About
The Shenandoah Guitar Festival is a gathering of students, enthusiasts, and professionals in a celebration of the art of the guitar on the campus of Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.
The festival is open to students, amateurs, fans, and professionals of any age and experience level. Anyone who is interested in and passionate about the guitar is welcome to join us!
All masterclasses and workshops are open to the public, free of charge. Individual tickets to the evening concerts are also available for sale to those not registered as full participants in the festival.
Event Highlights
Full participants in the festival will have the opportunity to perform in the Festival Guitar Orchestra, led by Nicoletta Todesco (director of the New York City Guitar Orchestra); participate in special workshops; and (by audition) play in masterclasses for Shenandoah Guitar Festival artist-faculty.
Registration as a festival participant also includes admission to all festival concerts and events.
Festival Director
Colin Davin
Director of Guitar Studio
Associate Professor of Guitar
Shenandoah Conservatory
colin.davin@391774.com
Guest Artists
Sharon Isbin
Guest Artist
Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, multiple GRAMMY Award winner Sharon Isbin was named Musical America Worldwide’s 2020 Instrumentalist of the Year, the first guitarist ever to receive the coveted honor in their 59-year award history.
Rafael Padrón
Guest Artist
Cuban born guitarist, Rafael Padron, began studying the guitar at the age of eleven. Padron has won top prizes in many national and international competitions. Currently, he is the chair of the guitar program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Jocelyn Gould
Guest Artist
021 JUNO Award winner Jocelyn Gould has been called “a leader in the next generation of great mainstream jazz guitarists” by Howard Paul, CEO of Benedetto Guitars. Her joyful energy has captivated audiences around the world and her passion for music is as infectious as her unique ability to connect with audiences.
ArcoStrum
Guest Artists
Lauded as a winner – and Audience Prize recipient – of the 2023 Concert Artists Guild (CAG) Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York and the first-ever violin-guitar duo to win the competition in its 70+ year history, ArcoStrum consists of three-time international first prize-winning violinist Strauss Shi and TY Zhang, the Grand Prize winner of the Guitar Foundation of America-International Concert Artist Competition (GFA-ICAC).
Nicoletta Todesco
Guitar Orchestra Director
Nicoletta Todesco is a Brooklyn-based guitarist and composer, known for including singing in her concerts for guitar. She has a reputation as an eclectic and versatile performer. Her concerts can range from early music to original compositions and arrangements, pieces for voice and guitar as well as for electric guitar.
Schedule of Events
Friday, June 27, 2025
| Time | Event | Location |
| 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Registration/Check-in | Armstrong Hall Lobby |
| 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. | Welcome Lunch | |
| 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. | Ensemble Rehesaral | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Dinner (on your own) | |
| 7 p.m. | Concert (Sharon Isbin with Colin Davin) | Armstrong Concert Hall |
Saturday, June 28, 2025
| Time | Event | Location |
| 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Ensemble Rehearsal | Goodson Chapel – Recital Hall |
| 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Workshop (Colin Davin) | Armstrong Hall, Room 39 |
| 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) | |
| 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Masterclass (Sharon Isbin) | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 4 p.m. | Concert (Rafael Padrón + Jocelyn Gould) | Goodson Chapel – Recital Hall |
| 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Dinner (on your own) | |
| 7 p.m. | Concert (ArcoStrum) | Goodson Chapel – Recital Hall |
Sunday, June 29, 2025
| Time | Event | Location |
| 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Workshop (Jocelyn Gould) | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 11:10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. | Large Ensemble Rehearsal | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) | |
| 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Masterclass (TY Zhang) | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 4 p.m. | Student Showcase Concert | Goodson Chapel – Recital Hall |
| 6 p.m. | Farewell Party |
Schedule is subject to change.
Lodging Information
Shenandoah University (SU) is located near several area hotels that frequently welcome visitors from around the world for events on SU’s main campus.
Travel to Shenandoah University
Shenandoah University (SU) is located in historic Winchester, Virginia. Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) is the nearest major airport offering commercial flights to our area, and is about a one hour drive from campus.
Contact Us
Questions? Email Director of the Guitar Studio and Associate Professor of Guitar Colin Davin at colin.davin@391774.com for more information.
