New Jersey native Dr. John Asmuth is an amateur player who picked up the classical guitar at twelve years old, taking private lessons for a time with Alice Artzt and recently with Phil Circle. He enjoys performing not only as a soloist and with Section 3 of NJGO, but also composing and transcribing music.

John holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Rutgers University, and currently works as a software engineer in Big Tech (TM). He lives in Verona, NJ with his wife, Stephanie, and two boys, Trent and Gavin. https://skelterjohn.github.io/guitar

Dr. Martin Brounstein is the Board President of Montclair Early Music. He is a retired attorney specializing in international regulatory compliance with pharmaceutical manufacturing and clinical research regulations. Martin has been playing guitar since the mid 1950s, and has been continuously teaching jazz, pop and classical guitar for several decades.  As a member of the New Jersey, New York and Mid-Hudson Classical Guitar Societies, he has been instrumental in providing free recitals to communities throughout the tri-state area. 

Dr. Brounstein received a Ph.D. in British Renaissance literature while simultaneously earning his Juris Doctor.  Further, he holds several high black belts in three different martial arts disciplines and provides free classes in women's self defense. 

Martin is currently on the board of directors and regularly featured in the Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra and plays in the New Jersey Guitar Orchestra in section three.

http://www.martybrounstein.com/

Patrick Callahan has been involved as a coach and adjudicator for NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble since its inception, and is excited to be performing with NJGO this season as a section four member. Patrick is a passionate educator and has run the classical guitar program at Franklin High School in Somerset, NJ for close to a decade. In addition to performing with the NJGO, he is an active performer for pit orchestras for musical theatre.

David Chidsey is a guitarist/educator with a broad vision of musical concepts, ideas, and teaching philosophies.  After studying music with professors Jeffrey Erickson, William Day and Ann Applegate at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County College, David entered a college-conservatory music program at Lawrence University in Appleton WI where he studied classical guitar performance with Kevin Gallagher.  

After graduating from the conservatory, David earned an MM from the UW-Madison where he taught guitar as an assistant to Javier Calderon. He serves as a guitarist in section one of the NJGO.

Visit David’s Website

Article: The Importance of Ensemble Participation for Guitarists

Rick is an amateur classical guitarist and is a member of the NJ Classical Guitar Society.  He plays in various small ensembles in addition to the NJGO, where he serves as a section one player.  Rick is a project manger working in the pharmaceutical industry space. Rick resides with his wife Joann in Hillsborough and recently became grandparents for the second time.

Educator, performer, and composer Dr. Loren C. Fortna has performed from New Jersey to Vancouver, British Columbia as a soloist, accompanist, ensemble member, and conductor. He holds a B.A. in Music Theoretical Studies, a M.M., an A.D., and a D.M.A in Classical Guitar Performance. He earned these degrees under the tutelage of several esteemed guitarists, including Dennis Cinelli, Stephen Aron, and Julian Gray.

A New Jersey Music Educator since 2001, Loren was recognized as the District Teacher of the Year for the 2008-2009 school year in the Springfield Public School District. He was an adjunct professor and faculty advisor at Montclair State University from 2009 - 2014 and is currently the vocal music teacher at the Dionne Warwick Institute in East Orange, NJ. Loren facilitated numerous presentations on a range of topics such as music performance anxiety, music-rich writing activities, and techniques on composing for guitar. He also adjudicates for several state music education organizations.

Dr. Fortna has worked with award-winning conductors and composers and was a featured “Spotlight” performer at several National Assemblies of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the University of Akron Alumni Guitar Festival, and the University of Akron Guitar Series. Loren’s compositions range from quaint salon works to a full Mass with guitar accompaniment to hard rock. He recorded three hard rock albums with the band Bad Habit: Life on the Rocks (1989), Children of Rage (1993), and Whelmed (2020). Additionally, Loren released two classical guitar albums: A Song and Dance (2014) and Mertz in meinem Herzen: Select Works of Johann Kaspar Mertz (2016). Loren’s next album, Just as You Never Expected (anticipated release date 2023), is an eclectic collection of pop and heavy metal songs arranged for voice and guitar. He serves as a section four section leader for the NJGO.

“Fortna’s rendering of works…displayed impressive attention to detail and nuance. His deep admiration and understanding of the music of Piazzolla was riveting.”—Soundboard Magazine, 2008

www.facebook.com/lorencfortnaguitar/          lorencfortnaguitar@gmail.com

Joshua is a classical guitarist and music teacher in the northern New Jersey area. Joshua is a recent graduate from Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts under the direction of award-winning guitarist Jorge Caballero. He has performed for masterclasses with amazing talents, such as William Kanengiser, Michael Newman, Bokyung Byun, and Evan Taucher as well as others. When he is not performing or teaching, he works in Development at Austin Classical Guitar, the leading arts service organization for classical guitar in the United States. Austin Classical Guitar aims to bring access to music education through supported guitar programs, teacher training, free lessons, as well as online resources including GuitarCurriculum.com which has provided the groundwork for hundreds of guitar programs across the country and internationally. Joshua creates content and provides support for GuitarCurriculum.com as well as acts as grant manager for the organization. Joshua is thrilled to be part of the NJGO as a section four member and enjoys to perform with so many great musicians from across New Jersey!

https://guitarcurriculum.com

Diego is a graduate of the Kean Conservatory of Music, holding a B.A. in Music Education, and has been a high school music teacher since 2010. His students have gone on to study at schools such as University of the Arts, Mason Gross School of Music, William Paterson University, Kean University, Montclair State University, New England Conservatory, as well as becoming well regarded area musicians. He has performed at such venues as NJPAC, Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, and many others.  He serves as a section two guitarist for the NJGO.

