Lawrence Ferrara

Lawrence Ferrara has been praised by the New York Times for playing that is "subtle, intimate and inherently musical" and by the San Francisco Chronicle for his "exceptional style, pure and sweet." The first guitarist to receive a master's degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Ferrara studied under Julian Bream, George Sakellariou, and Michael Lorimer.

He has given recitals in San Francisco, Toronto, Barcelona, Sydney, Los Angeles, and at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York, and has performed with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Bay Chamber Symphony, Classical Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Conservatory's Chamber Orchestra and New Music Ensemble. A two-time prize winner at the Carmel Classic Guitar Competition, Ferrara has also served on the Music Advisory Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts.

An accomplished educator, Ferrara has taught at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, San Francisco State University, and City College of San Francisco, and is the author of The Student Repertoire Series for Guitar, Volumes 1 and 2. His solo recording of American Guitar Music for VGo Recordings — the label's debut release — reflects his lifelong dedication to the American classical guitar repertoire.