The Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) is an American classical guitar nonprofit organization that was founded in 1973 at the National Guitar Convention sponsored by the American String Teachers Association. The foundation offers various services ranging from guitar lessons to a guitar shop, competitions, and events. The foundation relies on donations, events, and advertising on its web site for funding. The foundation publishes Soundboard Scholar, a peer-reviewed journal, and Prodigies, a magazine for children.
History In 1968 the foundation's founder, Thomas Heck, was living in Vienna, Austria, collecting rare sheet music for guitar. His collection included first editions by Mauro Giuliani. In 1973, Heck wrote the foundation's articles of incorporation in Santa Barbara, California, creating a non-profit foundation to which he could give his archive of sheet music. Along with Heck, others were interested in forming the first national classical guitar association in the United States, including Vahdah Olcott-Bickford, who served on the first GFA Board of Directors, and Ron Purcell, the GFA's first president.
Heck created the GFA archive in 1977 in Milwaukee while teaching at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. A catalog of the inventory was assembled and mailed to interested buyers, who could receive photocopies of sheet music on request. A second edition of the catalog was published four years later. During the 1980s, while Heck taught at Ohio State University in Columbus, the archive grew to include more sheet music, periodicals, and other materials related to classical guitar. In the 1990s the archive moved to the University of Akron, and in 2015 it was transferred to California State University, Northridge.
International Concert Artist Competition The foundation holds an International Convention and Competition. The International Concert Artist Competition gives the following prizes to the winner: a recording contract with Naxos, publishing contract, cash, and an international tour.
The first competition was held in 1982. Twenty-three guitarists entered the contest, and there were four finalists. To qualify as finalists, guitarists were required to play three pieces selected by the jurors. Michael Chapdelaine won the first contest, while Adam Holzman won in 1983. Holzman's repertoire included the Fourth Lute Suite by J. S. Bach and Sevilla by Albeniz.
Winners Source Official webpage YearWinnerCountryLocation1982Michael ChapdelaineUSDenver, Colorado, US1983Adam HolzmanUSQuebec, Canada1985Mary AkermanUSFullerton, California, US1986Peter ClementeUSMilwaukee, Wisconsin, US1987Ricardo CoboColombiaTempe, Arizona, US1988Olivier ChassainFrance Akron, Ohio, US1989Marc Teicholz USLubbock, Texas, US1990Joseph HagedornUSPasadena, California, US1991Alexei ZimakovRussiaMiami, Florida, US1992Jason VieauxUSNew Orleans, Louisiana, US1993Kevin GallagherUSBuffalo, New York, US1994Margarita EscarpaSpainQuebec, Canada1995Antigoni GoniGreeceNorthridge, California, US1996Fabio ZanonBrazilSt. Louis, Missouri, US1997Judicael PerroyFranceLa Jolla, California, US1998Denis Azabagic BosniaMontreal, Canada1999Lorenzo MicheliItalyCharleston, South Carolina, US2000Martha MastersUSSan Antonio, Texas, US2001Johan FostierBelgiumLa Jolla, California, US2002Dimitri Illarionov RussiaMiami, Florida, US2003Jérémy JouveFranceMérida, Yucatán, Mexico2004Goran KrivokapićMontenegroMontreal, Canada2005Jerome DucharmeCanadaOberlin, Ohio, US2006Thomas ViloteauFranceColumbus, Georgia, US2007Marcin Dylla PolandLos Angeles, California, US2008Gabriel BiancoFranceSan Francisco, California, US2009Florian LarousseFranceIthaca, New York, US2010Johannes MöllerSwedenAustin, Texas, US2011Vladimir GorbachRussiaColumbus, Georgia, US2012Rovshan MamedkulievRussiaCharleston, South Carolina, US2013Anton BaranovRussiaLouisville, Kentucky, US2014Ekachai JearakulThailandFullerton, California, US 2015Thibaut GarciaFranceOklahoma City, OK, US2016Xavier Jara USDenver, CO, US2017Tengyue ZhangChinaFullerton, CA, US2018Raphaël FeuillâtreFranceLouisville, Kentucky, US2019Johan SmithSwitzerlandMiami, Florida, US2021Bokyung Byun South KoreaLos Angeles, US2022 Lovro PeretićCroatia Indianapolis, IN, US2023 Marko TopchiiUkraine New York, NY, US2024 Leonela AlejandroPuerto RicoFullerton, CA, US2025Virgile BartheFranceLouisville, Kentucky, US2026Eric WangUSDenver, CO, US
References
External links
The Guitar Foundation of America Archive at the University of Akron Guitar Foundation of America Collection at California State University, Northridge