From New York’s Lincoln Center to the Cactus Cafe in Austin, from Milano to Bangkok, Michael continually enchants, dazzles and surprises audiences and critics alike as he redefines the modern acoustic guitar with his amazing technique, “soulful” expressiveness, and versatility as a performer, composer and arranger/producer. His performances, played on both steel string and classical guitars, include musical styles ranging from blues to Bach to country to rhythm n’ blues.

Michael Chapdelaine is the only guitarist ever to win First Prize in the world’s top competitions in both the Classical and Fingerstyle genres: the Guitar Foundation of America International Classical Guitar Competition and the National Fingerstyle Championships at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield , Kansas. He won the National Fingerpicking Championships at Winfield in 1998. He has twice won the coveted National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Grant, and has taken First Prize in both the Guitar Foundation of America’s and the Music Teachers National Association’s Guitar Competitions. He has also won the Silver Medal in Venezuela’s VIII Concurso International de Guitarra “Alirio Diaz”.

In 1992 he recorded the Sonata Romantica CD, (now re-released as “Mexico”), which many critics and connoisseurs of classical guitar consider to be one of the definitive recordings for the instrument. Acoustic Guitar magazine wrote “… if I were marooned on a desert island with a limited selection of recordings, this one would be among my choices…I have seldom heard a more beautiful album. Other young guitarists have excellent technique, but few have such style and musicality, and Chapdelaine’s beautiful tone is the nearest to Segovia’s that I can recall.”

Michael is Professor of Music and head of guitar studies at the University of New Mexico, and has previously been on the faculties of the University of Colorado at Denver and Metropolitan State University. He has given master classes throughout the world including, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Peru, Venezuela, Taiwan, Indonesia and at institutions such as, University of Miami, Mannes School of Music, University of Texas, and California State University. His teachers included the great Spanish maestro Andres Segovia.