World Sonata Project: Guitar

brad rau
pennsylvania

Brad Rau’s unique way of learning and teaching makes him one of the most interesting and cutting edge performers and educators of his time. His book ‘Practice: A Guide to Classical Guitar’ expresses his many ideas of “Eliminating Resistance to the Immediate Realization of any Musical Intention.” Brad, a former student of Eliot Fisk, is a living testimony to this method, showing his ability to perform and to teach at a top level. Rau has performed all over Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey for over 20 years. He has performed at Student concerts at Swope Hall, Phillips Memorial Hall, Phoenixville Public Library, Kruetz Creek Winery, Chaplin's music cafe, and Ingrid Larsen Evans Hall as a solo classical guitarist and in ensembles. Brad received a scholarship to attend New England Conservatory (NEC) and received a Master’s degree in 2015 with academic honors. At NEC, he studied classical guitar under Eliot Fisk who was the last pupil of Andres Segovia. Brad was a semi-finalist in the International Texas Guitar Competition of 2008. In addition to his performing career, Brad has mentored hundreds of students of all ages, styles, and levels.

Many of Brad's students have gone on to develop their own music careers and teaching studios. Brad's unique teaching style combines music, physics, philosophy, and humor, making him a well-rounded instructor for a variety of students. Brad is also a skilled drummer, playing for many bands in the past including Brannigans Law, Zebeedee Mojo, the Rainy Day Fools, Flying Gator, Irrational Funktion, and Days Thrown Away. In these bands, Brad has performed in countless bars and cafes throughout the greater Philadelphia area including The Note, Spence, and a residence at Rex’s cafe. His extensive classical guitar repertoire comes from the Baroque Classical, Romantic, and Modern period.

He performs work by composers such as Bach, Mozart, Debussy, Brouwer, Villa Lobos, Tarrega, Albeniz, Rodrigo, Roland Dyens, Satie, Duarte, Mertz, Morel, Lauro, Brouwer, Guilani. Rau’s Bohium Rhapsody, Jazz Mario, and Take Five, are also crowd favorites. Brad Rau had his first guitar lesson at age 12 from his Aunt Lisa. After his uncle Van gave him a spare guitar, Brad quickly picked up on the instrument. Brad’s father, a skilled Blues and Rock guitarist, taught him early on how the feeling is the most important part of the music. This is something that shines through in his career today. In high school, he fell in love with the classical guitar and began taking lessons with Glenn Lyons at West Chester University - where he stayed to get his undergraduate.

Brad also received private lessons with Marco Periera, Eduwardo Isaac, Mark Eden, and Zaira Meneses, as well as performed and attended many master classes including Sharon Isbin, Jason Vieaux, and Andrew York, each a Grammy award-winning guitarists. Brad has ten years of experience teaching in classical, jazz, rock, guitar, music theory, and music philosophy.

Working at Community Music School in Trappe, Pennsylvania he quickly built a studio of 50 students a week, in addition to performing in faculty concerts. He has also taught music for a time at Settlement Music school. His teaching style is unique combining science, anatomy, philosophy, and humor into a system that gets the student where they want to be and beyond. Whether a classical student or blues player, Brad is always interested in the student's needs and goals, while teaching the student a set of skills that will allow them to be able to do whatever they wish. Many of his students have gone on to pursue successful music degrees and careers themselves.

When Brad Rau isn’t teaching or performing, he is reading on a number of topics including philosophy, science, and math. He also enjoys skateboarding, performing magic tricks, and canoeing. Brad Rau Classical Guitarist has been selected for the 2019 Best of Chester Springs Award in the Music Performers & Teachers category by the Chester Springs Award Program.