Strings, Harp, and Guitar Competition

A Guitarist from Buffalo NY, Derick Sears has reached far across the United States through his studies. An undergraduate degree in Buffalo NY was the home for many co-organized events such as the annual Woman of Guitar Festivals (2017-2020) and the 2019 Brouwer in Buffalo Composition Competition. This is where Derick gained many skills of music event management, grant writing and arts professionalism. Following his Undergraduate studies, at the height of the pandemic, Derick moved to Fullerton California and acquired a Masters in Music studying under Martha Masters. His time in California was culturally moving, acquiring experiences working in the Santa Ana School District and falling in love with the vast diversity of musical culture in the American Southwest. These experiences led him to a love and participation in Mariachi and other folk music traditions. Derick is currently studying his Doctorate at Arizona State University with Martha Masters where he is focused on expanding guitar literature and culturally relevant musical programming.

Derick has performed recitals from Buffalo NY to Orange County California and acquired Masterclasses with world renowned talents such as, Leo Brouwer, Pablo Sainz Villegas, Douglas Lora, Iliana Matos, Thomas Viloteau, Andrea Caballero and Luis Zea.

Theodore Buchholz is the cello professor at the University of Arizona, where he also serves as the String Area Coordinator, String Chamber Music Coordinator, and the Director of the University of Arizona String Project.

Critically acclaimed for his “eloquent and expressive artistry,” Theodore Buchholz has been lauded as a “virtuosic cellist” with a “warm beautiful sound.” He has performed in prominent venues from New York’s Lincoln Center to international halls in Tokyo, and in countless venues across the United States. His performances and recordings have aired on classical radio stations around the world. He performs on an exceptional cello made in 1877 by Charles Mennégand.

Buchholz’s album Afterglow: The Forgotten Works for Cello and Piano by Henry Hadley was released by Centaur Records in 2020. Earning the coveted five-star rating, Fanfare Magazine stated “Afterglow displays the composer’s rich harmonic language, and allows Buchholz to show off his impeccable phrasing during which he caresses each note. Its turns of phrase could simply not be more beautifully conceived and executed. Five stars: An exceptional recital of unjustly neglected music.” His recording of Hans Winterberg’s Cello Sonata was released under the Toccata label in 2018. Music for a Prince was released by Toccata Records in 2021, featuring the world premiere of works for cello by Lennox Berkeley, Arthur Bliss, and William Walton.

Dr. Buchholz’s current and former students perform in orchestras and chamber ensembles around the country and they teach in schools and private studios around the world. His students have received scholarships from competitive conservatories and have won awards in national chamber music and solo competitions. They have appeared on NPR’s From the Top, as soloists with orchestras, and at leading music festivals. Theodore Buchholz is the recipient of the Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award. In 2022, he received the Charles and Irene Putnam Award, the College’s most prestigious recognition of excellence in teaching.

Conductor and violinist Alejandro Gómez Guillén is passionate about sharing music in a way that is compelling, uplifting, and educational. Recently appointed Director of Orchestras at Arizona State University, he is currently in his second season as assistant conductor with Omaha Symphony, recently having taken part in the GRAMMY-nominated premiere production of Sculptures by composer Andy Akiho. He completed seven seasons as artistic director and conductor of Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, with which he led the world premiere of Mickey Tucker’s Spiritual Collage and the Indiana premiere of Florence Price’s Fourth Symphony. He also completed a successful tenure as associate conductor of Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, leading multiple community classics, pops, outdoor, bilingual and educational concerts, including collaborations with artists such as Time for Three and mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte. Additionally, he is also music director of Sphere Ensemble which explores the intersection of masterpieces of string ensemble music of the past and present with a multitude of genres and world music masters.

An accomplished violinist, Alejandro enjoys leading concertos from the violin in recent and upcoming seasons. He served as concertmaster of Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Amherst Early Music Festival, and Junges Stuttgarter Bach Ensemble, with which he toured Germany and Italy including performances at Rheingau Music Festival and Berlin Philharmonie. He also returned to Oregon Bach Festival as a member of the Berwick Academy for Historical Performance.

Alejandro had a rich musical upbringing as a chorister and violinist in his native Colombia. Following a move to the United States he pursued a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from Texas Christian University and Master of Music degrees in conducting and violin performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He holds a DMA in orchestral conducting from the same institution, and his doctoral research includes a critical edition of Colombian composer Jorge H. Pinzón’s violin concerto Capricornius, and a guide using selected dances from Bach’s orchestral suites in their original form for developing orchestras through a historically-informed approach to playing on modern instruments. His mentors include Gary Lewis, Helmuth Rilling, Matthew Halls, and Mei-Ann Chen.