Xavier Jara Concert

American classical guitarist, Xavier Jara (1993), is the 1st prizewinner of the 2016 GFA International Concert Artist Competition.  A native of Minnesota, Jara was a student of Alan Johnston at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis until 2011 when he moved to Paris, France to study with Judicael Perroy.  Jara studied in Paris for six years with Perroy.

During this time he completed his Bachelor’s Degree at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris where he also studied with French guitarist, Olivier Chassain, and lute master, Eric Bellocq.  He received 1st place in a number of international competitions including the Boston Guitarfest (2014), the Gargnano, Italy Competition (2015) and the Tokyo International Competition (2016).  In 2016, Jara returned home to the United States to win the Guitar Foundation of America’s Rose Augustine Grand Prize.