The last time UofL hosted the Guitar Foundation of America Convention and Competition was 2013.
The last time UofL hosted the Guitar Foundation of America Convention and Competition was 2013.

The world’s leading classical guitarists will gather at the University of Louisville’s School of Music June 18‒23 for the 2018 Guitar Foundation of America Convention and Competition.

The six-day festival, the largest of its kind in North America, will feature concerts, master classes on technique and artistic development, lectures and an international competition. The winner of the top prize will receive $7,500, recording contracts and a 50-city concert tour at venues in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil and China.

Stephen Mattingly, UofL guitar professor and convention host
Stephen Mattingly, UofL guitar professor and convention host.

The event is expected to attract as many as 800 people with about 30 percent of attendees coming from outside the country, said Stephen Mattingly, UofL guitar professor and convention host.

“It really puts the UofL guitar program on the map internationally,” Mattingly said.

The Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that the event, which was first held at UofL in 2013, has a $1.5 million economic impact for the city.

Concerts will be in the Margaret Comstock Concert Hall, School of Music. Featured performers include:

Evening concert tickets are $35 for adults, $20 for students and seniors. Packages are also available. Click here to purchase and here to see a full schedule of events.

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Niki King
Niki King Jones is positive she has the best job at the University of Louisville, serving the communication needs of the departments of fine arts and theatre, the School of Music, University Libraries and Alumni – all the fun, creative stuff. Before coming to UofL in 2015, Niki held communication positions in both private and nonprofit sectors in Louisville, Ky., including at Heaven Hill Distilleries and the Jewish Community of Louisville. For 10 years prior, she was a reporter at various newspapers across the country, most recently The Courier-Journal. Niki graduated from the University of Memphis with a BA in journalism and has a masters degree in community and leadership development from the University of Kentucky.