MEMPHIS INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL PERFORMING ARTISTS

LILY AFSHAR

Artistic Director Lily Afshar is the recipient of the 2000 Orville H. Gibson Award for Best Female Classical Guitarist and recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Recording Award. Chosen as "Artistic Ambassador" to Africa by the United States Information Agency to, she was the winner of the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Annual "Premier Guitarist" awards presented by the Memphis Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. She has performed concerts world-wide in prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall in London, Salle Cortot in Paris, and at festivals including the Jerash Festival of the Arts, the Aspen and the Grand Teton Music festivals. Afshar is the first woman in the world to receive a Doctorate of Music in classical guitar. Lily Afshar's articles on Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Goya are published multi-lingually. She is the author of "Five Popular Persian Ballads" and CD's "24 Caprichos de Goya," "A Jug of Wine and Thou," "Possession," and "Hemispheres," which was number seven on Billboard's Classical Album Chart. Her recent book "Essential Bach Arranged for the Guitar" and her DVD "Virtuoso Guitar" are published by Mel Bay. She has released two volumes of instructional DVDs called "Classical Guitar Secrets."

DAEKUN JANG

José Tomás acclaimed Daekun Jang as "Undoubtedly, one of the best guitarists of his generation who can bring life into the musical notes through his magnificent techniques and full poetic feelings." Jang has won more than 20 prizes at various guitar competitions, among them first prize at the Luys Milan International Guitar Competition, the Kukulcan International Guitar Competition and the Zarautz International Guitar Competition. A noted solo and chamber performer, Daekun Jang has given recitals throughout Europe and Asia. He has appeared as a soloist with such orchestras as Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia, the Mexico City Symphony Orchestra, the Europea Mediterranea Symphony Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, Millenium Symphony Orchestra, KBS Philharmonic Orchestra and Arco Diavolo Chamber Orchestra. He has published three CD's: "Songs of the Guitar," "Impressions of Spain" and "Azahar."

DAVID MOZQUEDA

For two years, David Mozqueda won first place in classical guitar in the "Concurso Cultural para la Niñez" in México City. From 1982 to 1987 he won first place in four international competitions organized by Fine Arts National Institute in México. In 1993 he took second prize in the "The Great Lakes Classical Guitar Competition" and in 1994 won second prize in the "Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Manuel M. Ponce. Mozqueda has performed as soloist with the Philarmonic Orchestra of Jalisco, Orquesta Filarmónica de Michoacán, Orquesta de Cámara del Conservatorio de Las Rosas, Orquesta Filarmónica de Guanajuato and others. He has played in festivals including the Festival Chitarriztico, festivals in Rörsrat, Dortmund and Köhln, Festival Internacional de Guitarra in Cuernavaca and Kingstone Chamber Music Festival in Rhode Island. Mozqueda has recorded CD's with the "Cuarteto Concertante," ensemble "Ars Antiqua" and his solo CD, "MEMORIAS." He is currently recording his second CD.