Mertz Guitar Duets

John Schneiderman, a critically acclaimed virtuoso of plucked instruments since the age of nine, specializes in the repertoire and performance practices of eighteenth-century lutes and nineteenth-century guitars. Based in California, he is a sought-after soloist and chamber musician, performing and recording across North America. Schneiderman's early career began in bluegrass and folk music, performing on banjo, guitar, bass, and fiddle at festivals throughout California. He later studied under renowned guitar pedagogue Frederick Noad and continued his education at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland, with baroque lute pioneer Eugen Dombois, whose meticulous approach to repertoire deeply influences Schneiderman's interpretations.

Schneiderman is a member of Ensemble Galanterie, The Czar's Guitars, Les Deux Amis, and the Schneiderman-Yamaya Duo, and has performed with esteemed groups such as the Los Angeles Opera, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and Chanticleer. His extensive discography spans rarely recorded lute and guitar works on prestigious labels such as VGo, Centaur, and Dorian Sono Luminus. In addition to his performing career, he is a dedicated educator, serving on the faculties of the University of California, Irvine, Irvine Valley College, and Claremont Graduate University, shaping the next generation of musicians.