Classical Guitar Returns.
Classical Guitarist Mark Edwards performing on the 2024 Vaudeville In The Street stage.
Seated in a crisp white shirt and jeans, classical guitarist Mark Edwards softly announces a selection he has chosen to play on his guitar at the 2024 Victorian Chautauqua. He sits upon the Vaudeville In the Street stage, propping one foot up to firmly position his guitar, his ear tilted to monitor his play. And then, as if his hands become one with his instrument, he strums a symphony, astonishing his audience and leaving them euphoric. His classical tunes are compositionally complex yet easily enjoyable, regardless of your musical taste or background.
“My husband Bill and I had the pleasure of listening to Mark Edwards perform at the Victorian Chautauqua,” said Lisa Janoske, “He was very engaging with all ages, especially the younger generations.”
An accomplished musician herself, Lisa is widely respected as a 2018 inductee into the West Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame. Edwards’ repertoire is quite different from the music Lisa plays with The Round-Up Band. Her group, which includes her husband, can be seen at the Sagebrush Round-Up on Saturdays in Fairmont, West Virginia.
“Mark is a very talented musician, and after meeting him and reading about him on the internet, he is definitely a master of his craft,” said Lisa. “It was a pure joy to take in his performance and watch others enjoying it as well.”
A calmness washes over Edwards as he begin complex classic works.
Like Lisa, a surveyed audience pleaded to have Edwards return for another engagement after his impressive performance in 2024. Aiming to please, and already a consideration, the program committee requested Edwards’ return in 2025. He will perform at the Vaudeville In The Street stage on Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13. The intimate outdoor stage, set in the round, presents various 30-minute music performances and unusual acts. Following each performance, audience members are able to meet performers and ask questions, learning inside secrets and personal anecdotes that foster talent.
Edwards has made a name for himself wherever he goes. Maryland Theatre Guide contributor Susan Brall said, “If you want to hear the best, you will want to catch Mark Edwards performing…His talent is unbelievable.”
Audiences in Mountain Lake Park couldn’t agree more. Several people said they made certain to catch both of his performances over the two-day weekend and will likely do so come the next July festival.
A Musical Journey
Edwards’ life-long dedication to the classical guitar was ignited after seeing guitarist Benjamin Verdery perform a concert in Boaz, Alabama. Other great guitar masters such as Andres Segovia, Julian Bream, and David Russell caught his ear and sparked his passion for a discipline that would consume him. Formative guidance came primarily from his teachers, Dr. Andrew Zohn and Douglas Back, which led to a Magna Cum Laude undergraduate diploma from Columbus State University’s Honors Program. He later pursued a Master of Music in Guitar Performance and Guitar Pedagogy from the Peabody Institute of Music and his Graduate Performance Diploma. He is completing his Doctorate in music under the mentorship of Julian Gray.
Competing from age 13 and performing concerts by age 14, Edwards exhibited his musical prowess at an early age. He has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, the Philippines, Thailand, and Russia. Engagements like Trinity Church in New York City, ArtScape in Baltimore, The Toronto Guitar Symposium, The Columbia Festival of the Arts, the Mississippi Guitar Festival, the Guitar Forum Guest Artist Series at Salisbury University, and the Peabody FretFestival are testaments to his skillfulness. He also played at the AfterNow Music Series at the Red Room, a venue featured in Rolling Stone.
Since 1998, Edwards has earned 34 top prizes in Thailand, Canada, and the United States and has been featured on six recordings with the Baldwin Ensemble, El Cumbanchero, Cathedral Hill, and Fretworks, and then three recordings featuring music of Baltimore composer Karen Amrhein.
Besides performing, Edwards is also dedicated to outreach programs in the Baltimore community and directs the Ark & Dove School of Music, a community school whose main purpose is to provide music lessons to underprivileged children who show promise. In 2024, he taught two workshops at Kid-Tauqua by bringing practice guitars for children wanting to learn the basics. The youth workshops will also be part of the 2025 program.
Despite his laundry list of credentials and accomplishments, Edwards is a kind and gentle soul who, through his love of music, moves his audiences and inspires future generations to embrace mastery of an instrument. With each strum and pluck, Edwards reminds us that nurturing technical skills and a dedication to playing music has immense value and rewards for the player and the listener.
As a Maryland artist, Edwards’ 2024 performance was fully funded by the Maryland State Arts Council Touring Artist Roster program. Since 2009, he has been part of the state-run program that connects Maryland artists with hiring organizations like the Victorian Chautauqua. Using an online directory and annual virtual talent showcases, roster artists can present to anyone looking for talent.
