Duo Norteño is a classical guitar duo based in Sudbury, Ontario.  The duo is actively playing concerts in Northern Ontario with raving reviews and success.  Allan J. Yzereef (MMus, University of Ottawa) began his musical journey with an electric guitar at the age of eleven. Beginning classical studies in his teens, Allan made City of Sudbury history by claiming 1st place at the provincial competition of Ontario. Allan went to represent the province at the National Festival of Canada held in Wolfville, Nova Scotia and remains the only competitor in the history of the Sudbury to do so. In addition to his performance awards, Allan has won substantial scholarships including the Ross MacMillan scholarship and the Borse d ́etudes superieures en musique Gaston Heon scholarship at the University of Ottawa. After completing his Masters’ degree, Allan became part of the music faculty family at Cambrian College in 2006. Later that year, Allan assumed the role of guitar instructor at Laurentian University. Aside from his teaching and performing commitments, Allan is artistic director of Guitars Alive and guitar representative for Sudbury’s Kiwanis Music Festival. Keenan Comartin teaches guitar students at Cambrian College and serves as an occasional teacher for the Rainbow District School Board in Sudbury. His background in education and in music has led him to develop a new approach to teaching music classes using his own arrangements of popular/rock music and adapting materials to ensure all students can participate, create and enjoy music. Keenan’s contributions to music extends to arranging popular music for 3 guitars, including arrangements of The Final Countdown, Billie Jean and songs from groups like The Ventures, The Beach Boys and David Bowie. Keenan Comartin completed his music studies in Sudbury and Ottawa to earn a Master of Music degree from University of Ottawa, a Bachelor of Arts from Laurentian University, and a Diploma in Music Performance from Cambrian College. He has studied guitar with Patrick Roux, Philip Candelaria, Louis Trepanier, and Arturo Parra. He then went on to complete a Bachelor of Education degree from Nipissing University.

The Sudbury Guitar Trio: Recognized as one of Canada’s leading chamber ensembles, audiences and critics worldwide have acclaimed the energetic and playful stage presence of the Sudbury Guitar Trio. This trio specializes in eclectic, audience-specific programs of new classical works to more traditional classical music, injecting fun arrangements of popular music into their concert repertoire to reach the widest audience. Whether experimental or more traditional classical music, SGT is well-versed in all styles. “Challenging repertoire was played with wit and verve, and the enjoyment was obvious on part of both players and the audience”, Heather Morand Clark, President – Toronto Guitar Society. Allan J. Yzereef (MMus, University of Ottawa) began his musical journey with an electric guitar at the age of eleven. Beginning classical studies in his teens, Allan made City of Sudbury history by claiming 1st place at the provincial competition of Ontario. Allan went to represent the province at the National Festival of Canada held in Wolfville, Nova Scotia and remains the only competitor in the history of the Sudbury to do so. In addition to his performance awards, Allan has won substantial scholarships including the Ross MacMillan scholarship and the Borse d ́etudes superieures en musique Gaston Heon scholarship at the University of Ottawa. After completing his Masters’ degree, Allan became part of the music faculty family at Cambrian College in 2006. Later that year, Allan assumed the role of guitar instructor at Laurentian University. Aside from his teaching and performing commitments, Allan is artistic director of Guitars Alive and guitar representative for Sudbury’s Kiwanis Music Festival. Keenan Comartin teaches guitar students at Cambrian College and serves as an occasional teacher for the Rainbow District School Board in Sudbury. His background in education and in music has led him to develop a new approach to teaching music classes using his own arrangements of popular/rock music and adapting materials to ensure all students can participate, create and enjoy music. Keenan’s contributions to Sudbury Guitar Trio extends to arranging popular music for 3 guitars, including arrangements of The Final Countdown, Billie Jean and songs from groups like The Ventures, The Beach Boys and David Bowie. Keenan Comartin completed his music studies in Sudbury and Ottawa to earn a Master of Music degree from University of Ottawa, a Bachelor of Arts from Laurentian University, and a Diploma in Music Performance from Cambrian College. He has studied guitar with Patrick Roux, Philip Candelaria, Louis Trepanier, and Arturo Parra. He then went on to complete a Bachelor of Education degree from Nipissing University. Guitarist Dr. Matthew Gould (B.Mus. Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University with Manuel Barrueco; M.Mus. University of Arizona with Tom Patterson; D.M.A. Arizona State University with Frank Koonce) has been described by his mentor, Manuel Barrueco, as “a guitarist capable of giving performances of great beauty, enthusiasm and control”. He is active as a performer, scholar and teacher. As a scholar, Dr. Gould has presented papers on “Composing for Guitar” at San Francisco Conservatory, UC Berkeley, CSU Fresno, and the Vittadini School of Music (Italy), including a theoretical analysis in “Ex Tempore. A Journal of Compositional and Theoretical Research in Music” of Toward the “SEA” for Alto Flute and Guitar by Toru Takemitsu. Current projects include the development of the Sudbury Guitar Trio, having recently toured Italy and Netherlands, and acting as Artistic Director of Guitars Alive in Sudbury. As an American football fanatic and Baltimore Ravens fan, Matthew served as Head Coach of the champion Crows American Football Team, part of the Turkish American Football League, while an Assistant Professor of Music at Eastern Mediterranean University on the island of Cyprus. Former teaching posts include Arizona State University, University of Memphis, Paradise Valley College, Peabody Conservatory of Music Preparatory, and is currently Director of Guitar Studies at Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario.