BIOGRAPHY

Skender Sefa is a well known Canadian classical guitarist who can be heard frequently in recital performing both as a soloist and in various chamber ensembles.  Skender's full length solo classical guitar CD Skender Sefa plays Brouwer, Dyens and Tarrega (GFI Masterworks Label) can be heard across Canada on CBC Radio. 

In recognition of his career in classical guitar performance, Skender has recieved awards from both the Canada Council for the Arts and the Manitoba Arts Council.  

As a student, Skender completed his studies in Classical Guitar Performance at the University of Manitoba under Ryszard Tyborowski and was a scholarship student at the prestigious Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy in Quebec where he studied with Jean Valliers (Montreal) and Bruce Holzman (USA).

Skender has had the opportunity to perform in the masterclasses with some of the best classical guitarists in the world including Leo Brouwer (Cuba), Roland Dyens (Paris), Fabio Zanon (Brazil), Norbert Kraft (Canada), Denis Azabagic (Bosnia) Ricardo Cobo (Columbia) and David Russell (Scotland). 

In 2000, Skender Sefa was chosen to perform in the Leo Brouwer Masterclass in San Antonio, Texas by the Guitar Foundation of America in which he was selected through an international audition. Skender also performed for Brouwer in 1999 in a Masterclass at the prestigous Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy in Quebec. In 1998, Skender was chosen to perform in the David Russell Masterclass in Montreal by the Guitar Foundation of America. In 1999, Skender again performed for David Russell in a Masterclass in Edmonton. In 2001, Skender was chosen by the Guitar Foundation of America to perform in the Ricardo Cobo Masterclass in La Jolla, California. In 2001, Skender again attended the prestigious Domaine Forget Music Academy in Quebec and was awarded a generous scholarship.

Skender has also performed in the Masterclasses of Alex Dunn (VIctoria), Alvin Tung (Toronto), Deloras Keahey (Winnipeg), Philip Candelaria (Ontario), Wilma Van Berkel (Toronto), Robert Kubica (Toronto), and David Stewart (Ottawa). He has audited the Masterclasses of Costas Cotsiolis (Greece), Pepe Romero (Spain), David Leisner (USA), Eduardo Fernandez (Uraguay), William Kanengieser (California), Rene Izquerdo (Cuba), Adam Holzman (USA), Abel Carlevaro (Uraguay), Thomas Viloteau (Paris), Jerome Ducharme (Quebec), Lorenzo Micheli (Italy), Martha Masters (USA) and the Assads (Brazil).

Skender was awarded the Best Overall Performance Award at the 1999 Winnipeg Music Competition Festival by Dr. Alexander Dunn. He was awarded the 1999 Winnipeg Classical Guitar Society Scholarship Prize by Ian Hodges. Skender was again awarded the Best Overall Performance Award at the 2000 Winnipeg Music Competition Festival by Fabio Zanon. He also won the 2000 Winnipeg Classical Guitar Society Scholarship Prize again and was a finalist in the prestigious Lawrence Genser Performance Competition open to all musicians.

Skender teaches classical guitar for the University of Manitoba Faculty of Music  through the Preparatory Division and the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts and is currently serving his seventh year as the vice-president of the Winnipeg Classical Guitar Society.

Recent season highlights include two performances with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in October of 2006 as a featured soloist in the WSO's prestigious Masterworks Series performing Osvaldo Golijov's "Oceana" and three performances with the WSO and the Manitoba Opera Association performing Verdi's "Otello" in April 2007, as well as a full length recital for the Winnipeg Classical Guitar Society in June of 2007.

Upcoming performances include two concerts with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at the MTS Centre on April 23 and 24, 2008 and a full length recital for the Winnipeg Classical Guitar Society on June 28, 2008. 

Email address:
skender@shaw.ca 

Winnipeg Classical Guitar Society

www.winnipegclassicalguitarsociety.com