Mario Giordano is a guitarist and sophomore Jazz/Classical performance major at William Paterson University. Outside of school, he is a member of the United States Guitar Orchestra, the pop funk band Jude and the Strangers, and his own rock band Echo Road, for which he recorded and produced their recent debut album, Out in the Open. Mario also co-owns Sovereign Stage Productions, which puts on and promotes live performances for New Jersey artists. Mario is excitedly looking for to his first tour with the NJGO as a guitarist in section two.

Andrés Holguin has been involved in music all his life whether performing, composing, or as a recoding engineer. He holds a classical guitar performance degree from Montclair State University and has studied classical guitar with Denis Cinnelli and Oren Fader. Aside from his classical performances, Andres Holguin has also performed and toured the US and Europe with such rock groups as Los Iracundos, Grace Notes, and Bad Habit playing electric guitar. Andrés has also performed with such ensembles as The Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra, Duo Amici, and has also composed various instrumental pop-funk compositions that can be heard on the major music streaming platforms.  He is currently an ESL teacher in Elizabeth Public Schools and devotes much of his time in his recoding studio “Holguin Studios” as a recoding/mixing engineer for various local artists. In his recording studio, Andrés has had the great honor to record NJGO’s own Dr. Loren Fortna classical guitar solo albums that can also be found in all major music streaming platforms. You can find him on Instagram and other social media platforms. Andres is a section three member of the NJGO.

Matt Jardim is a performer and music educator with 31 years experience teaching music in the public school mostly teaching high school guitar. Upon graduating from Rutgers University’s Jazz program where he studied with Ted Dunbar and Kevin Eubanks and performed with visiting artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Slide Hampton, Kenny Burrell among many other notable jazz luminaries, Matt went on to earn a music education masters from New Jersey City University. Matt’s high school guitar ensembles from his current position in Mountain Lakes and formerly at Elizabeth have performed at county and state teens arts festivals and the State Theater in New Brunswick. As a performer, Matt has played all over the tri-state area in Soul, R & B and Jazz bands including his current tenure in the Epic Soul Band. Matt recently put out two album recordings under his own name with the release of Threshold in 2020 and Rapid Ascent in 2021. Matt serves as a section two guitarist for the NJGO. For more information, visit

http://www.mattjardim.com

Andrew is a professional teacher, musician, recording engineer, and producer. He graduated from The Hartt School in 2008 with a degree in Music Production and Technology, and has been working for various studios and production companies ever since. In 2008, Andrew started his own music company, Sites and Sounds Productions LLC, that specializes in mobile recording and CD duplication for middle- and high-school music concerts. As a performing classical and rock guitarist, he also teaches lessons and works part-time as a high-school marching band faculty member.

At Montclair State University, Andrew earned a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in order to help cultivate a deep respect and love for sound and music. Andrew is section leader two in the NJGO.

Parvathi Kumar was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and raised in Montreal, Quebec. As a child she wanted to learn piano, but for various good reasons, a classical guitar fell into her hands instead, and with the help of wonderful teachers in Montreal she built a strong foundation and deep love for classical guitar. Though earning a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Concordia University in Montreal, a master's degree in Computer Science from NJIT in Newark, and working for ten years in software design & development for IT firms in Denmark, CT and NJ, classical guitar always remained a serious and passionate interest. In Denmark and CT, she was involved with the local classical guitar societies, attending outstanding master classes and concerts, and learning from the best of the best. After settling in NJ in 2001 and starting a family, she connected with the NJ Classical Guitar Society, attended the yearly NY Guitar Seminar at Mannes, and took private lessons to further her skills and repertoire. Joining NJGO as a section three member in the fall of 2021 has been an added blessing and experience to continue her learning and love of the instrument. Parvathi is also a professional fine art photographer, exhibits her work throughout the world, and offers photo services as well as photo book design. She is an active member of local and international art associations, collaborates with artists of other media, and has given workshops and talks on the art of photography. Outside of guitar and photography, Parvathi has advanced training in Bharata Natyam (South Indian Classical Dance), and is a certified yoga instructor. She lives in Bridgewater, NJ with her husband and two sons.

www.parvathikumar.com

pkumar@parvathikumar.com

@parvathi_kumar_photography

Sandy Meltzer began her career as a French Horn player. By the age of 12 she was already a member of the Westchester Philharmonic and the Westchester Symphony. She went on to study at Manhattan School of Music where she earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and subsequently taught in the pre-college division there for 12 years. During this time, she was an active freelancer in the New York metropolitan area performing in groups such as the Julius Grossman Orchestra, American Chamber Opera Company, the National Orchestral Association and the Village Chamber Orchestra as well as numerous regional theater companies, occasional subbing on Broadway and one national tour. She was also a featured soloist with the Village Chamber Orchestra and the Bloomingdale House of Music Chamber Orchestra.

