Denver Guitar Festival & Competition

Friday, Saturday & Sunday – September 5–7, 2025

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Welcome to the sixth annual Denver Guitar Festival & Competition at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver. This three-day celebration of the classical guitar includes guest recitals, lectures, master classes as well as the Josefina P. Tuason International Guitar Competition and Undergraduate & Youth Competitions, totaling over $8000 in prize money.

We hope you can join us in what promises to be an exciting weekend of guitar events!

Laura Husbands, Artistic Director

Registration & Ticketing coming soon!

 

Josefina P. Tuason International Guitar Competition

First prize $2500
Second prize $1500
Third prize $750
Fourth prize $500

* $300 cash audience prize

Undergraduate Competition

First prize $1000
Second prize $500
Third prize $300
Fourth prize $200

Youth Competition

First prize $500
Second prize $300
Third prize $150
Fourth prize $50

Contact

Questions? 
Please contact Laura Husbands, Artist Director at laura.husbands@du.edu

All events will take place in the Robert & Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts, on the University of Denver campus.
2344 East Iliff Avenue
Denver, CO 80210

For questions about the guitar program at DU Lamont, please contact Jonathan Leathwood, Chair of Guitar and Harp at Jonathan.Leathwood@du.edu

  • Schedule

    All events will take place in the Robert & Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts, on the University of Denver campus.
    2344 East Iliff Avenue
    Denver, CO 80210

    Festival schedule

    Friday, September 5

    9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Registration & Check-In
    Joy Burns Plaza

    10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Preliminary Round - Josefina P Tuason International Competition
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    Closed to public

    10:00 a.m. Adam Moore Guitars
    Room 209

    2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m, Preliminary Round (continued)
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    Closed to public

    7:30 p.m. Guest Artist Recital: Petra Poláčková
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    $15, plus $3 fee to purchase online


    Saturday, September 6

    10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Jonathan Leathwood Masterclass
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    Open to the public

    10:00 a.m. Adam Moore Guitars
    Room 209

    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Semifinal Round - Josefina P Tuason International Competition
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    Open to the public

    3:00 p.m.  Undergraduate Competition Check-In
    Joy Burns Plaza

    4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Undergraduate Competition Preliminary Round
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    Open to the public

    7:30 p.m. Guest Artist Recital: Leonela Alejandro 
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    $15, plus $3 fee to purchase online


    Sunday, September 7

    10:00 a.m.  Jonathan Leathwood lecture: "Perceiving and Shaping Harmony: A Practical Talk for Guitarists"
    Williams Recital Salon
    Open to the public

    10:00 a.m. Youth Competition Check-in
    Joy Burns Plaza

    10:00 a.m. Adam Moore Guitars
    Room 209

    11:00 a.m. Youth Competition
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    Open to the public

    1:00 p.m. Undergraduate Competition Final Round
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    Open to the public

    2:00 p.m. Undergraduate and Youth Competitions Awards Ceremony
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    Open to the public

    3.30 p.m. - 5.30 p.m. Masterclass: Petra Poláčková
    Hamilton Recital Hall
    Open to the public

    3.30 p.m. - 5.30 p.m. Masterclass: Leonela Alejandro 
    Williams Recital Salon
    Open to the public

    7:30 p.m. Final Round - Josefina P. Tuason International Competition
    Hamilton Recital Hall
     $15, plus $3 fee to purchase online

    9:30 p.m. Awards Ceremony

     

     

  • Josefina P. Tuason International Guitar Competition

    Competition Rules

    JOSEFINA P. TUASON INTERNATIONAL
    GUITAR COMPETITION

    The Josefina P. Tuason International Guitar Competition is open to classical guitarist regardless of nationality and age.

    Preliminary Round: 7 minutes
    Semi final Round: 10 minutes
    Final round: 20 minutes

    Free-choice programs for all rounds. Competitors may repeat repertoire without penalty. It is expected that repertoire will fit the time limit of each round. Should competitors exceed the time limit, they will be asked to stop playing with no penalty. Up to 12 competitors will be chosen for the semi final round, and 4 for the final round. All competitors will be provided an individual practice room for 1 hour before their performance time. The Preliminary and Semi final round will be judged blindly.

