Semi-Finalists Announced for Wilson Center Guitar Competition

As part of an eclectic celebration of some of the world's best guitar players, 59 competitors have been selected as the semi-finalists in the third annual Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival (Guitar Competition & Festival) taking place Thursday, August 13, 2015, through Saturday, August 15, 2015, at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts (Wilson Center). An international, multi-genre festival that features four different competitions-Rock/Blues, Fingerstyle, Jazz, and Classical-the Guitar Competition & Festival is open to competitors of all ages and features $22,000 in prize money.

From the pool of YouTube and DVD applications received this spring, a jury of renowned artists from each genre selected the semi-finalists who will perform in the live semi-final round at the Wilson Center, located within Mitchell Park in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The number of competitors advancing to the final round will be determined by the semi-final round adjudicators. For each of the four genres, the first-place cash prize is $3,000; the second-place cash prize is $1,500; and the third-place cash prize is $1,000. First-place winners in each genre will also perform live on Saturday, August 15. Semi-final and final competition rounds, as well as master classes offered throughout the weekend, a stage featuring young, local guitarists, and access to vendor booths are free and open to the public. A complete schedule of Guitar Competition & Festival events is available at wilson-center.com/festival-activities-2015.

"In addition to the guest artists and guitar industry vendors on site, the educational elements of the Festival- masterclasses and clinics-are a significant element of the activities scheduled. While the semi-finalists are the only players who can perform in the masterclasses, the public is invited to attend, observe, and learn-free of charge," said Wilson Center President & CEO Jonathan Winkle. "This is a world-class educational opportunity for young players, amateurs, and guitar aficionados."

Rock/Blues semi-finalists include Robert Brandolino (Milwaukee, WI), Frank Cara (Salerno, Italy), Brandon Doherty (Menomonee Falls, WI), Noah Gershwin (Wyncote, PA), William Groff (Wausau, WI), Stephen Hull (Racine, WI), Mark Mendoza (Whitefish Bay, WI), Andre Reilly (Algonquin IL), Eric Ruiz (Oconomowoc, WI), Roger Schaumann (Paynesville, MN), Chris Schuck (Brookfield, WI), and Alex Patrick Wilson (Fairport, NY).

Fingerstyle semi-finalists include Ryan Ayers (Playa Del Rey, CA), Sam Balistreri (Milwaukee, WI), Adam Bjoraker (Milwaukee, WI), Brian Burke (Milwaukee, WI), Thomas Leland Cantwell (Nashville, TN), Rachael Carlson (Milwaukee, WI), David Duneman (Albuquerque, NM), Michael Fenner (Milwaukee, WI), Rick Flores (San Leandro, CA), Kevin Goodwin (Conway, AR), Tom Kraemer (Minneapolis, MN) Jetro Merilainen (Tampere, Finland), Casey Olson (Rio, WI), Nikola Stajic (Serbia/Somerville, MA), and Steven Weiner (West Lafayette, IN).

Jazz semi-finalists include Josh Berenzweig (Gaithersburg, MD), David Colon (Whittier, CA), Yoav Eshed (Israel/Boston, MA), Noah Gershwin (Wyncote, PA), Felix Lemerle (France/Brooklyn, NY), Danny Nagy (Clarksville, TN), Yoshie Nakagawa (Fukuoka-shi, Japan), Justin Poon (Boston, MA), Jordan Rattner (Brown Deer, WI), Matthew Rotker-Lynn (Milwaukee, WI), Victor San Pedro (North Hills, CA), Marcos Souza (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Nikola Stajic (Serbia/Somerville, MA), Alex Patrick Wilson (Fairport, NY), Hajime Yoshida (Japan/Astoria, NY).

Classical semi-finalists include Mark Akin (St Louis, MO), Ian Baker (Brentwood, TN), Chase Bernard (Minneapolis, MN), Roberto Borbone (San Francisco, CA), Nathan Bredeson (Shorewood, WI), Jack Cimo (Arlington Heights, IL), Isabel Diaz Bello (Milwaukee, WI), Erik Gibelyou (Madison, WI), Kevin Ginty (Tallahassee, FL), Samuel Hines (Long Beach, CA), Brandon Kempf (Milwaukee, WI), Minh Nguyen (Milwaukee, WI), John Oeth (Ridgeland, MS), Paulina Puljek (Croatia/Austin, TX), Jone Ruiz (Milwaukee, WI), Hector Alfonso Torres (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico), and Xiaoxuan Wu (Chicago, IL).

The festival weekend also includes three ticketed festival concerts, including Croatian virtuoso classical guitarist Ana Vidovic on Thursday, August 13, at 7:30pm; internationally renowned guitarist Troy Stetina and American jazz guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg on Friday, August 14, at 7:30pm; and fingerstyle legend Leo Kottke with special guest, Canada-based guitarist Antoine Dufour on Saturday, August 15, at 7:00pm. Tickets range from $23-$70, including a $2/ticket facility fee and Wisconsin State sales tax, and may be purchased online at www.wilson-center.com/performances-2015 or through the Wilson Center Box Office at 262-781-9520.

"We know the festival headliners will be amazing. Stetina, Kreisberg, Vidovic, Dufour, and Kottke are each significant, even seminal players within their respective genres, but I am also incredibly excited about the guitarists who have made it to the live semi-final round of the competition," said Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival Manager Don Sipe. "This year's crop of talent is the most impressive that we've seen, and audiences who take advantage of the free admission to the semi and final rounds of the competition are in for a treat."

The 2015 Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival is sponsored by Cascio Interstate Music, Enterforce, TravelWisconsin.com, the Wilson Family Foundation, Krause Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, The Les Paul Foundation, and D'Addario Foundation (in-kind sponsor). Visit Brookfield is the 2015 Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival Tourism Partner. For more information, visit wilson-center.com/guitar-competition-festival.