By her late-30’s, she decided she was ready for a career change and decided to go back to school to become a teacher. Most of her teaching career was spent at the Academies @ Englewood, a program connected with Dwight Morrow High School. While there, she was able to grow creatively and directed every group on campus, from Concert Band and Chorus to Jazz Band and an award-winning A Cappella group as well as directing the annual school musical. She also implemented a guitar program, finally being able to reach the students who otherwise were not involved with music on campus. She is a self-taught classical guitarist and was happy to share this passion with her students.

Since retiring from teaching in 2021, she has taken the opportunity to hone her skills as a classical guitarist. She joined 2 groups in this capacity, the NJGO as well as the Montclair Early Music Society where she was recently appointed Assistant Music Director. She feels it is a true privilege to perform with the extremely talented members of the NJGO as a member of section four.

Michael’s classical guitar career began during his middle school years at Classen School of Advanced Studies. While he expanded his interests to jazz and rock during high school, Michael continued to study classical guitar under the tutelage of Dr. Matt Denman and received the highest possible ratings during state competitions in his home state of Oklahoma. After briefly majoring in music at Loyola University in New Orleans, Michael continued to practice guitar throughout college and his residency in Guangzhou, China. He has since remained active in the NYC Classical Guitar and New Jersey Guitar Orchestras, where he serves as a section one member.

Omar Reyes is a Newark native and has been playing guitar since he the age of 12. He was introduced to classical guitar while studying with Jayson Martinez at Essex County College. After earning his Associates Degree in Music, Omar earned his BA from NJCU in Music Education. Omar currently teaches elementary and middle school music in his hometown for the Newark Public Schools, where he graciously gives back to his community. Omar serves as a section one member of our NJGO.

Edison Pereyra is a Dominican-American classical guitarist and has performed throughout much of the U.S., Caribbean, and Europe. He holds a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. With seven years of experience teaching guitar & piano, Edison has developed an incredible amount of patience and efficiency in his craft. He has also played and/or studied with world-famous guitarists João Luiz and Eliot Fisk. Edison is also a member of the NJ Guitar Orchestra as a section two player, and performs with several other ensembles.

Dr. Steven Sabet is a music teacher at the Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy where he teaches guitar and music technology. He is also adjunct professor at Kean University and has taught at Rutgers where he received a Doctorate in Music Education. His doctoral research was published by the Journal of Popular Music Education. Sabet’s guitar work can be heard on several studio albums on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify. He studied guitar at The Hartt School and Florida State University before becoming a teacher and performer. Dr. Sabet serves as concertmaster for the NJGO.

Alex is a professional musician, educator, performer, and independent recording artist specializing in guitar from the Tri-State area. He possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education K-12 with a concentration in Classical Guitar from New Jersey City University (2016), a Masters Degree in Music Education from New Jersey City University (May 2020), and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University (August 2022). Being in the profession since the age of 14 has allowed him to perform in a variety of venues, such as Trumpets, Prudential Center, NJPAC, Community Theaters, and more. This has allowed him the privilege of performing with prominent musicians of all genres, and continues to be an active performer and educator. Lastly, you may find his music on all streaming platforms. Alex serves as a section two member of the NJGO.

Jeff Wilt has played guitar since the early 1960’s when his uncle (an organist) took note of his interest in Channel 13’s presentations of classical guitar legend Andres Segovia’s “Masterclass” television series and purchased Jeff’s first guitar.  His parents finally relented and engaged a teacher in the mid-60’s after listening to Jeff banging on a guitar he couldn’t even tune for two years!  His early studies tended toward jazz.  He lost interest as the jazz became progressively more…well, progressive!  After not playing during college, Jeff returned to guitar around 1980 and taught himself classical guitar.  As an adult, Jeff has relied on direction provided by a small army of accomplished classical guitarist friends, as well as classes with international concert guitarists at the annual convention of the Guitar Foundation of America.

 Now retired from the life insurance industry where he was in regional sales management for 35 years, Jeff plays in the New York City Guitar Orchestra and in several small ensembles with friends in addition to performing with the New Jersey Guitar Orchestra.  He is on the Board of Directors of the New York City Classical Guitar Society.  He is married to Lori Wilt with three adult children, Michala, Carmine and Kathleen. Jeff is also a lifelong motorcyclist and enjoys daily walks with Holly, the Golden Retriever. He is section leader three of the NJGO.