Tidewater Classical Guitar - Artist Bios 2021

Artist Bios 2021 in Alphabetical Order

Anibal Acosta

Anibal Acosta has received degrees in classical guitar performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of South Carolina, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York. In 1987, he was awarded first prize at the Music Teachers National Association Student Composition Contest and the following year received a Rotary Foundation Scholarship to study classical guitar at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria. In 1995, he gave his New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Other awards include the Doctoral Guitar Fellowship and the Andrés Segovia Award from Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Manuel Barrueco, Christopher Berg and Konrad Ragossnig. From 1993 to 1998, he was a member of the music faculty at the Diller-Quaile School of Music and the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory in New York. In 1998, he moved to the Hampton Roads area in Virginia, where he currently teaches, writes and performs. In 2005 he became adjunct professor at Old Dominion University. His recordings include Sonnet (Lute and Vihuela Music from the Renaissance), Music from the Lower Tree-House Tavern (Baroque Music for Recorder and Guitar), and Thrum (Music for Recorder, Viola and Guitar). In 2009, his Serenata for Violin and Guitar was published by Clear Note Publications.

Manuel Barreuco

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Legendary guitarist Manuel Barrueco is internationally recognized as one of the most important guitarists of our time. His unique artistry has been continually described as that of a superb instrumentalist and a superior and elegant musician, possessing a seductive sound and uncommon lyrical gifts.

His career has been dedicated to bringing the guitar to the main musical centers of the world such as the Musikverein in Vienna, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Royal Albert Hall in London, Philharmonie in Berlin, Teatro Real in Madrid, and Palau de la Musica in Barcelona. He has completed a dozen tours of Japan and made repeated appearances in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China, and Hong Kong, and in Latin America he has performed in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Puerto Rico.

Barrueco's commitment to contemporary music and to the expansion of the guitar repertoire has led him to collaborations with many distinguished composers such as Steven Stucky, Michael Daugherty, Roberto Sierra, Arvo Pärt, Jonathan Leshnoff, Gabriela Lena Frank, Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky, and Toru Takemitsu.

Manuel Barrueco has appeared on a wide array of television programs including "CBS Sunday Morning," A&E's "Breakfast with the Arts," and "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" on PBS. He was featured in a Lexus car commercial, and his work in music inspired Michael Lawrence’s biographical documentary: “Manuel Barrueco: A Gift and a Life.”

Barrueco’s recording catalogue includes over a dozen recordings for the EMI label. His recording of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with conductor and tenor Plácido Domingo and the Philharmonia Orchestra was cited as the best recording of that piece in Classic CD Magazine.

In 2007 Manuel Barrueco received a Grammy nomination for the “Best Instrumental Soloist Performance” for his Solo Piazzolla, the first recording to be released on his exclusive Manuel Barrueco Collection on Tonar Music. Tango Sensations and Sounds of the Americas followed in collaboration with the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, the latter received a Latin Grammy Award for “Inca Dances” by Gabriela Lena Frank for “Best Classical Contemporary Composition.” Subsecuently he released, Tárrega! which received a Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Classical Album.” Medea was recorded with the Tenerife Symphony and Víctor Pablo Pérez conducting and includes Barrueco’s arrangement of the ballet by flamenco guitarist and composer Manolo Sanlúcar. It received a Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Classical Album.” China West, a recording of guitar trios with his protégés, the Beijing Guitar Duo came out in 2014 and his latest release is Fernando Sor: The Beethoven of the Guitar released in Dec. 2016.

Manuel Barrueco began playing the guitar at the age of eight in his native Cuba and he immigrated with his family to the United States in 1967 as political refugees. He completed his advanced studies at the Peabody Conservatory, where he now shares his love for music with a small number of exceptionally gifted young guitarists from all over the world.

In 2011, Manuel Barrueco received the United States Artist Fontanals Fellowship for Artistic Excellence.

Artist’s official website: Barrueco.com
Website for Recordings: TonarMusic.com
Facebook: Manuel Barrueco and TonarMusic
Twitter: @ManuelBarrueco and @TonarMusic
Instagram: @ManuelBarrueco

John Boyles

John Boyles is a versatile and accomplished guitarist, performing in many styles, and many venues. He has performed as a soloist and in various Chamber Ensembles throughout Virginia and Internationally. Mr. Boyles holds a Bachelor in Music Education in Music from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master’s in Guitar Performance from Norfolk State, and an Educational Specialist degree from George Washington University. John Boyles resides in Newport News with his family where is retired as long time Adjunct Professor for Guitar and Guitar Orchestra at Christopher Newport University and as the Program Administrator for the Center for Arts and Communication at Woodside High School.

