Kevin R. Gallagher began playing rock guitar in his formative years but his musical appetite quickly led him to study jazz and ultimately, classical guitar. His renowned gift for the classical guitar won him numerous scholarships and awards while studying with Benjamin Verdery at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and at the Julliard School under the tutelage of Sharon Isbin.
As one of the world’s leading classical guitarists, he was the first-prize winner in the 1993 Guitar Foundation of America, the 1994 American String Teachers Association, and the 1993 Artists International Competition. Most notably, Mr. Gallagher also earned the distinct honor of being the only American classical guitarist ever to win first prize in the prestigious Francisco Tárrega Guitar Competition in Spain (1997).
Following his studies at Julliard, Mr. Gallagher gave many classical guitar performances and masterclasses throughout the world, including those in Spain, Germany, Sweden, Greece, Turkey, Brazil, and England. He has recorded four classical guitar CDs. His recording for Naxos Records – Guitar_Recital_- Music from the Renaissance_and_Baroque was hailed as “…one of the very best NAXOS guitar recordings” by Classical Guitar Magazine (London) in 2000.