Aaron Baldauf is a classical guitarist from Austin, Texas. He began studying classical guitar in middle school through a program launched by Austin Classical Guitar and continued his musical development throughout high school, performing and competing as both a soloist and ensemble member. Aaron earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 2023, studying under Adam Holzman, and recently completed his Master of Music at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee under the mentorship of René Izquierdo.

As a performer, Aaron has participated in masterclasses with renowned guitarists including Zoran Dukić, Grisha Goryachev, SoloDuo, Dimitri Illarionov, Artyom Dervoed, and Dale Kavanagh. His ensemble experience includes performances with the University of Texas Butler Opera Center Orchestra, collaborations with the Miro Quartet, and premieres of works by Clarisse Assad and Marek Pasieczny.

Deeply committed to community engagement and music education, Aaron served for several years as an Education Associate with Austin Classical Guitar. In this role, he contributed to community ensembles, collaborated with artists-in-residence, and supported a wide range of performances and outreach events. His work is driven by a belief in the power of music to connect people and build community.

Henrique Carvalho is a renowned Brazilian guitarist, recognized for his refined and expressive musicianship. With a degree in classical guitar from the University of São Paulo (Brazil), he is currently studying for a master's degree in Guitar Performance at Stony Brook University (USA).

Carvalho has won prizes in several prestigious international competitions, such as the Houston Classical Guitar Competition 2024 (USA) and the Souza Lima Competition (Brazil). He also received a scholarship from the Cultura Artística program, which enabled him to improve his studies under the guidance of Professor Fábio Zanon.

With frequent appearances and tours in various cities, including New York, Miami, Arizona, Rochester, Buffalo, Colorado, Philadelphia, São Paulo, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, and Piauí. He is known for premiering important guitar works and giving world premieres to renowned composers. Among his premieres are “South Loop” by Sergio Assad, dedicated to him during his participation in the inaugural Mentorship Program of the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA), as well as other works such as “Prelude no. 2” and “Improvisos” by João Luiz, “Choro Eterno” by Celso Machado, “Canção en Samba” by Áureo Carreño and “Prelude & Dance” by Joabe Guilherme.

He has also participated in several masterclasses with guitar greats such as Scott Tennant, Sergio Assad, and Sharon Isbin, and had the opportunity to study with renowned guitarist and composer Benjamin Verdery (Yale) through the GFA Mentorship Program. He also coordinates the Música de Casa Project, created during the pandemic to promote Brazilian music and its performers among young people from the peripheries and social projects, with the support of the São Paulo City government.

Henrique Carvalho recorded the albums “Novos Violões” and “Retratos Brasileiros”. Passionate about teaching, he also stands out as an educator, training award-winning students in competitions such as the Villa-Lobos-Fito National Competition and the Souza Lima International Competition.

A versatile artist, Penelope Shvarts has studied both classical and flamenco guitar since she was just 5 years old with teachers Gohar Vardanyan, Elysa and Jason Hochman, and Grisha and Dmitry Goryachev. She has played in masterclasses with many well-known artists, some of which being Sharon Isbin, Eliot Fisk, Jason Vieaux, Ana Vidovic, and Meng Su, and performed with esteemed musicians such as Midori Goto. In the fall of 2023, Penelope began her undergraduate degree in classical guitar performance at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where she studies under Maestro Manuel Barrueco. At Peabody, she has taken on many influential roles, one of which being the Treasurer-Secretary of the Peabody General Assembly.

While playing, she has worked with the organizations Notelove and Midori & Friends, where she helps to promote free music education. She currently serves as the Event Intern and member of the Student Advisory Committee for the Baltimore Classical Guitar Society, streamlining communication between conservatory-level and professional musicians. Recently, she has been awarded the Peabody Archives Recital Research Grant to continue her work in researching non-male composers and the works that they have written for the classical guitar, hoping to diversify the standard classical guitar repertoire and make music more inclusive as a whole. Her work with the Peabody Institute’s Performing Arts Health Clinic has also awarded her the Grand Prize in the Shakh Family Foundation’s Unfamous Innovators Scholarship dedicated to merging the fields of arts and health.

Described as “a staggeringly talented young artist with powerful rhythm and elegant phrasing” (Austin Classical Guitar), David Manzanares-Salguero is a multi-award-winning classical guitarist from Houston, TX. He has won top prizes in several competitions including the Philadelphia Guitar Competition, Southwest Guitar Symposium, and the Columbus Guitar Symposium. Most recently, David was a co-winner in the prestigious Yale Gordon Concerto Competition performing Tedesco’s Guitar Concerto in D major. Some of his most recent notable performances include performing for the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Festival, Austin Classical Guitar’s play! series, and performing at the Home of the Spanish Ambassador in Washington D.C.

Passionate about community outreach, David participated in the Music for a While program at Peabody Institute during the 2021-22 academic year, bringing music to the Johns Hopkins Hospital. From 2022 to 2024, he was the Musician in Residence at the Edenwald Senior Living Community where he performed and curated weekly concerts for its independent and assisted living communities. From 2024-2025, David served as the Peabody Institute's inaugural Intern in Inspired Aging for the Arts in Health program.

David cares deeply about finding ways to make higher education more accessible for low-income students. He recently won the competitive Launch Grant from the Peabody Institute to fund the creation of “For the Future,” a college readiness program that guides high school classical guitarists facing financial barriers through the college application process.

David received his Bachelor of Music in Performance at The Peabody Institute of Music of the Johns Hopkins University studying with Dr. Thomas Viloteau. He continued his studies at Peabody receiving his Master of Music in Performance and Pedagogy studying with Maestro Manuel Barrueco. Currently, David is pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Texas in Austin studying with Professor Adam Holzman as his teaching assistant. He is partnered with Knobloch Strings and Le Support and his website is dmsguitar.com.