Biography & Reviews

Canadian classical guitarist Alexander Dunn has performed to enthusiastic acclaim in Canada, the USA, Cuba, New Zealand, Mexico, Brasil, Southeast Asia, China, South Africa, western and eastern Europe, and Russia. In solo recital, concerto, and chamber music he is consistently praised for his musicality, technique and rich sound. An experienced chamber musician, he has worked with principal players from the Pacific Baroque Orchestra (Vancouver), Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Tafelmusik (Toronto), in duo concerts with guitarists Pepe Romero, and with numerous other musicians and vocalists. He has been a featured soloist with the CBC Vancouver Radio Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, La Jolla Symphony, Malaga Sinfonico, New England Symphony, and many major US orchestras as a guest artist with Los Romeros.

Feature recitals at major music festivals include the Aspen Music Festival, Darmstadt’s Ferienkurs für Neue Musik (in the premiere of Paul Koonce’s Spin-Curve Foci, dedicated to him), Salzburg’s Sommerakademie der Hochschule Mozarteum, Vancouver New Music (in the premiere of Noche de Ronda, a Canada Council commission written for him), International Guitar and Lute Institute, Appalachian Guitar Festival, Stetson International Guitar Workshop, Northeastern Guitar Festival, Guitar Foundation of America International Conference, Northwest Guitar Festival, the Paracho Festival de Guitarra, the Vancouver Festival, Guitare Montréal, Early Music Society of the Islands, CBC Festival de Printemps, Zihuatenejo International Guitar Festival, Tulipanes Film Festival, and others.
Regarded as one of the finest performers on period guitars, he has collaborated with fortepianist Michael Jarvis, baroque violinists Paul Luchkow, Marc Destrube, soprano Anne Grimm, and others. A contemporary music enthusiast, Dunn has played many new works for solo guitar, ensemble, and projects including projections, dance, narration, and electronics. His premiered his arrangement Ligeti’s Guitar Sonata at the Guitar Foundation of America Festival and the Canadian premiere of Reich’s Nagoya Guitars (with guitarist David Tanenbaum). His recordings include Beethoven’s Op. 8 and 25 Serenades with members of the Lafayette Quartet and The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by composer David Jaffe.

Dr. Dunn holds a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of California, San Diego, where he was a protégé of Pepe Romero. His ground-breaking dissertation, “Robert de Visée’s Theorbo Works: An Introductory Study” is highly regarded, as is his research into nineteenth century performance practice. Dr. Dunn’s extensive summer studies included nine years at the Aspen Music Festival under Oscar Ghiglia and four summers at the Salzburg Mozarteum. He is a popular adjudicator and competition judge.

Dr. Dunn is on the Board of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music Toronto, and currently heads what is considered one of Canada’s top guitar programs at the University of Victoria and the Victoria Conservatory of Music.