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Nephtali Santiago
Guitar
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Guitarist Nephtali Santiago teaches at Valdosta State University and at Rutland's Music Academy in Valdosta GA. He began playing the guitar at an early age and earned a Bachelor's degree in Guitar Performance at Temple University, where he studied with Peter Segal and was active as a teacher and performer. He was also the first guitarist to win the Concerto Soloists Competition there. He subsequently earned an MM degree at Yale University where he studied with Benjaming Verdery, served as a teaching assistant, and was awarded the Charles H. Ditson Scholarship for outstanding scholarship and performance. He became a teaching assistant at Florida State University, where he studied with the renowned guitar master teacher Bruce Holzman and was twice awarded the Florida State University Fellowship. During this time he was a prize winner at the International Guitar Competition in Puerto Rico. Subsequently he has performed numerous recitals throughout the eastern United States, often in a guitar-violin duo with Nina Lutz, concertmaster of the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra and assistant concertmaster of the Breckenridge Chamber Orchestra. Most recently Nephtali performed the Concierto de Aranjuez in Colorado with the Breckenridge Chamber Orchestra and was recieved with great enthusiasm.