Guitar Chamber Music Press

Steve Vazquez

Photo of Steve Vazquez

Chicago guitarist Steve Vazquez began his love for the guitar at the age of eleven. Self-taught and playing in rock bands throughout his teen years, Steve began his classical guitar studies under Steve Suvada at William Rainey Harper College. He went on for further study with Mark Maxwell at DePaul University (B.M.’91), and Anne Waller at Northwestern University (M.M.’94). He has played in Master classes for Sergio and Odair Assad, Oscar Ghiglia, Stepan Rak, Paul O’Dette, David Starobin, Dusan Bogdanovic and more. Steve was a 1996 Chicago Artists International Program award recipient. This allowed him to study with the groundbreaking, great Czech guitarist-composer Stepan Rak in Prague and Chicago. Steve has since performed throughout the Midwest and Chicago area with The Chicago Guitar Quartet, Chicago Guitar Camerata, Elgin Opera, Harper Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Español, Continental String Ensemble, Torosian-Vazquez Duo, Harper Guitar Legacy, and many other solo and chamber performances. Steve is on the faculty of William Rainey Harper College, where he teaches Guitar Studio, Class Guitar and is the Director of Guitar Ensembles. Many of his students have won awards in various competitions, including the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Competition, The Wilson Center Guitar Competition and Society of American Musicians competition. Many have been awarded generous scholarships and now have professional careers of their own.  Steve also maintains an exclusive, invite-only private studio.

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