Dr. Matthew Dunlap

Dr. Matthew Dunlap began playing the guitar at the age of ten. He completed his BM in guitar performance at Kennesaw State University, MM in guitar performance at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and a DM in guitar performance at Florida State University where he was a Teaching Assistant to Bruce Holzman from 2003-2005. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, he studied at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana with world renowned guitar pedagogue, Oscar Ghiglia. He has performed concerts and conducted masterclasses in Italy, Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada and numerous venues in the US.

Dr. Dunlap has been on the faculty of Florida State University, Troy State University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Carver Elementary Arts Magnet School, and Tuscarora High School. His duties have included teaching class guitar, guitar ensemble, guitar literature, AP Music Theory, and DE Music Appreciation. He has received multiple awards for teaching and leadership through his tenure as an educator including being a finalist for teacher of the year and the Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction.

Dr. Dunlap’s students have participated in workshops and masterclasses with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Canadian Guitar Quartet, Texas Guitar Quartet, Atlantic Guitar Quartet, Ben Verdery, Zane Forshee, Kevin Gallagher, Rick Whitehead, Ana Vidovic, Marco Tamayo, Julian Gray, Leo Welch, and Jason Vieaux. They have been featured in numerous guitar events including the Yale University Guitar Extravaganza, the Peabody Preparatory Fret Festival, and the Washington College Guitar Festival where they performed with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet in the closing concert. Numerous students have won awards in local and regional guitar competitions including the Beatty Music Scholarship Competition in D.C., the Aguado Guitar Competition in Sterling, VA, and the ECU Summer Guitar Festival Competition.