Wayla Chambo

Wayla Chambo is a versatile, committed performer of both new music for flute and the traditional repertoire. She is Associate Artistic Director and flutist with the Norfolk Chamber Consort, and has also performed with the Virginia Symphony, Virginia Chorale, Virginia Children’s Chorus, Christopher Newport University Opera, Dallas Festival of Modern Music, Allen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Dallas Wind Symphony, among others. Wayla was Program Chair of the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention, serves on the Flute Society of Washington Board of Directors, and recently completed a term on the National Flute Association’s New Music Advisory Committee. Past appearances as a performer and clinician include the NFA and Mid-Atlantic Conventions as well as the Richmond Flute Fest, Hampton Roads Flute Faire, East Carolina University Flute Symposium, California St. University-Monterey Bay, University of California at Berkeley, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sweet Briar College, June in Buffalo Festival, Electroacoustic Barn Dance, and the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival. Wayla holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Bachelor of Music), CalArts (Master of Fine Arts), and the University of North Texas (Doctor of Musical Arts). She has served on the faculties of Eastern Mennonite University and Thomas Nelson Community College, and is currently a classical radio host and Assistant Program Director for 90.3 WHRO-FM.

Duo Thalassa

Duo Thalassa is a partnership between flutist Wayla Chambo and guitarist Todd Holcomb. Named for the Greek goddess who personifies the sea, the duo is based in Southeast Virginia, a region permeated by water in its many forms and moods. Duo Thalassa offers creative, engaging performances of a variety of repertoire including works by J. S. Bach, Ravi Shankar, Astor Piazzolla, Toru Takemitsu, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. The ensemble’s recent performance engagements include the Norfolk Chamber Consort, Williamsburg Presbyterian Open Door Concert Series, Virginia Wesleyan University Concert Series, the Tidewater Classical Guitar Concert Series, Coastal Virginia Chamber Music, and the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center’s Zelma G. Riven Summer Music Series.

Sam Dorsey

Sam Dorsey is Professor of Music at Norfolk State University. He has studied guitar with Jesus Silva, Michael Lorimer, and has attended Master Classes with Andrés Segovia. As a founder of Tidewater Classical Guitar, he has been a moving force in bringing to the Tidewater area artists of international acclaim. He has performed with the Virginia Symphony, Virginia Opera, Virginia Stage Company, and the Virginia Beach Symphony. Additionally, he is the founder of the Tidewater Guitar Orchestra. As a solo artist he has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Latin America. Mr. Dorsey has been heard in recital in the Teatro Nacional in San Jose, Costa Rica, and the Cento Nacional de las Artes in Mexico City, Mexico. Mr. Dorsey recently completed his Ph.D. in Musicology from the Catholic University of America where he was the recipient of the Paul Furfey Hanley Scholarship.

Ricardo Marlow

As a young child, Ricardo (Richard) Marlow was introduced to the guitar by his father, the eminent classical guitarist John E. Marlow. He went on to receive a degree from the James Madison School of Music (James Madison University) in 1997. Mr. Marlow subsequently took up the flamenco guitar and studied with master, Gerardo Núñez, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, and continues to do so yearly since 1999. In 1997 Mr. Marlow began playing professionally as a guitarist for the Arte Flamenco Dance Company featuring Silverio Heredia, Cuquito de Barbate and La Tasca Keka, among other guests from Spain, in venues such as The Kennedy Center’s Millenium Stage and the Baltimore Museum of Art, among others. He also worked with the Danza del Rio Dance Company and the Paco de Malaga and Anna Marinez Dance Company during this time.

Since 2003 Mr. Marlow has continued to fulfill an essential role in Edwin Aparicio’s productions such as “Bailes Inéditos”, “Encuentros”, “Intimo”, "Entresueños", “Flamenco/Flamenca”, “Flamenco Men”, “Al Andalus”, “One plus One”, and “Camino al Flamenco”, where he shared stages with Jesús Montoya, Alfonso Cid, Roberto Castellón, Pedro Cortes Jr., “La Truco”, Nelida Tirado, Carmela Greco, Sergio Aranda, Norberto Chamizo, Carlos Menchaca Juan Orozco “El Yiyi” and Amparo Heredia. One highlight was Edwin Aparicio’s 2008 work “Dos Mundos” at the Gala Hispanic Theatre, where he was fortunate to share the stage with world-renowned dancer “La Tati”, Jose Jimenez “El Bocadillo”, Antonio Jimenez “El Porras”, and Basillio Garcia Clavero, all from Madrid.

In 2005, Mr. Marlow performed at the 20th Mayor’s Art’s Awards at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and Manuel de Falla’s “El Amor Brujo”, with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore in Rockville and at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, MD. Mr. Marlow has toured with Louisville Flamenco in Kentucky, Indiana, and Nashville, TN various times since 2007. In 2009, the GSFA concert series in Pittsburgh, PA presented Mr. Marlow at Synod Hall with La Tania and Jesus Montoya. Also in 2009, Mr. Marlow performed “L.A. Olé!” for the “Flamenco Forever Series” at the Ford Amphitheatre, Hollywood CA, under the direction of Antonio Triana. He performed with Antonio Granjero, Roberto Amaral, Fanny Ara, El Yiyi, La Genoveva and others. In September 2011, Mr. Marlow was an integral part of the very large production “Semana Flamenka” in Irvine, CA Barclay Theatre directed by Yaelisa, sharing the stage with 12 masters of flamenco including Jason McGuire “El Rubio”, Chuscales, Pedro Cortes Jr, José Cortes, Jesus Montoya, Kina Mendez, Antonio de Jerez, Oscar Valero, Manuel de La Cruz, Maria Bermudez, and Nelida Tirado.

