As Director of the annual St. Joseph International Guitar Festival & Competition, I wanted to send a personal “Thank you!” to everyone in St. Joseph and throughout the region who helped make this year’s event such a tremendous success!

Now in our fifth year, the attendance at our events AND our list of competitors increased by over 25% and we drew guitarists to St. Joseph from China, Brazil, Cuba, Columbia, South America and from the entire US.

I’m thrilled that we’ve built such a positive international reputation for the festival, Missouri Western and for St. Joseph. One of our competitors from a large music school in the South West US said that his professor (who knows us only by reputation) told him, if he only went to one festival this year “…it should be St. Joseph” and that sentiment was echoed by every single guitarist who came to our town from all over the world.

I would also like to thank Jason Riley for his brilliant organization of the post-concert jam sessions, Café Acoustic for their constant support, Dr. Robert Spurgat for home-host organization, Michael Mooreman of UMKC who acted as our French, German and Spanish translator for those guitarists who didn’t speak English, Dr. Mark Mikkelsen and Dr. Matt Gilmour at Missouri Western for logistic support and to the local press and media for help in spreading the word. Finally, a warm thank you to the home-hosts throughout St. Joseph who took in these brilliant musicians and showed them the hospitality and genuine friendship that I truly believe is at the core of our city.

When I originally wrote the mission statement for the festival five years ago, I wasn’t quite sure that we could live up to the intent. This year – with the help and support of everyone in St. Joseph – we went well beyond that dream to a reality that extended past any border, language or ideology and showed others from around the world an incredible level of professionalism and, perhaps more importantly, the warm heart and hospitality that truly is St. Joseph.

St. Joseph International
Guitar Festival & Competition
— MISSION STATEMENT —

  • Our festival will present the highest level of international concert performers, lectures and masterclasses, competitive with any festival any where in the world.
  • We will do this in a setting that is educational, friendly and accessible, not only to professional and amateur musicians, but to the general public.
  • Through the festival we will present a balanced attitude between the music industry and an emotionally healthy and rational lifestyle.
  • We will do this to promote music, the guitar, Missouri Western State University and the City of St. Joseph, Missouri to others around the world.

Sincerely,
Anthony L. GLISE
Founder and Director,
St. Joseph International Guitar Festival & Competition