Steven Vazquez, Guitar

Biography

Steven Vazquez began playing guitar at the age of eleven. He played mainly rock and
roll and was self-taught for many years. At the age of nineteen, he began his classical guitar studies under Steve Suvada at Wm. Rainey
Harper College. He went on for further study with Mark Maxwell at DePaul University (B.M. ‘91) and Anne Waller at Northwestern
University (M.M. ‘94). His master class credits include work with Sergio and Odair Assad, Oscar Ghiglia, Stepan Rak, The L.A. Guitar
Quartet, William Kannengeiser, Paul O’Dette, and Dusan Bogdanovic.

Steve was a 1996-97 Chicago Artists International Program award recipient. This allowed him to study with Stepan Rak in Prague, Czech Republic.
Steve has performed throughout the Midwest and Chicago area with The Chicago Guitar Quartet, The Chicago Guitar Camerata, Ensemble
Español, the rock bands Thing 3 and Woolworthy, Dana Underwood Band and in many other solo and chamber performances. He has been an
annual participant in The Mid-America Guitar Ensemble Festival as a performer and ensemble director. His repertoire ranges from music of
the Renaissance to modern works, including his own compositions.

His Chicago appearances have included the Chicago Cultural Center, The Fourth Presbyterian Church Noonday Series, Northwestern University,
The Lunar Cabaret, The Old Town School of Folk Music, Hothouse, The People’s Music School, The Metro, Double Door, and Lounge Ax. His
radio credits include broadcasts on WBEZ, WXRT, Q101, WNUR, and WZRD.

Steve is on the faculties of Wm. Rainey Harper College and The People’s Music School.