SFCM student playing Guitar
  1. Areas of Study
  2. Guitar

Six strings of artistry

Study in San Francisco—a hotbed for classical guitar.

Spearheaded by an all-star faculty with top-level expertise ranging from early music to cutting-edge modern work, SFCM’s guitar program honors the historic tradition of classical guitar while cultivating innovation.

Study with guitar titans and get to learn on vintage classical and flamenco guitars donated to SFCM by L. John Harris. The first musician in our recently acquired Opus 3 Artists to join the SFCM faculty is Sérgio Assad, who teaches online classes throughout the year and leads a two-week residency each semester with a focus on performance, composition, and arranging for guitar.

Put your skills into practice thanks to numerous performance opportunities within the Conservatory in weekly ensemble classes, cross-departmental projects, department recitals, and master classes, as well as gigging around the Bay Area.

SFCM produces some of the top guitarists in the world, including winners of the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition and Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition. Graduates perform and hold teaching positions internationally.

Guitar - Faculty
Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall

Master the Guitar with meng Su

Sit in on a lesson with Guitar faculty Meng Su!

 

SFCM and Opus 3 alliance
SFCM changed global music education in 2020 by acquiring management company Opus3 Artists, home to over 250 top musicians. Masterclasses, recording sessions, and side-by-sides with members of the Opus 3 roster are only the beginning of our work together to invent the future of performances.
Inside SFCM 50 Oak

Visiting the Campus

We're waiting to show you around.

We look forward to your visit! Contact the Office of Admissions to take a tour of our facilities. You can also contact the guitar faculty directly to arrange a consultative lesson.

Students in classroom

AUDIT A CLASS

Get a feel for the curriculum.

We've saved a seat for you. During your visit to SFCM, sit in on a class or two and see what it's like to be a student at the Conservatory.

Harris Guitar Collection

View and play over two dozen historic instruments.

Didier Nicolas la Aine

1815 (circa), Mirecourt

René Lacote

1830, Paris

Louis Panormo

1837, London

Juan Perfumo

1839, Cadiz

Manuel Gutierrez

1846, Seville

Manuel de Soto y Solares

1876, Seville

Antonio de Torres

1878, Almeria

Antonio de Torres

1888, Almeria

José Ramirez I

1901, Madrid

Vicente Arias

1910, Madrid

Manuel Ramirez

1912, Madrid

Enrique Garcia

1915, Barcelona

Benito Ferrer

1917, Granada

Francisco Simplicio

1929, Barcelona

Domingo Esteso

1930, Madrid

Santos Hernández

1930, Madrid

Marcelo Barbero

1948, Madrid

Hermann Hauser I

1948, Reisbach

José Ramirez III

1961, Madrid

Robert Bouchet

1961, Paris

Arcángel Fernández

1962, Madrid

Ignacio Fleta

1965, Barcelona

David “Jose” Rubio

1965, New York

Hermann Hauser II

1967, Reisbach

Manuel de la Chica

1968, Granada

Hernández y Aguado

1969, Madrid

Manuel Contreras/Miguel Rodriguez

1971, Madrid/Cordoba

José Ramirez III

1972, Madrid

Masaru Kohno

1976, Tokyo

Miguel Rodriguez

1984, Cordoba

José Romanillos

1987, Semley

Miguel Rodriguez

1994, Cordoba

Daniel Friederich

2000, Paris

guitarist being conducted in a guitar ensemble

DEGREES AND PROGRAMS

Qualify yourself for the future.

Detailed curricula are available for all guitar music degrees at SFCM.

guitarists smiling in guitar ensemble

ENSEMBLES

Perform with your peers.

Performance opportunities abound at SFCM. Guitar is part of many ensembles, including the New Music Ensemble, historical performance ensembles, and chamber groups of various sizes and instrumentations.

SFCM Student playing guitar