Guitar Series

About the Guitar Series

The HCC Guitar Series provides an opportunity for our community to experience the artistry of world-class musicians right here at Dale Mabry Campus.

Sponsored by the campus Student Government Association, the series has been fortunate to host classical guitarists including Pepe Romero, Jason Vieaux, members of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Jorge Caballero, Beijing Duo, SoloDuo and Carlos Barbosa-Lima. The series also includes the first prize winner of the annual Guitar Foundation of America’s International Competition, along with other talented performers whose classical guitar careers are ascending.

Photo of Jose Luis Merlin holding guitar

José Luis Merlin, Classical Guitarist

Concert:

Purchase Tickets

Friday, March 28, 2025, at 7:30 pm

Ybor City Campus, Room #124

2001 N. 14th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605

Ybor City Campus Map

Masterclass:

Saturday, March 29, 2025, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

To participate in the masterclass, please contact us at hccguitarseries@hccfl.edu. Those who wish to watch the masterclass may do so without reservation.

About Merlin:

With an extraordinary career spanning more than 50 years, guitarist, composer, arranger, teacher and creative visionary José Luis Merlin imagines dazzling musical works that celebrate both his classical background and his passion for folk music. Profoundly moved by visual art, dance, literature and film and also influenced by his Latin American, Ukrainian-Jewish and Spanish roots, his original pieces feature contemporary and traditional elements as well as diverse Argentinian rhythms, the haunting melodies of Eastern European folk songs and the resonant, romantic melodies of Western European classical music. 

As a gifted orchestrator and arranger, Merlin has created scores for films such as City of Your Final Destination. He also adapted Christoph Willibald Gluck’s opera Orpheus and Euridice for “La Mar de Marionetas” (The Sea of Puppets) theater company as well as the music for “Agua” at the Expo Zaragoza.

He has arranged and adapted works by Beethoven, Scarlatti and Bach and has set the poetry of Nicandro Pereyra and Antonio Esteban Agüero to music. Merlin also composed the music for the children’s songs album, Estaciones que Cantan. Canciones Infantiles with the poet Cristina Alvarez Puerto. 

In addition, Merlin composed the music for the critically acclaimed oratorio Travesía, with texts by José Tcherkasky. Merlin’s additional original compositions have received equally high praise. He has composed pieces for solo guitar, guitar and cello, guitar and string quartet, piano and voice and for many other ensembles, which have been published by GSP Publisher (USA), Chanterelle (Germany), Tuscany Publications and Shamrock (Austria). 

In September 2014, the city legislature of Buenos Aires declared Merlin “Distinguished Personality of the Culture of the City of Buenos Aires.”

Photo of Roberto Tascini seated with guitar

Roberto Tascini, Classical Guitarist

Roberto Tascini, a graduate of the Conservatory of Music "G.B.Pergolesi" of Fermo with highest honors, performs as a soloist, soloist with orchestra and in various chamber ensembles. He has to his credit many recordings including the CD Ad Parnassum and "Music for winds & guitarsof Euro Teodori composer, also >Guitare andEon Guitar Quartet with the Eponymous Quartet, as well as solo recordings.

Unfortunately, the first concert of this season featuring Roberto Tascini was cancelled due to hurricane recovery efforts for our college campus and our community.

Marko Topchii, Classical Guitarist

Marko Topchii, a renowned classical guitarist born into a musical family in Ukraine in 1991, has garnered widespread acclaim for his exceptional talent and numerous competition victories. With over 100 awards in international classical guitar competitions, including First Prizes in prestigious events such as the International Guitar Competition Francisco Tarrega and the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition in New York, Marko has established himself as a one of a kind musician in the classical guitar world.

Marko Topchii's discography includes several solo albums recorded under legendary classical music labels, Naxos and Contrastes. His most recent Naxos recording was released in Spring 2024 as part of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America’s Laureate Series.

Photo of Kenneth Bender seated playing guitar

Kenneth Bender, Classical Guitarist

Kenneth Bender is a classical guitar performer and teacher native to San Diego. A pupil of Maestro Pepe Romero, Kenneth regularly performs solo concerts as well as with small chamber ensembles and large guitar orchestras. Kenneth has also performed multiple live accompaniments with the San Diego Dance Theatre’s Live Arts Festival, including debuting Cecily Holocomb’s choreographed arrangement “Holding Pattern” using a modern interpretation of Domeniconi’s “Koyunbaba.”

Kenneth has continued his lifelong study of the guitar with Maestro Pepe Romero, participating in masterclass and workshops including the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute in Oklahoma City, the Pepe Romero Guitar Festival in Granada, and in private masterclasses hosted at his son’s (Pepe Romero Jr.) Luthier shop in Oceanside, California. Since then, Kenneth has been fortunate to be able to spend countless hours personally with Pepe Romero, honing his expressiveness and power on the guitar.

Get your tickets

All Guitar Series concerts are $20 each, but are free for current HCC students and employees. To reserve your free ticket, click on the ticket link above and use Promo Code “HCCStudent” (for students) or “HCCEmployee” (for employees) online at checkout. On the night of the concert, all free tickets must be accompanied by a current HCC Hawkcard ID for entry.