Mr. Marlow is a featured artist in the 2013 Flamenco documentary “Sobre las Olas” by Carolina Loyola-Garcia. In 2016 and 2017, Mr. Marlow was part of Jeffrey Eckstein's "Passion of Flamenco" along with Jose Luis de La Paz from Huelva, Spain, José Cortéz, Yiyi Francisco Orozco, Edwin Aparicio, and Jose Moreno. Since the release of his debut solo CD “Madera Sonora”, Mr. Marlow has appeared for solo recitals and teaching workshops/master classes at numerous venues including Cal State University (CSU) in Fresno, VCU in Richmond, Duquesne in Pittsburgh, Shenandoah Conservatory “Pavan Series” in VA, Academy Art Museum in Annapolis, MD.

Throughout his career as a Flamenco guitarist Mr. Marlow has often found himself either on stage or in the recording studio making interesting fusions with many important musicians of other genres, namely Charlie Byrd, Frank Vignola, Canut and Andre Reyes of the Gipsy Kings, Giovanni Hidalgo, Turkish pop star Ege, Jimmy Wilson, Gary and Greg Grainger, Meritxell Negre, Roya Bahrami, The Washington Ballet, Kivanç Oner, Duende Camaron, and many others.

His percussive style of playing is highly sought after by local flamenco artists. He can be seen playing almost nightly at numerous venues in the Washington, DC and Baltimore metropolitan areas such as Vinoteca, La Tasca, Greenhouse Bistro, Bar Vasquez, Taberna del Alabardero and Trattoria da Franco.

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Todd Holcomb

Todd Holcomb’s performances have been described as virtuoso and a force of nature. As a soloist and chamber musician he has been awarded top prizes in competitions including the East Carolina University International Guitar Competition, Mississippi International Guitar Competition, and J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition. He holds a Master’s Degree in Music Performance and Pedagogy from Peabody Conservatory, an Artist Diploma from Columbus State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Shenandoah Conservatory.

Todd is a dedicated music educator. He is currently a faculty member at Norfolk State University, Virginia Wesleyan University, and Christopher Newport University. Formerly, he has taught at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and the University of Southern Mississippi as a full-time teaching assistant. Also active as a performer, he regularly performs as a soloist and with flutist Wayla Chambo as Duo Thalassa. Recently, he has been featured in performance by the Norfolk Chamber Consort, the Open Door Concert Series, Coastal Virginia Chamber Music, Alvernia University, the Virginia Wesleyan Concert Series, the Virginia Symphony Chorus, and the Virginia Opera in their production of Il barbiere di Siviglia.

As the Executive Director of the nonprofit arts organization Tidewater Classical Guitar, Todd is dedicated to bringing guitar performance and education to the communities of Southeastern Virginia. He resides in Williamsburg, VA with his wife Cathy and son Ethan.

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Thomas Viloteau

French guitar phenomenon Dr. Thomas Viloteau is widely considered one of the most gifted classical guitarists today. His first concert was in his home country of France only a year after he began playing, in front of an audience of 200 people. Since that concert, Thomas has played in some of the best venues throughout the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, Taiwan and Puerto Rico.

Born into a family of fine arts enthusiasts, Dr. Viloteau took his first lesson at the age of twelve. Eight years later he won first prize at the Guitar Foundation of America Competition and subsequently spent a year concertizing in the United States. Other first prizes include the Francisco Tárrega competition in Spain, Mottola competition in Italy, Sernancelhe competition in Portugal, Ville d’Antony competition in France, and Segovia competition in Spain. Dr. Viloteau is the only guitarist to ever win the Arthur Foote Award from the Harvard Musical Association.

His book on guitar technique, ‘In the Black Box, Technique(s) of the Classical Guitar,’ has sold more than a thousand copies worldwide. He has been the Artist-in-Residence at the radio show Performance Today, broadcasting his playing performances to more than a million people across the USA. Dr. Viloteau has released recordings with Naxos, MelBay and La Ma de Guido. His two latest albums, ‘Dances Through the Centuries’ and ‘A Song and Dance’ released on Tigado, contain world premiere recordings of the Suite Brasileira 3, which was commissioned and dedicated to Dr. Thomas Viloteau, and of the Suite Brasileira 4, both by Sergio Assad.

Dr. Viloteau has lived in Barcelona, Paris, San Francisco, London, Arizona, Montréal and Rochester, NY. In 2019, he joined the guitar faculty at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

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