    All decisions by the judges are final. Guitar professors teaching at the Lamont School of Music will NOT be taking part in any judging of the Solo Artist Competition.

    Judges 
    To be announced.

    First prize $2500
    Second prize $1500
    Third prize $750
    Fourth prize $500

    All prizes subject to mandatory 30 percent federal tax withholding for foreign prize-winners; US prize-winners will be issued an IRS-1099 Form. By submitting an application to this competition, participants agree to terms allowing the University of Denver to use audio, recording and photo during the competition.

    Previous first prize winners are not eligible to compete. 

    Competition Registration - coming soon
     

  • Undergraduate Competition

    UNDERGRADUATE COMPETITION

    The Undergraduate Competition is open to all classical guitarists ages 18-22 as of September 6, 2025.
    The Undergraduate Competition will be held in two rounds. Free choice program for all rounds.

    Preliminary round 7 minutes.
    Final round 10 minutes.

    Free-choice program for both rounds. Competitors may repeat repertoire without penalty. It is expected that repertoire will fit time limit of each round. Should competitors exceed the time limit, they will be asked to stop playing with no penalty.

    First Prize - $1000
    Second prize - $500
    Third prize - $300
    Fourth prize- $200

    All decisions by the judges are final.

    Judges for the Youth Competition 
    Laura Husbands
    Jonathan Leathwood

    Previous first prize winners are not eligible to compete. 

    Competition Registration - coming soon
     

  • Youth Competition

    YOUTH COMPETITION

    The Youth Competition is open to all classical guitarists 18 years and under as of September 6, 2025.

    One round: 7 minutes time limit 

    Free-choice program. It is expected that repertoire will fit the time limit. Should competitors exceed the time limit, they will be asked to stop playing with no penalty.

    First Prize - $500
    Second prize - $300
    Third prize - $150
    Fourth prize- $50

    Additionally, all winners are guaranteed admission to the Lamont School of Music* and a minimum scholarship award: 

    First prize = $30,000
    Second prize = $25,000
    Third prize = $20,000
    Fourth prize = $15,000

    *Admission and scholarships are guaranteed provided all the standards for admission into the University of Denver have been met. If the winner is not a senior in high school, admission and scholarship will be awarded upon graduation. Prize winners may elect to submit more recent audition recordings at the time of admission for additional scholarship consideration. 

    All decisions by the judges are final.

    Judges for the Youth Competition 
    Laura Husbands
    Jonathan Leathwood

    Previous first prize winners are not eligible to compete. 

    Competition Registration - coming soon
     

  • Guest Artists

    Leonela Alejandro

    Leonela Alejandro

    Leonela Alejandro is an award-winning classical guitarist from San Juan, Puerto Rico. She has garnered attention as a soloist, captivating audiences with her powerful and energetic performance style. She has been invited to perform in numerous venues in the United States and Europe, including the Latino Arts Guitar Festival, Northern Illinois University International Guitar Concert Series, Southern Guitar Festival, Florida Guitar Festival, and José Tomás Villa de Petrer Guitar Festival.

    Leonela has also placed in over a dozen competitions in the United States, with more than ten first-prize placements including the Guitar Foundation of America International Artist Competition, Louisville Guitar Festival, Appalachian State Guitar Festival, Columbus State University Guitar Symposium, Indiana Guitar Festival, and Chicago Guitar Festival, among others. She has also succeeded abroad as an international competitor, receiving prizes from the Le Domaine Forget de Charlevoix Guitar Competition, Ciudad de Coria International Guitar Competition, and the Iserlohn International Guitar Competition.

    Leonela formally began her musical education when she was seven years old. Following her work with various Puerto Rican teachers including Jomel Rivera, Julio Reyes, and Rey Nieves, she decided to dedicate her professional life to this passion. In 2016, she was accepted into the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico at just 16 years old, studying with world-renowned performer Iván Rijos. After two fruitful years in the conservatory, she transferred to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and completed her undergraduate degree with Cuban virtuoso René Izquierdo in 2020. Leonela recently completed her graduate studies with Dr. Andrew Zohn at Columbus State University in 2023.

