Hill Country Classical Guitar Ensemble Festival and Competition
2026 Hill Country Classical Guitar Ensemble Festival and Competition
April 10th & 11th
This festival will be held at the beautiful Texas State University – San Marcos School of Music. This is a national competition and is open to guitar ensembles of middle school, high school, college level and independent studios to bring like-minded individuals together to celebrate guitar and strive for excellence in performance. These performances will be adjudicated by Tony Morris (Classical Guitar Alive and Music in Medicine), Cain Budds (Professor of Guitar at Louisiana Tech University) and Alejandro Montiel (UTSA professor of Guitar and founding member of the Texas Guitar Quartet).
Our festival will open at 7:00 pm on Friday, April 10, at the TXT School of Music Recital Hall with a performance by the innovative classical guitar ensemble Moontower Duo, presenting their original works. Their set will be followed by a featured performance from renowned fingerstyle guitarist Gareth Pearson.
The competition will take place on Saturday, April 11, at the TXST School of Music Recital Hall. The day will also feature a vendor fair and masterclasses led y Stephen Krishnan and Matthew Lyons of the Moontower Duo.
The festival will conclude on the evening of Saturday, April 11, with a performance of Brazilian guitar virtuoso Gabriel Santiago and his Brazilian jazz quartet. Immediately following the concert, an awards ceremony will be held. Both events will take place at the TXST University Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, beginning at 6:30 pm.
Competition check-in will open on Saturday, April 11 at 8:00 am and will remain available until 10:30am. Late arrivals are acceptable as long as participants arrive with sufficient time before their assigned warm-up and performance times (TBA). Performances are scheduled to begin at approximately 11:00 am and will continue throughout the day until roughly 4:00 pm.
A maximum of twenty institutions will be accepted. If this limit is reached, a notice will be posted on this website. Each institution may submit no more than three groups.
Rules:
- There are no required pieces for the competition; however, programs are expected to feature contrasting works, which will comprise one aspect of the evaluation. Additional criteria include tuning, ensemble cohesion tone quality, balance, blend, interpretation, dynamics, musicality, and overall presentation.
- Middle school participants must prepare a program lasting six to nine minutes. The total time must not be exceeded, and any adjustments to chair configuration, if needed, must be included within the allotted time.
- High school participants must prepare a program lasting seven to ten minutes. The total time must not be exceeded, and any adjustments to chair configuration, if needed, must be included within the allotted time.
- College participants must prepare a program lasting twelve to fifteen minutes. The total time must not be exceeded, and any adjustments to chair configuration, if needed, must be included within the allotted time.
- All performances will be timed, with timing commencing at the first note of the first piece. Programs exceeding the allotted time limit will be stopped.
- While exceeding the designated time limits will not result in penalties, participants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the specified durations.
- If the director performs alongside the students, ten points will be deducted. There is no penalty for directors who conduct their students.
- Only classical guitars are permitted. Instruments with higher or lower ranges, such as the quinton or acoustic bass (contrabass), may also be used provided they are strung with nylon strings. Electric or steel-stringed instruments are not allowed. While the use of other instruments (e.g., percussion) will not result in point deductions, the use of nylon-stringed instruments is strongly encouraged.
- Groups must not include students from mixed secondary school classification. If a director registers a middle school group, all participants must be middle school students; similarly, all members of a high school group must be high school students. No exceptions will be allowed.
Competition Registration Form, Masterclass sign-up and Vendor Application:
https://secure.touchnet.com/C24322_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=464&SINGLESTORE=true
Registration forms will not be accepted on or after April 3, as time is required to finalize the competition schedule and prepare programs. Early submission of forms is strongly encouraged.
We encourage all participants to arrive in San Marcos by 6:00 pm on Friday, April 10, to allow time to attend the festival’s opening concert at 7:00 pm. Complimentary parking is available after 5:00 pm in the Pleasant Street garage, located directly across from the Music Building.
Featured concert artists
Moontower Duo
Matthew Lyons and Stephen Krishnan are long-time collaborators in performance and composition. Together they have premiered large works by Matthew including a guitar concerto (Presented by UT New Music Ensemble and featuring Stephen as the soloist) and a sold-out series of an original, live film score for the 1925 silent film “Phantom of the Opera” (co-presented by Austin Classical Guitar and Austin Chamber Music Center, featuring Sandy Yamamoto and Annie Jacobs-Perkins). As the Austin-based Moontower Duo, they are dedicated to presenting original works that stretch the boundaries of the classical guitar repertoire.
Gareth Pearson
Gareth Pearson is referred to as “The Welsh Tornado” which is particularly appropriate, seeing as this special talent combines fingerstyle pyrotechnics, with explosive lead runs making Pearson one of the most exciting acoustic musicians today.
Gareth has a distinctive style that can be heard through his creative and innovative arrangements which cover a wide spectrum of genres, including country, folk, classical, pop, rock, jazz, swing and bluegrass. In addition to these, Gareth includes his own beautiful and often intricate original compositions. Drawing his playing style initially from influences such as Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed and Tommy Emmanuel, he has developed a style that is both inspiring and entertaining.
Within a year of taking up the guitar, Gareth opened for Tommy Emmanuel on his 2005 UK tour. It was in Cardiff where Tommy invited Gareth to play at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society (CAAS) convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
Later that year, Gareth was performing and touring alongside Ray Davies (The Kinks), John Renbourne, and Southside Johnny and the Ashbury Jukes. During the Southside Johnny tour, Gareth was invited by Southside to be flown over to the USA to open for his annual New Years Eve concert at the Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey.
The following year Gareth was invited by Tommy Emmanuel to be the support act for his UK tour, following extensive UK supports to Jan Akkerman, Andy McKee and appearing at numerous Folk Festivals and Guitar workshops including the Montreal Jazz Festival.
With appearances throughout Europe and a growing reputation, Gareth was invited to perform at the 2008 Canadian Guitar Festival where he came to the attention of Candyrat Records. This planted the seed for Gareth to be the first UK guitarist to be signed by the label. On its release, Gareth’s debut album “Urban Echoes Vol 1” was selected by Acoustic Guitar editors and frequent contributors as one of the “Essential Acoustic Albums of 2010”.
With Appearances at the 2009 Montreal Guitar Festival, USA and Worldwide tours and Guitar workshops, Gareth’s reputation as a performer and teacher is constantly growing.
Gabriel Santiago
Gabriel Santiago, a native of Brazil, is an accomplished composer, arranger, and skilled guitarist proficient in both acoustic and electric styles. His notable career spans 14 albums, comprising CDs and DVDs, lauded for their captivating compositions as described by JazzTimes Magazine. Santiago's musical prowess has earned him recognition as a gifted artist, having been mentored by esteemed figures in the jazz realm such as Pat Metheny, Adam Rogers, and Maria Schneider.
His musical journey has been adorned with accolades, including the prestigious ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, solidifying his remarkable talent and impact on the music landscape. Santiago's academic achievements are equally impressive, holding a Doctoral Degree in Music Composition from the esteemed University of Texas at Austin. Collaborating with a diverse range of artists, from established names like Chris Potter and Stefon Harris to talented musicians like John Clayton and Janek Gwizdala, Santiago's versatility shines through.
Moreover, Santiago had the privilege of being the first artist to record with the inaugural line of microphones by the renowned recording engineer Rupert Neve. Apart from his instrumental finesse, he showcases his skills as a versatile composer, creating music across various genres and ensembles – from Symphony Orchestras to Jazz Combos. Influenced by Brazilian Music, Jazz, and Classical Music, Santiago's compositions resonate with audiences from different backgrounds and preferences, highlighting his exceptional musical ingenuity.