Thursday, August 16, 2012

Welcome to Gary Wittner - Suzuki Guitar Teacher


Gary Wittner has been delighting audiences of all ages for over 25 years, performing and 
teaching music on five continents worldwide.  He has represented the United States three times: twice as a Kennedy Center/U.S. State Department Jazz Ambassador and once as a Fulbright Grant recipient. He holds degrees from Berklee College of Music and Washington State University.

A popular clinician, Gary regularly presents guitar workshops at the K-12 and college level 
throughout the United States.  He currently teaches music at Bowdoin College and The 
University of S. Maine School of Music. As a performing guitarist, Gary works in many contexts from solo guitar to larger ensembles.  His arrangements of traditional Blues/Folk Americana for solo guitar have been performed worldwide and can be heard on three of his CDs.   He is a member of the New York based Trio WAG, and also performs Latin music with several bands in the northeastern United States.  He has traveled to Ecuador six times, performing Latin music and his original compositions, and has recorded 2 CD’s with tuba legend Howard Johnson.  He received a Maine Arts Commission Grant in 2006, and continues to compose, perform and record worldwide.

A specialist in the music and life of Thelonious Monk, Gary has presented concert/lectures on Monk at some of the most prestigious music schools in the world including Berklee College of Music (Boston), The New School (New York), The Guild Hall School of Music (London), The Rimsky Korsakov Conservatory (St. Petersburg), and Indiana State University (Bloomington).  His book, “Thelonious Monk for Guitar”, published  by Hal Leonard, continues to be popular throughout the guitar playing world. Additional articles written by Gary have been published in Guitar Player Magazine, Coda, and the International Association of Jazz Educators Journal.   A friend of the Monk family, Gary has performed for Mrs. Nellie Monk, and been interviewed on the radio with Thelonious Monk, Jr.

More info can be found at www.garywittner.com

The school is delighted to welcome Gary who is accepting new students of all levels.

The school wants to extend its sincere thanks to Nathan Kolosko who has been teaching at l'Ecole Française du Maine for the last 8 years.  Nathan has been an important driving force in the growth of the school, sharing generously his enthusiasm, talent and vision on music education.  Nathan even led the school's first French chorus!  The school community is forever grateful for Nathan 's many contributions and wishes him the best in his promising career as a talented composer, a caring teacher and a unique performer.
Nathan Kolosko (left) and Gary Wittner (right) at L'ecole Française du Maine in May 2012