Chad Ibison

American guitarist Dr. Chad Ibison has captivated audiences across North America and abroad through his imaginative musical interpretations and charismatic stage presence. Hailed through critical acclaim, Chad has been described as “very versatile in terms of contrast and range of expression” (Classical Guitar Canada) with “masterful phrasing combined with technical precision” (ClassicalGuitar.org). Composer Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, describes Ibison’s impact as a performer; “Chad gave an incendiary performance. His approach was, at the same time, aggressive and intimate. He melded with the instrument, and the result was brash, expressive and technically secure.” Along with his critical acclaim, Ibison has accumulated ten first place awards among his eighteen top prize wins at international guitar competitions including The Guitar Foundation of America, JoAnn Falletta Concerto Competition and Boston’s New England Conservatory Guitarfest. He participates regularly at guitar festivals as a performer, teacher and judge.

Chad is a member of the Ibison Guitar Duo, where he and Dr. Janet Grohovac performs throughout the US and abroad. Recent concerts include their 2025 tour in Chile, a tour throughout western Canada including a one week residency at Calgary’s GuitarFest West, a residency at the esteemed Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina, along with a Southeast tour in Nashville, TN, Columbus, GA and Troy, AL. They have also performed at the Music by the Sea festival in Victoria, BC, Ticino Musica’s concerts in Lugano, Switzerland, concerts in Taxco, Mexico, Houston’s Classical Guitar Festival and Competition, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee concert series, Austin Classical Guitar’s series, and Austin’s radio stations KMFA and KVRX.

Chad is also a member of the Austin Guitar Quartet. In 2019, the quartet performed and recorded Nico Muhly’s “How Little You Are” with the Texas Guitar Quartet, and the Grammy Award Winning groups, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Conspirare under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson. The 2020 album, “The Singing Guitar” on the Delos label, reached #15 on the Billboard traditional classical charts in its first week and was reviewed favorably by BBC 3 Radio. In 2022, the album was nominated for a Grammy.
Chad holds Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and is on faculty at Texas State University and Austin Community College.