(New York, NY – June 1, 2005) Mannes College of Music, a division of New School University, announces El Maestro/The Tradition of the Masters, the 5th New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes, from Wednesday, June 29 – Sunday, July 3, 2005. This year’s seminar focuses on pedagogy in the guitar world and will pay tribute to Bruce Holzman, teacher of many of America’s top competition winners, concert artists, and university professors. Artistic Directors of the New York Guitar Seminar are Michael Newman and Laura Oltman.

This summer’s distinguished faculty of international and New York-based guitar masters and guest speakers includes: Bruce Holzman, Eliot Fisk, Ricardo Cobo, The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo, Ricardo Iznaola, Stephen Robinson, Lily Afshar, Adam Holzman, Michael Chapdelaine, William Carter, Leo Welch, Roger Allen Cope, Matthew Dunne, Arthur Kampela, Oren Fader, Mariano Aguirre, luthiers Thomas Humphrey and William Kramer-Harrison, author and NPR commentator Tim Brookes (Guitar: An American Life), and Mannes Techniques of Music faculty, Joel Lester (Dean of Mannes) and Christopher Park.

Highlights of this summer’s festival include: master classes; student/faculty performances; ensemble coaching; Performance Practice: Baroque Interpretation: Bach’s Violin Music for Guitarists; Jazz Arrangement Techniques for the Classical Guitarist; Guitar Makers and Their Secrets; the Value of Informed Performance: Historical and Theoretical Study of Repertoire; panel discussion and lifetime achievement award ceremony for Bruce Holzman; and world premiere performances.

For more information on the 5th New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes, call (212) 580-0210, ext. 4883, e-mail mannesguitar@newschool.edu or visit the Web site at www.mannes.edu/guitar for links to all festival sponsors and artists, full artist bios, and complete schedule of events. All events June 29, 30 and July 1 will be held at Mannes College of Music, 150 West 85th Street, NYC, and are open to the public. All events July 2 and 3 will be held at Columbia University’s Dodge Hall Music Department, Broadway at 116th Street, NYC. Costs: evening concert ticket $10; each daytime event $15; entire day $60; auditor for entire seminar $225.

The New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes is made possible in part with generous support from Mel Bay Publications, Inc., the Augustine Foundation, and by a grant from The D’Addario Foundation for the Performing Arts with support from J. D'Addario & Company, Inc.

Presented in cooperation with Robert Olmsted Recordings, New York City Classical Guitar Society, Florida State University, Columbia University, the Americas Society, Guitar Salon International, Quality Hotel on Broadway, and Classical Guitar Alive!