Brad Richter: Who needs Castanets

"Elation"

The Artist: Bradley Nathan Richter (born August 9, 1969) is an American classical guitarist. He currently lives in Arizona with his wife Kerstin and their two children. He began teaching himself to play his guitar at the age of 12. At age 18, having had no formal musical training, he was awarded the Presidential Scholarship to the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago where he began performing, composing, and eventually teaching professionally. After completing his undergraduate degrees in performance and composition, Brad accepted a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London where he studied with guitarist Carlos Bonell. He became the first guitarist in the college’s history to win the coveted Thomas Morherr Prize, and went on to win the Royal College of Music Guitar Competition before completing his Master's degree. Festival appearances have included The Aspen Music Festival, The London International Guitar Festival and the Walnut Valley Festival, where he won the National Finger-picking Championship in 1999.

By John Hill: