Faculty
Dr. Joseph Palmer
Joseph Palmer has earned a reputation as one of the most captivating and dynamic young performers on the American guitar scene. Over the years, he has been awarded 16 prizes in international guitar competitions and has been a featured soloist throughout the U.S. and abroad.
Joseph devotes himself to sharing classical music with diverse populations and is a passionate advocate for music's potential to inspire and transform. In 2015, he joined the team at Austin Classical Guitar, and gives over 50 interactive concerts each year throughout the public schools, retirement communities, juvenile detention centers, and other communities in the greater Austin area.
As an extension of his work with ACG, Joseph is the co-creator of the world’s first classical guitar educational resource for students with blindness/visual impairment, which was launched in Summer 2018 (letsplayguitar.org).
Joseph is the guitar instructor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He also runs a robust private studio of young guitarists in Austin. Joseph holds three degrees in music performance; a Bachelors from Columbus State University, along with Master and Doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Russell Sarre
Russell Sarre is an Australian-born guitarist and composer. He studied classical guitar at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He completed his Master and Doctor of Music in composition at Rice University. His principal guitar teachers were John Casey and Brian Black. As well, he has taken part in master classes with Philip Houghton, John Williams, Julian Bream, and Timothy Kain. He studied composition with Ellsworth Milburn, Richard Lavenda, Art Gottschalk, and Paul Cooper. Dr. Sarre's music has been performed in many countries including Australia, USA, Germany, England, Turkey, and the West Indies. Guitarist and presenter of "Classical Guitar Alive" Tony Morris performed a piece, composed for him by Sarre, at the White House. He has composed numerous musicals, one of which played at the Ambassador theatre in London's West End.
As well as maintaining a busy composing schedule, Dr. Sarre directs the Guitar and Orchestra programs at Pershing Middle School.
When not playing, teaching, or composing, he enjoys biking, cooking, and spending time with family.
Andrea Cannon
Andrea Cannon is an alumna of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music Jazz Performance Program and a recipient of the Alumni Award for Outstanding Service. Post-Collegiate study includes Suzuki Method Pedagogy and Classical Guitar Performance with Robert Guthrie of Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
In addition to her own award-winning Suzuki studio for students and guitar teachers, she is Professor of Guitar at Lone Star College, the Woodlands, Texas.
Performances include jazz bands and combos, solo classical guitar and chamber music at venues and festivals in the US, Canada, Latin America, and Europe.
Marc Rosenberg
Marc Rosenberg earned a scholarship to study classical guitar studies at the collegiate level with Chip Christ at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. After receiving his Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance, he earned another performance scholarship to attend Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he received his Master of Music in Guitar Performance under the tutelage of Professor Jim Ferla.
Rosenberg has played in concerts throughout the USA as both a soloist and as apart of chamber groups, including a performance with a singer at an event honoring the world renowned soprano Renée Fleming. He has also participated in many competitions and masterclasses with such notable names as Pepe Romero, Roland Dyens, Dale Kavanagh, Bill Kanengiser, and Lily Afshar, to name a few.
Rosenberg completed his second Master’s Degree in Alicante, Spain, where he worked with world-renowned guitarists and lutenists David Russell, Ignacio Rodes, Hopkinson Smith, Roberto Aussel, Manuel Barrueco, Carles Trepat, and Nigel North.
Marc Garvin
Marc Garvin is a guitar soloist, chamber music performer, public speaker and well-known instructor. He’s performed regularly with Houston’s classical music triad: the Symphony, Grand Opera, and Ballet. He’s accompanied Italian soprano Cecilia Bartoli, New Zealand’s Hayley Westenra, and legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti. The Houston Ballet tapped him as solo guitarist for its American premier of Christopher Bruce’s Ghost Dances. Whether performing with the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Music Ensemble, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., or as a recitalist through the Texas Commission on the Arts, his enthusiasm and musicality has charmed audiences throughout the United States and Canada. Marc was a featured soloist with the Houston Symphony in July of 2010 for the “Final Fantasy” concert.
As a graduate with a degree in music from Carnegie-Mellon University, Marc Garvin has placed a high emphasis on music education. He currently is the principle classical guitar instructor at Houston Community College (Central Campus) where he also teaches music business.
As an instructor, Mr. Garvin has been on the faculties of Carnegie-Mellon University, Houston Baptist University, Lamar University and San Jacinto Jr. College. Many of his students have been accepted to prestigious music schools including The New England Conservatory of Music, The University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, The Butler School of Music at The University of Texas, The University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and The Beinen School of Music at Northwestern University.
Edward Grigassy
Edward Grigassy is a guitarist, bandleader and music educator based in Houston, Texas. Mr. Grigassy studied classical guitar with virtuoso performers and teachers Adam Holzman (UT Austin), Eliot Fisk (New England Conservatory) and Gene Bertoncini (NEC). He received a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree in classical guitar performance from UT Austin (1996) and a Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory (1998). He has been teaching guitar at Bellaire High School (Houston Independent School District) since 1998.
He travels extensively, teaching and performing in schools, on stages, at festivals and at social events all over Latin America and the United States. In addition to being a guest instructor, he has organized numerous guitar workshops and festivals since 2010.
from The Bellaire H.S. Guitar Festival 2015