winners in: Guitar Foundation of America Solo/Duo Competition, Music Teachers National Association Collegiate Artists Competition (12), Alirio Diaz Competition of Caracas, Venezuela, Toronto International Festival Competition, Concours Internationale de Guitare of Paris, France, Incontri Chitarristici de Gargnano, Italy, Columbus State Guitar Symposium, Lachine International Guitar Competition, Montreal, Canada, Boston Guitarfest Competition, and Rantucci International Competition. Many of his students hold teaching positions at prominent Universities, Colleges and High Schools. These include, but not limited to: Stetson University, Kennesaw College, University of New Mexico, University of Memphis, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Texas, Austin, University of Texas, San Antonio, East Carolina University, Columbus State University, Montgomery Alabama Magnet Schools.
Melody Giron
Cellist
Melody Giron
Cellist
Cellist Melody Giron was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She began her musical studies at the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School when she was four. She has since performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. Currently based in NYC and Boston, Melody's musical versatility has engaged her in a variety of work including new music premieres, Broadway theater, orchestral work, chamber music, and solo performances. She has also recorded for movie scores, and TV commercials in addition to recording and performing with various popular music artists.
Most recent new music collaborations include the world premiere of Julia Wolfe's Spinning, at Montclair State University, as well as Ted Hearne’s premiere of “PLACE” at BAM, Brooklyn. Melody also performed David Chesky's "Arbeit Macht Frei" for solo cello and orchestra with the Metro Chamber Orchestra of New York.
Melody frequents the popular music scene, she toured with Sara Bareilles’ for the Amidst the Chaos Tour in the U.S. She has also performed with Stevie Wonder, Shawn Mendes, Eminem, 50 Cent, Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, Skylar Grey, Keyshia Cole, H.E.R, Andra Day, Emily King and The Burned, among others. Melody has performed on Saturday Night Live and The Today show with various artists.
Melody also maintains an active orchestral career, performing with the Metro Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of New York, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra in Alabama, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Palaver Strings among other orchestras.
Melody’s TV engagements include starring in the GMC Acadia car commercial, airing nationally on television, marking her first commercial appearance. Melody can also be seen on TV as a member of the string ensemble for NBC’s America’s Got Talent season 10, as well as Amazon's TV series, Mozart In The Jungle seasons 2 and 4. More recently, Melody booked her second TV commercial, for Classe Audio. Melody can also be heard on the feature films, Boy Erased and Gemini Man.
Melody’s Broadway Theater appearances include being chosen by playwright, Edward Albee, to act the role of "The Musician" in the Off-Broadway production of The Sandbox directed by Lila Neugebauer at Signature Theatre Company in NYC In 2020 she played for the NYC premiere of Unknown Soldier at Playwright’s horizons and previously played cello for Bard SummerScape's revival production of Leonard Bernstein's Peter Pan directed by Chris Alden.
Melody has collaborated with many classical artists including renowned pianist and Irish music producer, Phil Coulter. While on tour with Coulter, Giron performed for former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton at Carnegie Hall. Melody has also worked with the Takacs Quartet, the Peabody Trio, The Borromeo String Quartet, Vivian Weilerstein, James Buswell, Lucy Chapman, John Heiss, John Gibbons, Ran Blake, Benjamin Zander, and Hugh Wolff, among others. Her summer studies have been with renowned pedagogues, Eloenore Schoenfeld, Orlando Cole, Metta Watts, Dmitri Ferschtman, and Rienhard Latzko.
Melody's summer festival engagements include, The Britten-Pears Young Artiste Programme in Aldebrugh, England. She performed for the widely proclaimed production of Benjamin Britten’s opera, Peter Grimes. She returned to Britten-Pears for the "Tchaikovsky Project" under the baton of Semyon Bychkov. Melody played principal cello in the Penderecki Academy Orchestra of Westfalen, Germany as well as the Luslawice Academy Orchestra of Poland under the direction of Krzysztof Penderecki. Giron has attended the International Holland Music Sessions, Netherlands, Aims in Graz, Austria, and the Sienna Summer Music Festival in Italy.
Committed and passionate about teaching and pedagogy, Giron completed the two year Suzuki Method teacher training program at the School For Strings in Manhattan, New York under the tutelage of Pamela Devenport. Giron holds a private studio in NYC and Boston in addition to teaching at The Suzuki School of Newton, MA and Project STEP.
Melody earned her bachelor’s degree in cello performance from The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA under the tutelage of Natasha Brofsky. She earned her master’s degree in cello performance from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, at which she studied with Alan Stepansky.
(Tax may apply for international participants) Awards
1st Prize
$ 3,000 Cash Prize
Multicultural Arts Center Concert on July 2nd, 2023
2nd Prize
$1,500 Cash Prize
Guitar strings from Augustine
Full Scholarship for BGFest XIX
3rd Prize
$750 Cash Prize
Guitar strings from Augustine