    Apart from her celebrated resume in competition settings, Leonela has established herself as a soloist in orchestral settings. She has performed multiple concerti with the Puerto Rico Symphony under the direction of Roselin Pabón including Antonio Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto in D major, RV 93, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Guitar Concerto No.1 in D Major, Op.99. She was the soloist in the recent premiere of Atanas Ourkouzounov’s Concertino for Guitar, Percussion and Strings under the direction of Paul Hostetter. She also has appeared as a solo mandolinist with the Schwob School of Music Wind Ensemble as a soloist in Ottorino Respighi’s Roman Festivals under the direction of Jamie L. Nix.

    Leonela is an Augustine Strings Ambassador and her string of choice are Paragon Reds. She performs on a 2019 Stephan Connor guitar and a 2023 Martin Blackwell guitar.

    Instagram @Leonelaguitar

     

    Petra Poláčková

    Petra Poláčková

    A musician's musician, Petra Poláčková began her guitar studies at the age of six at the Elementary Art School in Roznov pod Radhostem where she worked with Mr. Bohuslav Faltus and Mrs. Miroslava Pavelkova. She also studied with Zdenek Dvorak at the Elementary Art School Lounskych in Prague. In 2004 she graduated from an 8 year high school in Roznov pod Radhostem. In 2010 she completed her studies at the School of Music in Pardubice (Czech Republic) with Prof. Petr Saidl. She obtained her Bachelor and Master Degrees with Prof. Paolo Pegoraro at Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz. Between 2018 and 2024, she led a guitar class at both the Franz Schubert Music School and the Johann-Joseph-Fux Conservatory in Graz, Austria.

    In addition to her degree studies, Petra Poláčková has participated in an impressive number of master classes throughout Europe presented by internationally acclaimed classical guitarists and musicians: Giampaolo Bandini, Leo Brouwer, Zoran Dukic, Massimo Felici, Hubert Käppel, Rolf Lislevand, Pablo Márquez, Lorenzo Micheli, Nigel North, Thomas Offermann, Stefano Palamidessi, Elena Papandreou, Paolo Pegoraro, Thomas Müller-Pering, Judicael Perroy, Pavel Steidl, Alexander Swete, Jens Wagner, Brigitte Zaczek, Piotr Zaleski and others. In 2011 she received the Merit Diploma at the Chigiana Academy of Siena in Maestro Oscar Ghiglia´s Class.

    As a result of her extraordinary musicianship, consummate virtuosity, and numerous first place prizes, she has been invited to perform and lead masterclasses at many prestigious European and also non-European guitar festivals, such as Bonn, Darmstadt, Bremen, Hamburg, Vienna, Rust, Prague, Mikulov, Kutna Hora, Tychy, Wroclaw, Poznan, Bratislava, Pordenone, Milano, Paris, Budapest, Balaton, Bar, Pristina, Braga, Madrid, Aalborg, Valdres, Turku, Helsinki, Genéve, Luzern, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Cleveland, Fullerton (GFA), Paracho, Culiacan, Frutillar, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane (Australian Tour in 2023) and others.

    In June 2020, she released her debut CD WEISS, featuring works by the German lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss, recorded on a 9-string romantic guitar. In April 2025, her second CD J. K. Mertz will be released by Bridge Records, produced by David Starobin. Both CDs reflect her passion for the repertoire of the Baroque and Romantic eras.

    Currently she is teaching in Germany at the Hochschule Franz Liszt in Weimar and the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg. 

    Petra Poláčková performs on a historical guitar by Domingo Esteso (1923; a courtesy of M°Gabriele Lodi), classical guitar made by Martin Šuk (Esteso copies) and a 9-string romantic guitar made by Jan Tuláček (2014).

  • Applications & Competition Registration

    Festival Passes (Admission to all ticketed events):

    Once competitors have paid their registration fee they will be emailed an application form. This may take up to one business day.

  • Places to Stay Near DU

    Information & reservations for hotels near the University of Denver.