The Guitar Studio

09/10/2026

The Guitar Studio would like to offer a major congratulations to our student, Keegan Henrikson. After three intense auditions at top tier music schools and pulling a hat trick, Keegan is embarking on a new chapter in his musical life. Congratulations on the beginning of his first semester as a guitar performance student of Rene Izquierdo at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Keegan started his classical guitar journey with Dr. Will Douglas at The Guitar Studio in Fort Worth, TX and is making his next big step into the wider music world under the wing of one of the guitar’s leading luminaries. You can see him here with extraordinary musician, Kevin Loh and his new professor, the one and only Rene Izquierdo. We know he could not be in better hands. Thank you, Rene and Kevin for taking care of our guy! This photo is one of the things that makes what we do worth doing. Well done, Keegan!

08/12/2026

The Guitar Studio Newsletter: Launching The Guitar Studio Ensembles of Grapevine and San Antonio, Gabriel Bianco Plays Sor, and New Product Offerings

A History of Virtuosity: Gabriel Bianco Performs Fernando Sor's Mozart Variations

07/18/2026

Welcome to the faculty: Jacob Johnson, The Guitar Studio Grapevine

Jacob Johnson is a guitarist, lutenist, and photographer based in the Dallas area. He offers personalized private instruction, with a repertoire spanning the 16th century to the present day, including popular tunes arranged for solo guitar. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from Texas Wesleyan University, where he studied with Dr. Kevin Manderville.

Jacob first gained notice as a trumpeter, performing as soloist with the Wind Symphony of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra after winning their annual concerto competition. He began college as a trumpet performance major, but having taught himself folk, blues, rock, pop, and metal guitar as a teenager, he was captivated by the classical guitar and has dedicated himself to it, and to the lute, ever since. He has performed for the Utah Guitar Society, the Sacramento Guitar Society, and at the Lute Society of America LuteFest West, as well as for private events and colleges of music.

His debut album, “The Ghosts of Dawn” (2023), features “Astrolabe,” a suite written for him by Dallas-based composer Eddie Healy. He is also a published arranger, composer, and music essayist. Most recently, he was awarded several grants for “Songs Without Words,” an interdisciplinary project comprising a photobook, a solo photography exhibition, and a new recording of guitar music released in June 2026.

Private instruction with Jacob is available now in Grapevine.

06/23/2026

René Izquierdo Performs Gran Jota by Francisco Tárrega | Guitar Studio International Festival and Competition

Cuban-born classical guitarist René Izquierdo performs Francisco Tárrega's Gran Jota on the final night of the first annual Guitar Studio International Festival and Competition, recorded live at TCU's Van Cliburn Concert Hall on Sunday, January 18, 2026.

Izquierdo, recognized as one of the leading classical guitarists in the world today, currently serves as Distinguished Professor and Director of Classical Guitar Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Peck School of the Arts. A native of Havana, he trained at the Guillermo Tomás, Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and the Superior Institute of Art before earning his Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music. He has won prizes in over 35 international competitions, including the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Competition, the Stotsenberg International Guitar Competition, and the Schadt String Competition, and his playing has been praised by Eliot Fisk, Benjamin Verdery, and critics from Gramophone, the New York Times, and Soundboard Magazine.

In this performance, Izquierdo plays Tárrega's Gran Jota, also known as Gran Jota Aragonesa, composed in 1872. The piece is widely considered one of the most demanding works in the guitar repertoire, a theme and variations built on a Spanish jota that touches on nearly every major technique in the classical guitar vocabulary, from rapid tremolo to the percussive tamburo effect. Many scholars believe Tárrega's version was reworked from an earlier jota by guitarist and composer Julián Arcas. Today it is often regarded as a rite of passage for concert guitarists.

The guitar heard in this performance is an Altamira Hanson N3 Double Top, handcrafted by luthier Hanson Yao. Yao trained in woodworking and craftsmanship at the China Art Academy before traveling to Spain in the early 2000s to study classical guitar making. The Hanson N3 is built using German-style double top construction, pairing two exceptionally thin soundboards reinforced with nomex honeycomb, a design that produces a rich, deep tone with exceptional projection and a wide spectrum of tonal color.

This performance took place as the closing performance of the inaugural Guitar Studio International Festival and Competition, hosted at TCU's Van Cliburn Concert Hall. The event was made possible by The Guitar Studio Foundation, with generous support from TCU, Altamira Guitars, and Savarez Strings.

The Guitar Studio Foundation supports classical guitar education, artist development, and performance opportunities through events like the Guitar Studio International Festival and Competition, bringing together world-class performers, emerging artists, and the broader classical guitar community.

René Izquierdo Performs Gran Jota by Francisco Tárrega | Guitar Stu...

06/10/2026

Today at one PM Central, we’re premiering the world premiere video of Iliana Matos performing Voyage by Leo Brouwer – a piece written specifically for her. Recorded right here at The Guitar Studio on an Altamira Torres model guitar, this is the first time the world is hearing and seeing this commission brought to life. To mark the occasion, we’re offering that very instrument along with a score signed by Brouwer himself. A significant portion of the proceeds will support The Guitar Studio Foundation’s educational outreach. It’s a remarkable opportunity to own a piece of this commission and directly support the next generation of classical guitarists.

If you’re interested in acquiring the instrument and score, reach out to us directly at The Guitar Studio – call us at 682-355-0190 or visit us online at www.theguitarstudio.org. We’re happy to answer any questions and walk you through the details.

06/09/2026

The Guitar Studio Newsletter: New Community Ensembles & Summer Classes

Summer Guitar Class Series