---

News Release

Last modified: Thursday, December 3, 2009

IU Jacobs School of Music hosts state's first Indiana Guitar Festival and Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 3, 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music will host the First Indiana Guitar Festival and Competition March 27-28, 2010, with plans to continue the festival annually.

"To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the guitar department at the Jacobs School of Music, we decided to organize a festival and competition that will enhance our activities -- and, at the same time, offer the opportunity for young, talented guitarists to enjoy our ideal halls for the guitar, Ford-Crawford and Auer," said Ernesto Bitetti, chair of the department. "We welcome all participants with the sureness of an unforgettable weekend."

William Yelverton, director of guitar studies at Middle Tennessee State University, will be a guest performer and one of the jurors. Other judges will include Jacobs School of Music faculty members Petar Jankovic, coordinator of the Department of Guitar; Atanas Tzvetkov, director of the Pre-College Guitar Program; and Bitetti. Yelverton's guest appearance is sponsored by Bloomington Classical Guitar Society.

The competition finals will be March 28, 5:45 p.m.-7:15 p.m. in Auer Hall. Prizes of $1,000; $500; $350 and $150 are sponsored by Aranjuez Strings.

In addition to the competition and guest performance, the festival will feature three Jacobs School guitar students in concert: Erol Ozsever, co-director of the competition, Nemanja Ostojic and Guido Sanchez.

All events are free and open to the public.

The Indiana Guitar Festival and Competition is open to all ages of performers from anywhere in the world who are not represented by professional management. IU students are ineligible to compete.

"The guitar community in the Midwest has been long overdue for a new festival and competition," said Ozsever. "This will also be a great way to showcase the talent our studio has at IU."

For more information, visit https://music.indiana.edu/department/guitar.

---

---