John Couch - Summer School Director

NEW ZEALAND born guitarist John Couch, currently based in Canberra Australia, holds a Masters of Music in Performance (2000) from the Australian National University. Guided by Timothy Kain, he also gained his Post – Graduate Diploma (Performance and Research (1998)) in Canberra after having completed his Bachelor of Music in Performance in Auckland in 1997. 

John has worked with leading Australian Composers, both commissioning new work from them and premiering their work, including Richard Charlton, Marian Budos, Ivana Troselj and Dr Jesmond Grixti and has extensively presented concerts and recitals throughout New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Canada, Germany and Sweden as a soloist, chamber musician since 1994. It all started in 1994 when 1st place was awarded him in the New Zealand Guitar Competition. In 2001, not only was he the first guitarist to reach the final of the prestigious Gisborne International Music Competition for Orchestral Instruments, he was the first guitarist to win it. In 2002 Couch was awarded 1st place in the Australian International Guitar Competition. In 2003 he was a prizewinner at the 36th International Guitar Competition “Michele Pittaluga” (Italy), in 2004 he was awarded 2nd place in the Taiwan International Guitar Competition, and in 2008 he performed in the Finals of the Tokyo International Guitar Competition.     
       
Learn more about John at: www.johncouch.net

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