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John Culwell
The South Carolina School of the Arts
The South Carolina School of the Arts
Adjunct Professor of Guitar
jculwell@andersonuniversity.edu
Academic Background
John Culwell is a classical guitarist and educator whose performance work includes solo, chamber, and ensemble performances at the regional, national, and international levels. Culwell performs regularly as a soloist and collaborator, presenting programs that combine traditional classical guitar repertoire with newer music and collaborative projects. He studied guitar performance with Dr. Daniel Bolshoy at the University of Georgia, Joseph Pecoraro at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, and was a private student of Lyman Golden at Anderson University during his high school years.
At Anderson University, Culwell teaches applied guitar lessons across styles, group acoustic guitar classes, and directs the Anderson University Guitar Ensemble. His teaching is shaped by his performance experience and emphasizes musical engagement, ensemble awareness, and confidence through shared music-making.
Culwell is active in building a musical community at AU through the Anderson Guitar Society, which brings together AU students, alumni, and regional teachers and students for monthly masterclasses and concerts each semester. He seeks to create opportunities for students and audiences to encounter music as a living, shared artistic practice.
Bachelors in Music in Guitar Performance, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Masters of Music in Guitar Performance, University of Georgia
Doctor of Musical Arts in Guitar Performance, University of Georgia
Fast Facts
I teach private guitar lessons, group guitar classes, and direct the AU Guitar Ensemble. Each setting offers students a different way to grow as musicians, with an emphasis on musicianship and musical understanding.
In private lessons, students work one-on-one with me in an individualized setting. Lessons are shaped around each student’s experience, interests, and goals, whether they are pursuing classical guitar, acoustic styles, or broader musicianship. Students build strong technical foundations while learning how to practice effectively and perform with confidence.
Group guitar classes focus on learning to play with others. Students learn to keep time, listen, and play together in a relaxed, supportive setting while working with popular, folk, and worship songs. These classes emphasize participation and shared musical progress rather than solo performance pressure.
The AU Guitar Ensemble performs throughout the Upstate, giving students real-world performance experience and opportunities to connect with audiences on and off campus. Made up of music majors and non-music majors, the ensemble explores a wide range of musical periods and styles on the classical guitar, including Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Latin, jazz, and contemporary repertoire.
- Winner, University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition
- Spain concert tour with Giannini String Quartet and clarinetist Dr. Oskar Espina-Ruiz, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, and Alicante
- New York City interdisciplinary performances for string quartet, clarinet, film, and dance at New York Live Arts Theatre
- Founder and Director of the Anderson Guitar Society
- Concerto soloist with the Anderson Symphony Orchestra
