Jason Solomon holds a Ph.D. in music theory, a Master's degree in classical guitar performance, and Bachelor’s degrees in both music composition and performance. He began playing guitar at the age of nine, and after exploring a variety of musical styles he opted to devote his full attention to the classical guitar, ultimately pursuing studies with John Sutherland at the University of Georgia. It is at UGA that Jason met his Quartet partners and developed a passion for ensemble playing. In addition to performing with the Quartet, Jason is a solo artist. He has won several competitions, including the state level of MTNA and the UGA Concerto Competition, the latter resulting in a performance of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the UGA Symphony Orchestra. For three summers in a row (1997–1999), Jason participated in the Christopher Parkening Masterclass held annually in Bozeman, Montana. Each year, Jason was one of five performers elected by his peers to represent the entire class in the final public recital. Also an active composer, Jason writes for a variety of instruments, including the electronic medium. He has composed six works for four guitars that are performed regularly by the Quartet, four of which have been recorded by the group. In addition, Jason frequently contributes new arrangements to the Quartet’s repertoire. As a music theorist, Jason’s research interests include spatialization, popular music, music perception and cognition, metaphor theory, and aesthetics. Articles of his appear in recent issues of Guitar Review and Soundboard. He has presented papers at several conferences, including Music Theory Southeast, The Harvard Graduate Forum, and the UGA Music Research Symposium. Jason is an advocate for focal dystonia research and awareness. Jason has taught at several colleges in Georgia and currently serves as Assistant Professor at Western Carolina University, where he teaches theory, classical guitar, and directs the WCU Contemporary Chamber Ensemble.

 

LINKS:

"What Every Guitarist Should Know: A Guide to the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Focal Hand Dystonia" Guitar Review (133, Winter 2007)

Western Carolina University School of Music.