Skaneateles Library
49 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Gohar Vardanyan is an acclaimed Armenian-American classical guitarist recognized for her technical mastery, artistic expression, and passionate performances. She has captivated audiences across the United States and internationally, appearing at prestigious venues such as Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. She has performed for major guitar societies in Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Miami, and New York City, among others, and has been featured on National Public Radio (USA) and Radio Nacional (Argentina).

Ms. Vardanyan has collaborated with the Juilliard Opera Center and has appeared as a soloist with the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra, Island Symphony Orchestra, and the Panama National Symphony Orchestra. She has also been a featured artist at international guitar festivals in Sweden, Italy, Panama, Canada, and Mexico. Her artistry has been recognized on the cover of Classical Guitar Magazine, and Guitar International Magazine has praised her as "the complete package" with "a musicality and emotional quality beyond her years," highlighting both her compelling interpretations and virtuosic technical ability.

Skaneateles Library
49 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Multi-award-winning classical guitarist Marko Topchii was born to a musical family in Ukraine, in 1991. His prodigious achievements are best exemplified by his numerous competition victories: More than 100 awards worldwide in international classical guitar competitions, 55 of them being First Prizes in prestigious competitions including the 54th International Guitar Competition Francisco Tarrega, the 35th International Guitar Competition Andres Segovia in Spain, the 50th International Guitar Competition Michele Pittaluga in Italy, the 6th JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition in New York, the 16th Jan Edmund Jurkowski Memorial Guitar Competition in Poland, the Maurizio Biasini competition in San Francisco, the 56th Tokyo International Guitar Competition and most recently, the 2023 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition in New York.

Marko Topchii has appeared in the world's most important venues, including the Carnegie Hall in New York, Yamaha Ginza Hall in Tokyo, Salle Cortot in Paris, Grand Hall of the Kyiv Philharmonic, Grand Hall of Liszt Academy in Budapest, among others. He often collaborates with orchestras, having performed more than 15 concertos for guitar and orchestra. His discography includes the albums Marko Topchii on Naxos' Fleur de Son Classics label (US) and Stars of the Guitar with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (as the winner of the Michele Pittaluga competition) on Naxos, as well as Van Gogh Fire and Carnival (following his win in the Tarrega Guitar Competition in 2021) on the Contrastes Records label in Spain.

Skaneateles Library
49 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

With the sole purpose of promoting the art of the classic guitar and its rich history, John Ferrara has set out to perform for a diverse audience in a wide range of settings. From the classroom to the concert stage, he has shared his love of music inspiring both young and old alike.

His eclectic repertoire includes an assortment of solo guitar works from the Renaissance to the present day. A large portion of his music focuses on Spanish & Latin American Guitar Masterpieces. His repertoire consists of original works composed for guitar as well as transcriptions from many musical sources.

He has performed at local schools, colleges, libraries, guitar festivals and a number of performing arts organizations. Some of these appearances include the Classical Guitar Society of Upstate NY, the Crane School of Music, the Day of Guitar Festival, the Great Lakes Guitar Society, Onondaga Community College, the Setnor School of Music, Skidmore College, the Tiffany Concert Series, Civic Morning Musicals, Syracuse Sound of Music and the Temple Society of Concord.