Music & Entertainment

The Guitar Foundation of America Competition winner is making his valedictory tour of North America, playing concerts in over 50 cities this year. The Tucson Guitar Society is pleased to bring in these exceptional artists each year, and the concert is always extraordinary. Hear the stars of tomorrow today!

Rovshan Mamedkuliev was born in 1986 in Baku, Azerbaijan and started his studies in classical guitar at the age of 11. In 2004, he entered the Nizhniy Novgorod Conservatoire (academy) studying with Aleksey Petropavlovsky and completed his education with honors. According to one of his teachers, Mamedkuliev possesses such important qualities as an "excellent ear, tenacious memory, a developed sense of rhythm and form, and bright artistry." Now pursuing his graduate studies at the Nizhniy Novgorod Conservatoire, he teaches in its Department of Folk Instruments, as well as in the Arzamas Music College.

Not even 30 years old, Rovshan Mamedkuliev has won more than twenty awards, among them:

• Finalist and Special prize for best interpretation of the compositions of Francisco Tarrega of the "Francisco Tarrega" Competition (Benicasim, Spain, 2007)
• First Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of the compositions of Leo Brouwer on the International Guitar Competition L. Brouwer (Paris, France, 2009)
• First Prize, Prize of Public and Special Prize for the best interpretation of the compositions of Heitor Villa-Lobos on the 1st International Guitar Competition "Heitor Villa-Lobos" (Spain, 2011)
• First Prize on the II International competition of named after A.Frauchi (Moscow, Russia, 2011)
• In 2012, Rovshan Mamedkuliev won one of the most prestigious classical guitar competitions - The XXX Guitar Foundation of America's International Concert Artist Competition (GFA) (Charleston, USA)
• For high achievements in the arts, Rovshan Mamedkuliev received an award from the President of Russia in 2006

Rovshan plays a guitar by the Spanish master, Manuel Contreras, model 10th Aniversario with a spruce top. Strings - Savarez 510 AJ.

The mission of the Tucson Guitar Society is to promote the awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the guitar and similar stringed instruments to people of all cultures, ages, abilities, and economic means in Tucson and surrounding areas.

The Tucson Guitar Society, formed in 1987, is a non-profit, community-based organization. Our goal is to provide local guitar enthusiasts with opportunities for meeting other enthusiasts, improving their playing, and attending guitar performances and other events. The Society sponsors workshops, concerts and classes throughout the year.

Society members range from appreciative non-players through all levels of performers from beginning students to professional musicians. All members are eligible to receive discounts on activities sponsored by the society.