Titles by: JERRY A. TERTOCHA
JERRY A. TERTOCHA
Jerry A. Tertocha was born in Paris, France, in 1947 and immigrated to the United States at an early age. He grew up in Decatur, Illinois, where he began his study of the guitar at age ten. While attending high school and college (1961- 1970), Mr. Tertocha supported himself as a semiprofessional guitarist by teaching in local music studios, providing accompaniment and arrangements for various theater and dance companies, and touring the Midwest with several jazz/ pop bands. Mr. Tertocha was a self-taught classical guitarist until 1968 when he met Richard Pick, the eminent Chicago guitarist with whom he studied for two years. In 1970 he received a B.A. from Millikin University, where he majored in art and minored in music and English. After initial lessons with Oscar Ghiglia in 1970, he was awarded a scholarship to study with the Italian master at the Aspen Music School in 1973. In 1970 and 1971, Mr. Tertocha taught French, art, and classical guitar for the Concordia College Language Camps in Minnesota and Montana and was also appointed guitar tutor at Millikin University. After fulfilling his two-year military obligations (1971-1973), Mr. Tertocha settled in Salt Lake City, where he became a full- time performer, giving numerous recitals as soloist and accompanist and appearing regularly with various classical and jazz ensembles throughout Utah. He also recorded music for several documentary films, and his televised recital, "Fusion: Joel Alain Tertocha," which was produced by the University of Utah, won a National Broadcast Media Award in 1977. Since 1978 Mr. Tertochahas devoted himself to teaching, writing, and arranging. He is currently an adjunct associate professor and chairman of guitar studies at the University of Utah, Department of Music, where he has taught since 1974 and where he helped formulate a four-year degree program in classical guitar performance.