Biography

James Ferla

In addition to his concerts with the Ferla-Marcinizyn Guitar Duo, James Ferla, a two-time Pittsburgh Concert Society winner, has also performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, the Renaissance City Winds, The Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, DEAR FRIENDS Ensemble and Cynthia Koleda DeAlmeida, principal oboe of the Pittsburgh Symphony. He has published several articles on guitar repertoire in SoundBoard, the journal of the Guitar Foundation of America. With singer/actress Kate Young, James recorded Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Platero y Yo for Voice of America and is heard on the soundtrack of the PBS American Experience film, "Stephen Foster." He teaches guitar at Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. His principal teachers were Richard Franklin, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, and Colin Sterne. James has an MFA in performance from Carnegie Mellon University and an MA in Musicology from the University of Pittsburgh.

John Marcinizyn

Guitarist, composer, banjoist John Marcinizyn performs frequently as a soloist, with the Ferla-Marcinizyn Guitar Duo, contralto Daphne Alderson, flute and guitar duo, violin and guitar duo, and groups ranging from The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh to his jazz trio Acoustic Swing. His versatility as an acoustic and electric guitarist allows him to perform in many styles including classical, jazz, rock, blues, and folk. John has also performed guitar and banjo for many theater companies including Quantum Theater, where he wrote and performed a Flamenco score for The Red Shoes and a Blues score for El Paso Blue.  His playing can be heard on six CDs and one DVD.

 John’s original music compositions have received numerous performances and include a guitar concerto, string quartet, orchestral music, music for theater, and pieces for solo guitar and guitar with mixed ensemble, as well as a number of jazz and rock pieces.  His Sonata for Guitar and Marimba received critical acclaim following its premiere at the Guitar Foundation of America International Festival and Competition held in Buffalo.  The Westmoreland Symphonic Winds commissioned Song for the Sparrows, in memory of Beth Ann Johnson and Elyse Jeanne Saraceni who were killed in the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103. IonSound Project premiered his And All Manner of Thing Shall Be Well, for Contralto, Cello and Piano, based upon the writings of Julian of Norwich. John recently toured in South America and the Eastern Caribbean with contralto, Daphne Alderson in programs that varied from chamber music through cabaret.

John holds a Ph. D. in music composition and theory from the University of Pittsburgh, and teaches guitar and composition at Carnegie Mellon University and Seton Hill University.  He also teaches a class on slide guitar techniques at the Duquesne University Guitar and Bass Summer Workshop. For more information visit: www.johnmarcinizyn.com.