Members
Chad Ibison
American guitarist Dr. Chad Ibison has captivated audiences across North America and abroad through his imaginative musical interpretations and charismatic stage presence. Hailed through critical acclaim, Chad has been described as “very versatile in terms of contrast and range of expression” (Classical Guitar Canada) with “masterful phrasing combined with technical precision” (ClassicalGuitar.org). Composer Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, describes Ibison’s impact as a performer; “Chad gave an incendiary performance. His approach was, at the same time, aggressive and intimate. He melded with the instrument, and the result was brash, expressive and technically secure.” Along with his critical acclaim, Ibison has accumulated ten first place awards among his eighteen top prize wins at international guitar competitions including The Guitar Foundation of America, JoAnn Falletta Concerto Competition and Boston’s New England Conservatory Guitarfest. He participates regularly at guitar festivals as a performer, teacher and judge. Chad resides in Austin and is currently the Assistant Professor at Texas Lutheran University and maintains a private studio of over fifty students.
Janet Grohovac
Dr. Janet Grohovac is a Canadian classical guitarist teaching and performing in Austin for over a decade. Janet completed her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees at the University of Texas at Austin and her Bachelor of Music at the University of Victoria British Columbia. As a dynamic concert artist, recent performances include appearances at the Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Taxco, Mexico with the Ibison Guitar Duo, and solo concerts for Austin Classical Guitar Society's Salon and Cactus series, the Central Valley's Guitarraganza festival in California, and Victoria Conservatory of Music's Summer Guitar Academy in Canada. Dr. Grohovac has accumulated many top prize awards in competitions including: 1st place as a soloist in Southern Guitar Competition and Northwest Guitar Competition, and was a finalist in the international guitar competitions at Montreal, Lone Star Guitar Festival, Tennessee, and Dallas. In addition to performing, Janet is a sought after professor and directs the guitar programs at Huston-Tillotson University and Concordia University. Janet has served as a clinician for Carnegie Hall’s Musical Connections Program, the Lullaby Project, in partnership with Austin Classical Guitar.
Stephen Krishnan
Stephen Krishnan is an Austin-based guitarist who is an avid performer of new music and an imaginative arranger of early music. He has been featured in concerts across the country including a recent performance in Carnegie Hall, and has made radio appearances on NPR, KMFA, KUT, and Minnesota Public Radio. He has premiered works by composers including Dr. Hakki Cengiz Eren, Dr. A.J. McCaffrey, Dr. Joseph Williams II, and Matthew Lyons. Most recently, Stephen premiered the guitar concerto dedicated to him by composer Matthew Lyons with the University of Texas New Music Ensemble, which aired on KMFA’s program “From the Butler School”. Among many awards are first prize wins in the Schubert Club and Thursday Musical competitions. Stephen holds a bachelor's from the University of Texas where he studied with Adam Holzman, and a master's from the University of Southern California where he studied with the Grammy-winning Bill Kanengiser. He is currently the director of guitar studies at the Orpheus Academy of Music. Visit www.stephenkrishnan.com for more info.
Dragos Ilie
Romanian guitarist Dragos Ilie has established himself as one of the most creative and expressive young guitarists of his generation. At an early age, Dragos fell in love with the instrument after listening to his father play. Soon he enrolled at the Popular School of Arts and later the National College of Arts in Lasi, studying with Marius Timpau. During that time, Dragos also studied with Dr. Daniel Dragomirescu at the National Music Conservatoire of Lasi. He received numerous grants for participating at festivals throughout Europe. Among these include the MOL Foundation for Young Artists, the "StART Grants", and the “Young Talents" Grant offered by the Margareta Principess Foundation, with the support of the Royal House of Romania. Dragos has placed in over 40 international competitions, having received more than 20 Grand Prizes. He has performed and taught masterclasses around the United States and Europe, and has been featured in the Classical Guitar Magazine, and Acoustic Guitar Magazine. Dragos is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Texas at Austin, serving as Teaching Assistant to the renowned guitarist and pedagogue, Adam Holzman.