About this Artist

Recognized as one of America’s premier instrumental ensembles, the LOS ANGELES GUITAR QUARTET is one of the most charismatic and versatile groups performing today. Their inventive, critically acclaimed transcriptions of concert masterworks provide a fresh look at the music of the past, while their interpretations of works from the contemporary and world-music realms continually break new ground. The LAGQ has set new standards for the guitar quartet medium.

The LAGQ has appeared on prestigious guitar and chamber music series at Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and New York’s Lincoln Center and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. They have been featured on the Hong Kong, Singapore and Istanbul International Arts Festivals.

In recent seasons, the LAGQ has been guests on Minnesota Public Radio’s St. Paul Sunday Morning, and was the featured soloist in a nationally broadcast performance with the Boston Pops on PBS’s “Evening at Pops”. The LAGQ has also been featured on CNN’s “Show Biz Today”, “CBS Saturday Morning” and A&E Network’s “Breakfast with the Arts”.

Each member if the group is a seasoned soloist and gives the Quartet the unique capability of rotating the “first chair” from piece to piece:

Originally from Minneapolis, John Dearman is an eclectic guitarist whose repertoire ranges from samba to bluegrass and from flamenco to classical. He fills out the sound of the LAGQ by performing on a unique seven-string guitar with extended upper and lower registers.

First prize winner in the Tokyo International Competition in 1989, Detroit-born Scott Tennant has been concertizing since the age of twelve. Much in demand as a solo artist, Scott has recorded for Delos International and is currently completing a recording of the complete solo guitar works of Joaquin Rodrigo for GHA, Belgium. He is the author of the best-selling book and video Pumping Nylon, a technical handbook for the classical guitarist, and he is also a guitar-faculty member at U.S.C.

Voted “Best Classical Album” of 1994 by Guitar Player Magazine readers’ poll, Andrew York’s solo CD Denouement illustrates his groundbreaking style as a composer and guitarist. York is featured on Rhino Records Legends of Guitar, the Windham Hill Guitar Sampler, and guitar luminaries John Williams and Christopher Parkening have recorded his works as well. A published composer worldwide through Alfred Publications, Hal Leonard, Guitar Solo, Ricordi in London, and Gendai in Japan, York also recently filmed a video for the Mel Bay Artist Series.

Acclaimed soloist, recording artist and faculty member at the University of Southern California, William Kanengiser is one of the few guitarists to have won the Concert Artists Guild New York Competition. His unique approach to programming is displayed in solo recordings exploring the music of the Old World and the Caribbean, and he has earned critical acclaim for his imaginative arrangements for solo guitar and guitar quartet. Best known as the classical guitarist in the film Crossroads, he has produced two instructional videos for Hot Licks.