INFORMATION FOR
The William Paterson University Music Department will host Guitarfest 2026, a one-day festival devoted to the classical guitar, on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 11:00 to 9:00 p.m. The day’s events, all held on the University’s campus in Wayne, include a concert and master class presented by internationally acclaimed guitar soloist and chamber musician José Gabriel Maldonado Suárez. All events take place in Shea Recital Hall 101.
This annual celebration of the classical guitar is a focal point for guitar students at the University and a showcase for world-class artists of the classical guitar. Each year, the festival presents a featured artist whose performance in concert and master class teaching are the core events. Other events include a concert of solo and ensemble music by William Paterson guitar students; a performance by the New Jersey Guitar Orchestra led by Jayson Martinez; and a presentation on the Suzuki guitar school. The program is open to the public. Admission is $20 for the day, and free for William Paterson students.
The festival begins at 11 a.m. with a performance by William Paterson students studying in the guitar program. At 1:00 p.m., guitarist and William Paterson University guitar instructor Seth Himmelhoch will give a presentation on the Suzuki guitar school, including a screening of the short film Sounds of Success, followed by a question-and-answer session. The New Jersey Guitar Orchestra, led by Jayson Martinez, will perform at 2:15 p.m. The Maldonado Suárez master class will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., followed by Maldonado Suárez in concert at 8:00 p.m.
Maldonado Suárez is a guitarist and educator who studied and researched music across a wide spectrum of sources and eras, with a particular focus on music of his native Puerto Rico. He is active both as a soloist and as a duo partner in two collaborations, Duo Copla (two guitars) and Weiwei & José (guitar and piano). Duo Copla has released three recordings and has performed internationally, including at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, and at the Festival Internacional de Guitarra Ximénez Abril in Perú. Weiwei & José, a classical guitar and piano duo, has performed extensively throughout the New York City area, with appearances at John Jay College, Bloomingdale School of Music, the Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society, and more. Maldonado Suárez is a resident teaching artist and director of guitar studies at Bloomingdale School of Music and is a faculty member at John Jay College, City University of New York. He holds doctor of musical arts and master of music degrees from Stony Brook University.
Martinez is an award-winning music educator and guitarist whose accomplishments include winning the 2018 Teacher of the Year Award and being a nominee for the GRAMMY Music Educator’s Award in 2024 and 2025. He is the owner of Tremolo Music Studio in Clifton, and serves as the supervisor of visual and performing arts for the Newark Public Schools. In 2021, Martinez founded the New Jersey Guitar Orchestra, for which he serves as conductor. In 2022, the NJGO was featured at Merkin Hall in New York, performing with the United States Guitar Orchestra. In 2024 and 2025, the NJGO performed at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall as featured guests for the Laureate Gala Series.
To learn more about William Paterson University Guitarfest 2026, contact Professor Seth Himmelhoch at 201-486-7744 or at himmelhochs@wpunj.edu.
