The Gulf Coast Guitar Association (GCGA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to classical guitar in the Houston, Texas area. Our vision is to become a leading organization in the greater Houston area promoting and facilitating education and outreach for the classical guitar.
Our belief is the GCGA can be a leading organization by creating a sense of community through a diverse series of programs and by promoting the fine arts. The community impacted by the GCGA programs includes musicians, educators, and non-musicians alike:
- Students and teachers in K-12 guitar programs in the Houston area
- Community College guitar students and teachers
- College students from surrounding areas (as far as Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Louisiana)
- Adult amateurs playing/studying classical guitar
- Non-musician public of all ages (possible future guitar students, concert goers)
- Patients and staff in hospitals
- Adults in retirement communities
We strive to expand awareness in the community of the GCGA as an artistic and cultural entity by providing programs that focus on guitar education and guitar performance.
Our programs provide the opportunity for music education regardless of age or socioeconomic status. The GCGA promotes lifelong learning in the arts for all age groups from the youth in Houston area schools to older adults living in retirement communities. We provide a classical-guitar-based outreach program in the greater Houston area and believe all students should be able to participate in music education, regardless of economic status. Socioeconomically challenged students are provided full scholarships to participate in the annual Houston Classical Guitar Festival and Competition (HCGFest). These scholarships facilitate the students’ dedication to music and development of the discipline needed to become successful in core academic areas.
We strive to fully utilize the potential of the HCGFest to serve the Houston community. This includes growing demand for the HCGFest by attendees (students, competitors, audience) and by invited professional guest artists. We believe this will be accomplished by providing a high caliber artistic program with guest artists that move, excite, inspire the community.
The cultivation and development of the HCGF participants' technical proficiency and overall musicianship is crucial to the fulfillment of an integral component of the GCGA mission; education. Our music theory courses, masterclasses, workshops, and guitar orchestra rehearsals serve to help participating guitarists grow into increasingly well-rounded musicians. The artistic and educational programs also support our vision of growing the level of local, national and international involvement in the HCGFest.
The Houston area community is exhilarated by concerts provided by renowned artists from throughout the USA and from abroad. Our vision includes providing Houston and the surrounding areas the type of artistic programming and educational opportunities that every city needs and deserves. While there are other music organizations that bring fine arts to Houston, we believe the city could and should have a thriving classical guitar organization to serve the community. Our concerts support our vision of bringing to Houston the most prestigious classical guitarists and educators from around the world to fill a niche to hear and learn from artists of the highest caliber.
Follow GCGA on Social Media