Concerto Competitions are an opportunity for students to showcase their abilities and win the opportunity to perform with the SFCM Orchestra conducted by Edwin Outwater. 

Program

Joaquín Rodrigo: Concerto de Aranjuez
     I. Allegro con spirito
     II. Adagio
     III. Allegro gentile
Eduard Hrmushyan, guitar
Tim Bach, piano

Joaquín Rodrigo: Fantasía para un gentilhombre
     I. Villano y ricercar(1901–1999)
    II. Españoleta y Fanfarria de la Caballería de Nápoles
    III. Danza de las Hachas
    IV. Canario
Samuel Liang, guitar
Amanda Reyes, piano

Mauro Giuliani: Concerto No. 1 in A Major, Op. 30
       I. Allegro maestoso
      II. Andantino. Siciliana
      III. Allegretto. Alla Polacca
Guoyu Yang, guitar
Wenji Hu, piano

Judge Profiles

George Sakellariou began playing the guitar at an early age in Athens, Greece. His first teacher was his brother, a talented composer of popular music. Sakellariou received his formal training from the Conservatoire of Music in Athens. After graduating with honors, he was invited to further his studies with the renowned guitarist Segovia when the great master heard him play.
Upon completion of his studies at the age of twenty, Sakellariou joined the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he became chairman of the Guitar Department. There he taught his style of playing, with emphasis on clear tone and smooth lyrical lines, combined with a precise, strong sense of rhythm.
Mr. Sakellariou has performed around the world in concert halls from the Kennedy Center, and other major halls in the United States, to Singapore, Hong Kong, Turkey, Heidelberg, Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Montevideo, Toronto, Calgary, Taipei, Osaka, and others. At the Toronto Festival he performed the Leo Brouwer Guitar Concerto for the guitar and orchestra with Leo Brouwer conducting. This performance was considered an incredible feat because he replaced guitarist John Williams on short notice. He has made many radio and television appearances including BBC, PBS and Radio France. Several extensive and impressive articles about Mr. Sakellariou have been published in internationally renowned Guitar Player magazine.

Christopher Mallett began playing guitar at the age of 13. With the guidance of guitarists Fred Benedetti and George Svoboda, he began his studies in classical guitar. Since then, he has earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he studied with Stephen Aron and a Master’s Degree from the Yale University School of Music under the guidance of Benjamin Verdery on a full–tuition scholarship.
Christopher has played in some of America’s finest concert halls including, the 92nd St. Y in New York, Raitt Recital Hall at Pepperdine, Sprague Hall at Yale, Kulas Hall at Oberlin and at the NYC Times Center as part of a fundraiser for the Macdowell Colony. He has performed as a soloist with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Robert Boudreau, the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra and performed with the New Britain Symphony under the baton of the Maestro Jesse Levine. He has also performed in master classes with many of the world’s leading artists including Christopher Parkening, David Russell, Dusan Bogdanovic, The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Seymour Bernstein and Ricardo Cobo.
 

Born in Novosibirsk, Russia and raised in Israel, Classical guitarist Yuri Liberzon has been recognized for his impressive technical ability and musicality. Based on his achievements in the music field United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has granted Yuri Liberzon ‘Alien of Extraordinary Ability’ United States Permanent Residency.
Mr. Liberzon has given countless number of concerts across the United States. Notable concerts venues include: 92nd Street Y in New York, Florida State University, Oregon State University, Santa Clara University, Marlow Guitar Series in Maryland, Murov Music College in Novosibirsk, Russia; Legion of Honor in San Francisco, Lesher Center in Walnut Creek, and many guitar societies. Mr. Liberzon has collaborated and performed in concerts with many renown musicians including guitarists Grisha Goryachev, Patrick O’Connell, Piotr Pakhomkin and flutist Josué Casillas. Orchestra performances with Diablo Symphony Orchestra and Tahoe Symphony Orchestra. Chamber music with Gold Coast Chamber Players, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra and Quartet San Francisco.
Media appearances include: Capital Public Radio of Sacramento, Classical Guitar Magazine, Kol HaMusica (National Classical Music Radio Station of the Israel Broadcasting Authority), KUHF (NPR Houston), KUSF San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle, Soundboard Magazine and WDR German Television Network.
Mr. Liberzon has released three albums in collaboration with Grammy winning sound engineer and producer Nahuel Bronzini: ‘Ascension’, 2015; ‘¡Acentuado!’ (Soundset Recordings), 2017 and ‘3 Violin Sonatas by J.S. Bach’, 2020 (Laudable Records). In August 2022, Yuri will release an album of music by Konstantin Vassiliev on the under guitar worksseries of the Naxos label. This will be 70 minutes of music including world premieres commissioned by Mr. Liberzon.
Mr. Liberzon has transcribed music of Domenico Scarlatti and Johann Sebastian Bach for guitar. His transcriptions have been published in SoundBoard magazine and are distributed in Europe by Bergmann Edition.
Mr. Liberzon is an avid teacher. He has prepared students admitted into some of the most prestigious music schools: Juilliard Pre-College, Peabody Conservatory and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Mr. Liberzon has been a judge at numerous music competitions such as Beatty Classical Guitar Competition, Junior Bach Festival, Sierra Nevada Classical Guitar Competition and San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition. He has given masterclasses at Florida State University, Katy Guitar Guild, Murov Music College in Novosibirsk, Russia and Portland State University.
While in Israel, Mr. Liberzon studied with Maestro Yaron Hasson for 6 years. During that period Mr. Liberzon has been a multiple time recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships and grants. In year 2000, Mr. Liberzon came to the United States to study at the Peabody Conservatory with world renown guitarist Manuel Barrueco. Mr. Liberzon has received Bachelor of Music degree and Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory as well as Master of Music degree from Yale University. He was awarded full scholarships from both Peabody and Yale where he studied with two of the world leading guitar masters: Manuel Barrueco and Benjamin Verdery.
Mr. Liberzon plays on guitars by Gil Carnal and Robert Ruck with Royal Classics strings.