Welcome to Guitar Sarasota

International Concert Series

Welcome to Guitar Sarasota

International Concert Series

Marko Topchii, Ukraine
January 11 at 7:30 pm

Xavier Jara
February 8 at 7:30 pm

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
March 15 at 7:30 pm

Rene Izquierdo, Cuba
April 19 at 7:30 pm

Join us for a spectacular season of classical guitar! Order a season subscription to all four concerts and save.

SAT | JAN 11, 2025 | 7:30 PM | RIVERVIEW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Marko Topchii - Ukraine

GFA Winner Kicks Off Guitar Sarasota’s 17th Season 

Marko Topchii has won more than 90 awards worldwide in the international guitar competitions in the professional category. Among them, 41 first places in the competitions in United States, Mexico, Australia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Liechtenstein, Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Ukraine. Marko is the most recent winner of the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition in 2023.

Marko Topchii was born into a family of musicians in Kiev, Ukraine and is started studying guitar at the age of four.

He is 26 years old and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree at the Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music in Kiev under the guidance of Prof. Yuri Alexik, Honored Artist of Ukraine. He completed his master degree in the National University of Arts in Kharkov in 2011, where he studied under Prof. Volodymir Dotsenko, Honored Artist of Ukraine.

SAT | FEB 8, 2025 | 7:30 PM | RIVERVIEW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Xavier Jara - USA

Xavier Jara (1993) is an American guitarist of international acclaim. In 2016, he won the coveted First Prize of the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition, which awarded him a sixty-concert tour. The tour, which began in September 2017, spanned locations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama, including a concert at Carnegie Hall. 

A native of Minnesota, Xavier studied with Alan Johnston at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis until 2011, when he moved to Paris, France to study with Judicaël Perroy for the next six years.  During this time, he completed his Bachelor’s Degree at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where he also studied with French guitarist Olivier Chassain and lute master Eric Bellocq.  

He received 1st place in a number of international competitions including the Viseu International Competition (2014), the Boston Guitarfest (2014), the Gargnano, Italy Competition (2015), the Ciudad de Coria Competition (2015), and the Tokyo International Competition (2016).  In 2016, Xavier returned home to the United States to win the GFA’s prestigious Rose Augustine Grand Prize.

In May 2020, Xavier earned his Master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He continues to perform around the world and joined the United States Guitar Orchestra as a soloist in 2022 on their tour of Spain. An active teacher as well, he previously served as the Adjunct Professor of Guitar at California State University Fullerton (Fullerton, CA) and recently taught the Spring 2022 semester at the University of Louisville (Louisville, KY), conducting and performing in Javier Farías’s Arauco with the U of L guitar ensemble. 

Xavier is sponsored by Augustine Strings and plays a guitar by Enrico Bottelli. 

Notice of change of artist for February 8 concert: We are excited to welcome Xavier Jara back to the Guitar Sarasota stage for the February 8 concert replacing Tariq Harb. Unfortunately, unexpected backlogs by US Citizenship and Immigration Services in processing visa applications prevented Tariq Harb from receiving a performance visa on a timely basis. 

SAT | MARCH 15, 2025 | 7:30 PM | RIVERVIEW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, USA

L-R: John Dearman, Douglas Lora, Bill Kanengiser, and Matt Greif

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet - USA

The Grammy Award-winning LAGQ is one of the most multifaceted groups in any genre. The LAGQ is comprised of four uniquely accomplished musicians bringing a new energy to the concert stage with programs ranging from Bluegrass to Bach. They consistently play to sold-out houses world-wide. Their inventive, critically acclaimed transcriptions of concert masterworks provide a fresh look at the music of the past, while their interpretations of works from the contemporary and world-music realms continually break new ground. 

Programs including Latin, African, Far East, Irish, Folk and American Classics transport listeners around the world in a single concert experience. Their ‘Don Quixote’ collaboration with Firesign Theater veteran, actor Philip Proctor, continues to expand and delight audiences and the work ‘SHIKI: Seasons of Japan’ written for the LAGQ plus guitar orchestra by composer Shingo Fujii is connecting communities across the nation.

Winner of a 2005 Grammy Award, their “Guitar Heroes” CD released on Telarc is a brilliant follow-up to their Grammy nominated “LAGQ-Latin”. “Spin” (Telarc, 2006) continues their explorations of jazz and contemporary music. “LAGQ: BRAZIL” (Telarc, 2007), including collaborations with vocalist Luciana Souza, was released to rave reviews, and their newest recording of the Rodrigo “Concierto Andaluz” and Sergio Assad’s “Interchange”, written specifically for them, was released on Telarc in Spring 2010, and quickly climbed to top spot on the Billboard charts. The live DVD of “The Ingenious Gentleman: Don Quixote” was released on the Mel Bay label in spring 2012. In 2015, the LAGQ released their latest album titled “New Renaissance,” a unique blend of renaissance originals and renaissance-inspired compositions by Dusan Bogdanovic and Ian Krouse.

SAT | APRIL 19, 2025 | 7:30 PM | RIVERVIEW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Rene Izquierdo, Cuba

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.

Performance Venue

The International Concert Series takes place at Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way at Lords Ave & Proctor Rd, Sarasota, FL 34231. 

• Fully accessible and climate controlled
• Comfortable seating, ramp access, unobstructed view
• Acoustically engineered with state-of-the-art sound technology

For more information please contact us at info@guitarsarasota.org or call 941-260-3306.

If you would like to learn about sponsorship opportunities, click here.

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