Competition
Boston GuitarFest XX
The BGFest XX Academy Performance Competition is open to participants enrolled in the Boston GuitarFest XX Academy program.
Finalists
Benjamin Gascon
Distinguished as a finalist in multiple national competitions, Benjamin Gascon is known for his virtuosity and sensitive, colorful interpretations. A product of the esteemed Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, Benjamin performs across the US. Deeply dedicated to musical craftsmanship, Benjamin shares a repertoire that seamlessly intertwines Classical- and Romantic-era masterpieces with the stunning body of work for classical guitar of the 20th Century. Noteworthy achievements include being honored as a Presser Scholar and receiving recognition through the Harry Randolph Prize and the James Winship Lewis Memorial Prize in Performance.
Nick Liu
Nick Liu, Bachelor and Master of Classical Guitar Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, student of Marc Teicholz, Meng Su, and Denis Azabagic. "Some of the best who had ever come to our department." – David Tanenbaum.
Michael Vascones
Michael Vascones was born in 1998 in Queens, New York. Inspired by watching his father play, Michael began playing guitar at the age of twelve. Michael completed his undergraduate studies at the Juilliard School in 2021, studying under Sharon Isbin, and finished his graduate studies at Manhattan School of Music in 2023 as a student of Mark Delpriora. Michael currently attends the University of Southern California for his doctorate in music, where he is an assistant lecturer in the guitar department. Michael has won first prize in the ASTA L.A Guitar Competition, USC Classical Guitar Competition, Southern Guitar Festival and Competition, Domaine Forget International Music Festival Youth Competition, and the National Federation of Music Clubs Classical Guitar Award. Michael was also a finalist in the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Youth Competition.
Daniel Villela
Recipient of the 2025 BCGS Frank Wallace Fellowship, Daniel Villela is a Mexican-American classical guitarist originally from Essex County, New Jersey, now based in the Greater Boston area. He began his musical studies at 15 as a self-taught guitarist before briefly studying with Gene Stein two years later. Daniel met his current mentor, Adam Levin, at the 2022 Boston GuitarFest, who he later went on to study with at The University of Rhode Island. Currently studying Classical Guitar Performance and Mandarin Chinese at the University of Rhode Island, Daniel earned 1st prize in the 2024 URI Concerto Competition, later performing as a soloist alongside the URI Symphony Orchestra. Committed to expanding musical voices through the guitar, Daniel is working with composers on a project to commission new music from various regions of the Middle East.
Rules
- First round: Participants must submit a video made specifically for the BGFest XX Academy Performance Competition. A legible poster (or a sign) with the words "2025 Boston GuitarFest XX Competition" must also be visible behind you for the duration of the video. Candidates should introduce themselves and the pieces they will play at the beginning of the recording. The verbal introduction must include the following sentence: "This is my recording for the 2025 Boston GuitarFest XX Academy, round 1, performance competition."
- Repertoire: Two contrasting pieces from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries (total duration: 12 to 15 minutes)
- Video Requirements: The recording must consist of one uninterrupted, unedited take with clear audio and image quality from a fixed camera position, preferably straight in front of the performer. The performer’s face, hands, and the entire guitar should be clearly visible in the video. Please note that a poster (or a sign) with the words "2025 Boston GuitarFest XX Competition" must be visible behind you for the duration of the video.
- Finalists will be announced on: May 31st, 2025 (or before).
- Second/Final Round: The four finalists must select a new program (not including works performed in the first round) exhibiting a variety of musical styles of their choice, about 20 minutes duration. The final round will be held live on June 11th, 2025, at 7:30pm, in Cambridge, MA, at the Foundry. The Final Round will be the concluding event of the first day of the Festival and is open to the public.
- The decisions of the jury are final.
- The first prize winner will perform a solo recital (20-30 minute duration) as part of the closing concert and event of Boston GuitarFest on Sunday, June 15th, 2025, at Gasson Hall, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.
Boston GuitarFest XX Competition Prizes
First Prize
- Solo recital on June 15th, 2025
- Boston GuitarFest Performance Competition Prize
- Cash prize of $2500
- Augustine Strings and Additional Merchandise TBD
Second Prize
- $1000 Cash Prize
- Augustine Strings and Additional Merchandise TBD
Third Prize
- $500 Cash Prize
- Augustine Strings and Additional Merchandise TBD