B i o g r a p h Y


 

With the sole purpose of promoting the art of the classic guitar and its rich history, John has set out to perform for a wide and varied audience in a diverse range of settings. From the classroom to the concert stage he has shared his love of music inspiring both young and old alike.

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John’s eclectic repertoire includes a variety of solo guitar works from the Renaissance to the present day. A large portion of his music focuses on Spanish & Latin American Guitar Masterpieces. His repertoire consists of original works composed for guitar as well as transcriptions from many musical sources.

 

John's performances have been at colleges, libraries, guitar festivals and with other musical organizations. Some performances include events with the Classical Guitar Society of Upstate NY, Crane School of Music, Day of Guitar Festival, Great Lakes Guitar Society, Onondaga Community College, Setnor School of Music, Skidmore College, the Tifanny Concert Series, Civic Morning Musicals, Syracuse Sound of Music and the Temple Society of Concord. As a chamber musician, he is often accompanying instrumentalists and performs in a variety of ensembles. He has also recorded for Mel Bay Publications credited on the Don Miller Guitar Ensemble Series. 

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John is a graduate of the Crane School of Music. During his studies he was chosen to perform in many Master Classes with world renowned artists including Antigoni Goni, Sergio Assad, Ricardo Cobo, Ricardo Iznaola, Jason Vieaux & Pepe Romero. He has been the recipient of several awards including The Helen S. Scheel Scholarship, Honors Convocation Award and awarded 1st prize in the Crane School of Music Chamber Music Competition as a member of the Crane Guitar Quartet.

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In addition to honing his skill as a performing artist, John is a dedicated instructor. An award winning teacher, he is busy instructing a large number of students at the Music School of CNY. This school was envisioned by Ferrara offering a variety of lesson programs for students of all types. In his community he has been transforming lives for over 20 years with his coaching and mentoring. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Onondaga Community College. Many of his students have advanced to careers in music & have been accepted into top colleges & universities nationwide.

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