John Schneiderman
John Schneiderman, critically acclaimed virtuoso of plucked instruments since the age of nine, specializes in the performance practice and repertoire of eighteenth-century lutes and nineteenth-century guitars. Based in California, he is in demand as a soloist and chamber musician, collaborating on recordings and performances throughout North America.
He began his performance career as a banjo, guitar, bass and fiddle player, becoming a familiar presence at bluegrass and folk festivals across California. Schneiderman studied with British guitar pedagogue and author Frederick Noad, and continued his training at the Schola Cantorum in Basel with baroque lute pioneer Eugen Dombois. Dombois’s precise and detailed approach to the repertoire continues to shape Schneiderman’s interpretations.
He performs with ensembles such as Ensemble Galanterie, The Czar’s Guitars, Les Deux Amis and the Schneiderman–Yamaya Duo. His collaborations include performances with the Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, Musica Angelica, Seattle Baroque, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Chanticleer, Musica Pacifica, El Mundo and the American Bach Soloists.
His extensive discography features many rarely recorded works for lute and guitar, with releases on labels such as Titanic, AudioQuest, Centaur, VGo, Profil: Edition Günter Hänssler and Dorian Sono Luminus.
Schneiderman currently serves on the faculties of the University of California, Irvine, and Irvine Valley College. He has previously taught at Orange Coast College, California State University Long Beach and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Performing at Siccas Guitars
Every classical guitarist who performs at Siccas Guitars brings a distinct musical path to the instrument — shaped by years of study, competition experience, and the particular musical tradition they have chosen to inhabit. The classical guitar demands sustained technical commitment and a deep engagement with a repertoire that spans from the Renaissance through to works written for living performers. It is an instrument whose full possibilities only reveal themselves over time.
