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Xavier Jara, 2016 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Contest winner, will perform at Pensacola State College on Friday, Feb. 9.
The American classical guitarist will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. in Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium, Building 8, on the Pensacola campus, 1000 College Blvd. Tickets are $11, adults; $9, seniors, non-PSC students and children; $7, PSC Seniors Club, PSC faculty and staff; and free for PSC students with current ID.
On Thursday, Feb. 8, Jara will hold an outreach concert for high school students at 11 a.m. in Ashmore Auditorium. And on Saturday, Feb. 10, he will hold a free master class from 1-4 p.m. in Ashmore Fine Arts Building, Room 857. The master class is open to the public.
A native of Minnesota, Jara was a student of Alan Johnston at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis until 2011 when he moved to Paris to study with Judicael Perroy.
He studied with Perroy for six years and during that time completed his bachelor’s degree at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris where he also studied with French guitarist, Olivier Chassain, and lute master, Eric Bellocq.
In 2014, he earned first place in a number of international competitions including the Viseu International Competition and the Boston Guitarfest. In 2015, he captured first at the Gargnano, Italy Competition and the Ciudad de Coria Competition.
In 2016, Jara won the Tokyo International Competition, and returned to the U.S. to win the prestigious GFA’s Rose Augustine Grand Prize.
Jara’s 2017-18 concert tour began in September where he was slated to perform more than 50 concerts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Guatemala and Panama, including an April 5 concert at Carnegie Hall.
Tickets for the Pensacola State concert can be purchased online at www.pensacolastate.edu/lyceum or at the Lyceum Box Office, Building 8, Room 861, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets also are available at the door, one hour before a performance.
For reservations or more information, call the Lyceum Box Office at 850-484-1847.