BRIAN ROBERTS is a classical guitarist, composer and arranger based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who's been teaching and performing for over 50 years. Some of his most important influences come from playing cello with the Grand Rapids Symphony, and from the many hours of listening to concerts and musical gatherings in Vienna, Austria, while studying music and classical guitar performance at UNIVERSITÄT FÜR MUSIK UND DARSTELLENDE KUNST WIEN.  

His playing has drawn such comments as "Spontaneous and Alive" from the famed author and music critic, Hans Keller in London, England and "Elegant and Musical" from the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL. 

Brian, now retired, has welcomed students from throughout Metro Detroit, Southeast Michigan, and Northwest Ohio into his PRIVATE STUDIO in Ann Arbor and has taught guitar performance at Wayne State University, and classes at the University of Michigan-Dearborn for many years, as well as founding the classical guitar department at the Grand Rapids Community College in 1972. Brian is known for his mentoring and personally involved style of teaching. 

As a composer and arranger, Brian has published over 140 pieces, many are available through TRINITY COLLEGE LONDON PRESS and STRINGS BY MAIL. For more information and additional free scores, CLICK HERE.  For transcriptions, CLICK HERE.  If you would like to listen to a stream of about 55 minutes of the pieces that Brian has recorded, CLICK HERE.  

Brian holds a Master’s Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC, where he studied with John Holmquist. His other major teachers were Karl Scheit in Vienna, Austria, Leo Witoszynksyj in Graz, Austria, and Gilbert Biberian in Milwaukee and England. His major short term teachers were Sharon Isbin in Burlington, Vermont; Manuel Barrueco in Milwaukee; Gerald Garcia in England and Carol van Fegglen in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also attended the studio class of the great cellist, János Starker at Indiana University and played his own transcriptions of the cello music of Bach on the guitar for the class.

Helping build a community of guitarists, Brian served as president of the CLASSICAL GUITAR SOCIETY OF MICHIGAN, and as founder and president of the ANN ARBOR CLASSICAL GUITAR SOCIETY for many years. 

Brian plays a spruce guitar by Toby Rzepka (2015) and a cedar guitar by Stephan Connor (2008).