Skaneateles Library
49 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Born in Columbus, GA, Michael Hardy became the first person to graduate with a degree in guitar performance from Columbus State University. He earned his Master of Music degree from The University of Texas and a Graduate Performance Diploma from The Peabody Conservatory. Michael was awarded his Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester. In addition to being a student of outstanding musicians such as Julian Gray, Adam Holzman, Nicholas Goluses, and Andrew Zohn, he has performed in masterclasses with internationally recognized guitarists such as David Russell, Manuel Barrueco, the members of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Soloduo.

Michael has performed successfully in many competitions and festivals. He was a top prize winner in the 2000 Columbus State University Guitar Competition and the 2006 East Carolina University Competition. An avid supporter of new music, Michael has premiered new works with the Texas Guitar Quartet and the Texas New Music Ensemble. He has also actively volunteered for Creative Access, the Peabody Conservatory's outreach program. An explorer of new music and new audiences, Michael works to be at the forefront of the path of the guitar in the 21st century and was a founder of the Great Lakes Guitar Society.

Skaneateles Library
49 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Ben Ellis programs recitals that explore all the unexpected corners of the guitar repertoire. Programing and pairing works from 18th to the 21st century, Ellis finds the surprising threads that connect contrasting works. His programs have included pairing transcriptions of violin music by Ysaye and Bach as well as the standard "When You Wish Upon A Star" arranged by Chet Atkins paired with an homage to Walt Disney by contemporary composer Darragh O'Neil. His performance credits include solo recitals for the Great Lakes Guitar Society, the Skaneateles Library Concert Series, and the Classical Guitar Society of Upstate NY.

Fascinated with reaching out to new audiences, Ellis also curates special programs that pair music with art, wine, dance, and historical events. Ben has presented these custom designed events at venues such as the The Smith Opera House in Geneva, Shelter Studios in NYC, and the historic Barnes Mansion in Syracuse. Most recently, Ellis presented arrangements of rock and roll songs for the classical guitar at The Principle Art Gallery in Charleston, SC. The musical selections highlighted the galleries exhibit of behind the scenes photos of notorious rock musicians.

Ben is currently working on several chamber music projects including the LaLena-Ellis Guitar Duo and the New York Guitar Quartet. The NYGQ will soon be releasing a world premiere recording of a new work by composer John Anthony Lennon. Other projects include a collaboration with composer Chris Chresswell on a new composition with live electronics and looped samples.

Ellis holds a master's degree from Syracuse University and a bachelor's degree from SUNY Fredonia. He currently resides in Syracuse, where he maintains a large teaching studio. An active freelancer, Ben has also performed with the Syracuse Symphony and the Syracuse Opera.

Skaneateles Library
49 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Nicholas Goluses is Professor of Guitar, founder, and director of the guitar programs at the Eastman School of Music, where he is the recipient of the Eisenhart Award for Excellence in Teaching. Additionally, he was the inaugural Andrés Segovia Professor at Manhattan School of Music where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree and was the recipient of the Pablo Casals Award for Musical Accomplishment and Human Endeavor, the Faculty Award of Distinguished Merit and the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award. His students have won major competitions and professorships throughout the world. He is a Fulbright International Specialist Professor and serves as the external examiner for doctoral dissertations throughout the British Isles.

Nicholas Goluses's concert tours as soloist, with orchestra, and as chamber musician have taken him across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and the Far East to critical acclaim. He has recorded extensively for NAXOS, Albany Records, BMG, and Linn Records. Committed to performing new music for the guitar, Goluses has given world première performances of over 100 works. His 2023 season was highlighted by a performance of a new concerto by Stephen Goss in Glasgow, Scotland and a Fulbright Residency in Tolima, Colombia.

Skaneateles Library
49 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Tom Torrisi is a classical guitarist, composer, and arranger currently working and residing in Buffalo. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the Eastman School of Music. Active as both soloist and chamber musician, Tom has been heard performing throughout the United States and in the UK and has been featured on WNED, WXXI, WRUR, and BBC radio. He has received top honors in numerous competitions including the APSU Concerto Competition, the Memphis University International Guitar Competition and the Southern Guitar Festival Competition.

Tom is a passionate advocate for new music and frequently collaborates with composers premiering pieces by Rachel DeVore Fogarty, Gerald Garcia, Edgar Girtain, Evan Henry, Arthur Keegan-Bole, Timothy Lee Miller, Robert Morris, and Zack Pentecost among others and has performed at 21st Century Guitar Festival, Black House Collective, June in Buffalo, Mostly Modern Festival, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, and zFestival.

As a composer Tom draws on his diverse and eclectic performance background and one can hear traces of influences as wide-ranging as French impressionism, Balinese gamelan, American minimalism, and heavy metal. In addition to the guitar, Tom is a passionate explorer of non-Western musical styles and currently teaches and performs with Nusantara Arts' Balinese gamelan ensembles, and has previously performed with Gamelan Sanjiwani and Gamelan Lila Muni in Rochester.