Michael Bemmels is an accomplished guitarist from Richmond, B.C. He holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in classical guitar performance from UBC, where he studied under Daniel Bolshoy and Michael Strutt. Throughout his studies at UBC, Michael was awarded nine scholarships, including the Wallace Berry Memorial Prize for his outstanding achievements in music theory courses. In 2013, he won 1st place in both the Kiwanis and the Performing Arts BC Festivals, going on to finish 2nd place in the FCMF National Festival in Waterloo, Ontario. Michael has a wide range of professional experiences as a musician, including teaching guitar, adjudicating guitar at the 2015 BCCM music festival, arranging popular songs for solo guitar, and working as a music theory Teaching Assistant at UBC.
Michael has performed numerous times for the Vancouver Classic Guitar Society and Vancouver Health Arts Society. In October of 2015 he performed a “Music at Midweek” concert with mezzo-soprano Katie Miller at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He was a featured performer in the 2017 Vancouver Classic Guitar Society Teachers Benefit Concert, as well as the 2018 UBC Alumni Recital. He has performed three concerts with the UBC Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and played in the UBC Chamber Orchestra’s complete performance of Schubert’s “Winterreise” (orchestrated by Hans Zender).
Prior to his studies at UBC, Michael played jazz trumpet, popular and rock music on electric guitar, and developed a keen and lasting interest in music theory and composition. With a broad and versatile background, Michael is passionate about teaching all skill levels and styles of music.
