Jason Vieaux

Biography

Jason Vieaux is “among the elite of today’s classical guitarists” (Gramophone), and is described by NPR as “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.” He is one of only 6 guitarists in history to win the Grammy Award for “Best Solo Instrumental,” winning in 2015 for his album Play.

Jason’s multiple appearances over the last 20 years for San Francisco Performances, Caramoor Festival, Ravinia Festival, Round Top Festival, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, 92nd St Y, CMS Lincoln Center, Wolf Trap, etc., cemented his reputation as one of the world’s leading guitarists. He has performed as soloist with over 200 orchestras, including Cleveland, Toronto, Houston, Nashville and St. Louis, working with renowned conductors such as Giancarlo Guererro, Jahja Ling, Gerard Schwarz, and David Robertson. He was the very first classical musician to perform on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts” in 2009.

Vieaux’s strong presence on radio and streaming services continues with recent recordings Bach Volume 2: Works for Violin (2002), and Pat Metheny’s Four Paths of Light (dedicated to Jason), from Metheny’s 2021 album Road To The Sun on BMG Modern. Of his Grammy-winning 2014 solo album Play, The Huffington Post declared that Play is “part of the revitalized interest in the classical guitar.” Vieaux’s next album, Gratitude, will be released Fall 2026 on Azica Records.

Along with his work as a soloist, Vieaux’s regular collaborators include the Escher String Quartet, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, bandoneonist Julien Labro, and Grammy-winners Sasha Cooke (Mezzo), Yolanda Kondonassis (harp), Zuill Bailey (cello) and Timothy McAllister (saxophone). Vieaux co-founded the guitar department at the Curtis Institute of Music in 2011 (with David Starobin), and has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music for 28 years.

SPECIALTIES:
Practice strategy
Fingerings
Arranging pop music

LANGUAGES:
English