“Eclectic and International”
The Long Island Guitar Festival
Welcome to the Long Island Guitar Festival
The Long Island Guitar Festival is an annual international festival with a thirty-year history of showcasing top performers and educators in the guitar world. The festival has established a continuing commitment to reach out to the artistic community and continue an established tradition of excellence in guitar performance and pedagogy. To date, scheduled performers include Raphaella Smits, Hao Yang, Jérémy Jouve, Kithara Duo, Mela Guitar Quartet, Harris Becker & Friends, James Erickson, Laura Lessard, and Nathan Park the winner of the 2024 LIGF High School Classical Guitar Competition.
Scheduled ensembles include the NJMEA HS Honors Guitar Orchestra, the New Jersey Guitar Orchestra, the New York City Guitar Orchestra and the James Madison HS Guitar Ensemble.The 2025 Guitar Festival is presented in partnership with the Setauket Presbyterian Church and the Oberon Foundation.
Concerts
The Long Island Guitar Festival presents concerts, by the world's most outstanding guitarists and teachers. Special concerts have included the "Legacy of Segovia" with Segovia protégé Michael Lorimer, the U.S. debut of renowned guitarist/composer Carlo Domeniconi and U.K. guitarist/composer Laura Snowden, LIU Post alumni concerts, Emerging Artists Concert Series, and new music concerts including over forty world premieres.
Master Classes
The Long Island Guitar Festival presents master classes and workshops by the world's most outstanding guitarists and teachers. Workshops have included Computer Music Notation for Guitarists, Composers and Arrangers, High School Guitar Ensemble Workshops, 19th Century Performance Practices, Fingerboard Harmony, and Chamber Music Workshops.
Ensemble Showcase
As part of a continued commitment to excellence in guitar performance and pedagogy, throughout our history the Long Island Guitar Festival has featured high school and guitar society guitar ensembles in our Ensemble Showcases. The purpose of these showcases has been to give guitarists of all ages the opportunity to perform as well as take advantage of the learning opportunities the festival has to offer. Through the years these showcases have featured ensembles representing high schools and guitar societies from the tri-state area and other states including Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.
National High School Classical Guitar Competition is open to residents of all 50 states who are attending and matriculated in a public or private high school in the above states through the date of the competition finals.
