John M. Parris
Classical Guitar

Hailed as " a player of great sensitivity and refinement" (Soundboard magazine), guitarist John Michael Parris has been consistently praised by audiences and critics throughout the United States and abroad. Mr. Parris is a major prize winner in four international competitions including the Puerto Rico International and Guitar Foundation of America International solo competitions. He has toured Central America, South America, and the Caribbean region as a representative of the United States government in the prestigious Artistic Ambassador program. He has been a frequent guest artist at music festivals, including the Brevard Summer Music Festival, the Stetson International Guitar Workshop, the Carolina Guitar Summerfest and the Duquesne University Guitar Festival. His passionate performances and musical versatility keep him in demand as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral soloist.

Mr. Parris is also noted as an outstanding educator. In 2002 he received the U.S. Department of Education’s National Teacher Recognition Award, and in 2003 the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Teacher Recognition Award for his students’ achievements in state, regional, and national competitions. He was voted Florida Studio Teacher of the Year 2004, by the state division of the American String Teachers Association. Mr. Parris’ students have won seven national awards in the past six years.

John Michael Parris chairs the Fine Arts department and directs the Classical Guitar Studies program at Tampa’s Blake School of the Arts, where he joined the artist-faculty in 1998. He also serves on the faculty at St. Leo University. Previous teaching appointments include the North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of South Florida, and Florida State University. Mr. Parris holds degrees from the North Carolina School of the Arts and Florida State University. His major teachers include Aaron Shearer, Bruce Holzman, and Pepe Romero.