UTRGV Guitar Department

02/20/2026

We are excited to invite you to our annual UTRGV “Día de la Guitarra” Guitar Ensemble Competition! This year’s festival features guest artists Richard Knepp (USA) and Mauel Espinás (Cuba/Mexico), who will present a concert on April 11 at 5:00 p.m. at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex.
Middle school and High School guitar ensembles are invited to participate in the UTRGV Día de la Guitarra – Guitar Ensemble Competition and Festival 2026, held at the UTRGV Performing Arts Center in Edinburg, Texas.
The competition begins at 9:00 a.m. and is open to the public. This one-day event offers student ensembles the opportunity to perform in our beautiful auditorium, participate in workshops, and attend a concert featuring internationally recognized guest artists.
To register, please use this link or scan the QR code:

https://forms.gle/T8vw2nAcHgLh2rUaA

12/05/2025

🎄🎸

Silent Night, or ‘Stille Nacht’ in the original German, was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at the Nikolauskirche in Oberndorf, Austria. 🌟

The carol began as a poem written by a young priest, Joseph Mohr, who later asked Franz Xaver Gruber, a local schoolteacher and organist, to set it to music with guitar accompaniment, possibly because the church organ had been damaged by flooding. Together, they introduced the piece at that Christmas Eve service. The original church was later destroyed by repeated floods and replaced by the Silent Night Chapel.

The carol has since been translated into more than 300 languages, and in 2011 it was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list for its enduring message of peace.

04/29/2025

02/24/2025

We are excited to announce our first UTRGV guitar ensemble competition. The competition is open to middle school and high school students. We look forward to hearing from you!
FREE REGISTRATION
Registration form:
https://forms.gle/hkckAnnFEeKBEjdM6