Season of Soloists
W. Mark Akin

THE UNIVERSITY CITY Symphony orchestra presents… 

The Season finale

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And…

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The Schatzkamer Young Artists Competition Winners Perform!

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The 61st Annual Spectacular Showcase of Stars

2:15 PM Conductor’s Comments

3:00 PM Concert

Kirkwood Performing Arts Center
210 East Monroe Avenue
Kirkwood, MO 63122

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ATTENDANCE IS FREE!

 

HOWEVER, TICKETING IS REQUIRED BY THE CITY OF KIRKWOOD

NO-FEE tickets are available by phone or in-person at the KPAC 
box office. CALL (314) 759-1455 for your tickets!

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Parking is adjacent, plentiful, and free!

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- Program -

 

JOAQUIN RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez

W. Mark Akin, guitar

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2025 WILLIAM SCHATZKAMMER YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION

61st ANNUAL WINNERS SHOWCASE 

 

EDVARD GRIEG Peer Gynt, Suite No. 4 

In the Hall of the Mountain King

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UNIVERSITY CITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Leon Burke, music director

 

 

ABOUT W. MARK AKIN 

Award-winning classical guitarist W. Mark Akin is a St. Louis based musician who has thrilled audiences across the country with his dynamic stage presence and musicality. 

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Mark has won prizes in numerous competitions such as the Wilson Center Guitar Competition in Wisconsin, Beethoven Club Competition in Memphis, the University of Arizona's Beeston Competition and Sholin Competition, and was a winner of the Artist Presentation Society of St Louis Competition.  In June 2022 Mark was a Featured Artist for the Missouri Arts Council. 

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Originally from Tennessee Mark started his guitar studies by learning to play electric hard rock, idolizing guitarists such as Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Eddie Van Halen.  After discovering the classical guitar in high school, he then decided to study the instrument full-time and subsequently received his bachelor's and master's degrees in guitar performance from Belmont University in Nashville, and the University of Arizona in Tucson.  He has performed in master classes and taken lessons with some of the greatest guitarists in the world, including Sergio and Odair Assad, Manuel Barrueco, David Russell, and Jason Vieaux, Olivier Chassain, Marcin Dylla, and Adam Holzman.

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An active teacher, Mark is on faculty at Washington University in St. Louis. He also teaches with St. Louis Classical Guitar’s “Guitar Horizons” education initiative. This program establishes guitar programs in inner city public schools and schools in the greater St. Louis area. Mark is also the music director of the St. Louis Classical Guitar guitar orchestra. 

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You can hear Mark as the host of the weekly radio program “Inside Classical Guitar,” airing every Monday night at 8:00 PM on Classic 107.3.

 

Mark plays a Michael Gee guitar.