GSl Sponsors the 2027 TUSD Guitar Festival and Competition

We are thrilled to announce that GSI is proud to sponsor the Tucson Unified School District Guitar Festival and Solo Guitar Competition, taking place March 1–2, 2027 at Sahuaro High School in Tucson, Arizona.

Now in its fourth year, the TUSD Guitar Festival is one of the largest high school guitar festivals in the United States, bringing together 300–400 students from across Arizona for two days of concerts, masterclasses, workshops, and lessons. The 2027 edition promises to be the biggest yet, with confirmed participation from schools throughout the Phoenix metro area in addition to the Tucson community. Guest artists and educators for 2027 include guitarist and pedagogue Renée Izquierdo, alongside returning faculty Chuck Hulihan and Tom Patterson of the University of Arizona.

As part of the festival, students compete in the TUSD Solo Classical Guitar Competition. GSI is honored to be donating the First Prize guitar: a Wolfgang Jellinghaus Torres FE 13 - clear SP/IN — an instrument inspired by the iconic FE 13 guitar by Antonio de Torres, made with a clear spruce top. It is exactly the kind of guitar that can mark a turning point in a young musician's development.

The festival is organized by Philip Hemmo, Guitar and Music History Teacher and Department Chair for Performing Arts at Sahuaro High School, whose dedication to guitar education in the Tucson community has built this event into something truly remarkable.

Follow the festival's updates and highlights on their Facebook page and stay tuned to GSI's socials as we approach March 2027!