Douglas Dispatch

Cochise College Classical Guitarist Tom Sheeley

Classical guitarist Tom Sheeley, a Northern Arizona University professor of guitar studies and music, presents a concert to benefit Cochise College Music Fund at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at the Sierra Vista Community United Church of Christ, 240 Arizona 90.

Sheeley has performed nationally and internationally as a soloist and has been featured in chamber music concerts with the Blair Quartet, St. Petersburg Quartet, Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, Flagstaff Festival of the Arts Summer Orchestra, Sinofonica de Maracaibo Venezuela and Sinofonica Nacional de Ecuador.

Since winning first place in the prestigious Manuel M. Ponce International Guitar Competition, organized to honor the 100th birthday of the composer that Andres Segovia described as “the best composer for guitar,” Sheeley has performed at the European International Festival in Geneva, Switzerland; and the Concours International de Guitare in Paris, where he was invited to present a guest recital. In 1995, he was one of eight American guitarists selected to join the Artistic Ambassador Program of the United States Information Agency and Arts America. He also was featured in a highly successful tour of South America, which included solo recitals, chamber concerts and master classes.

Sheeley was a student of Manuel Lopez Ramos and Patrick Read. He currently teaches at Northern Arizona University, where he directs guitar studies and teaches courses in American music, contemporary music literature, and esthetics of music.

The concert is open to the public. A donation of $5 is requested at the door, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Cochise College Music Fund. For more information, call (520) 515-8759. Anyone needing an accommodation in order to attend should contact the Disability Services Office, (520) 515-5337 or (520) 417-4023, at least 72 hours in advance.