Bradford Werner – Classical Guitar & Music Publishing
Bradford Werner is a classical guitarist and music publisher from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He owns and edits the online educational resource and media platform This is Classical Guitar and the sheet music publisher Werner Guitar Editions. Bradford also has a YouTube channel for performances and lessons with over 110k+ subscribers and 17 million views. He has taught a wide range of students from dedicated youth, post-secondary students, hobbyists adults, and emerging young professionals.
Bradford taught classical guitar at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for 16 years and freelanced and performed in Greater Victoria for 20 years. He adjudicates festivals, and has given exams and masterclasses for a variety of organizations including the Alberta Provincial Festival, Mount Royal University, Calgary Guitar Society, The Northwest Guitar Festival, and many more. Bradford holds a diploma in music from Camosun College, an A.V.C.M. in teaching and performance, and a BA in history from the University of Victoria. He is a former member of the Quelus Guitar Duo, and the Victoria Guitar Trio with Michael Dias and Adrian Verdejo. The trio has commissioned numerous world premieres and, with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Redshift Music Society, recorded an album showcasing contemporary Canadian composers including works by Rodney Sharman, John Sherlock, Jordan Nobles, Benton Roark, Scott Godin and more. The trio was nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award for their debut album Concentric Rings.
Early Studies – Bradford’s early studies were with Ron Mulvey and emphasized reading and listening skills primarily through ensemble playing. It was an excellent way to start music in a caring and supportive environment. High school band teacher and trumpet performer Tim Bullen was also a memorable motivator and knowledge source. Bradford studied with numerous electric guitar teachers for rock, metal, and later in foundational jazz studies.
Mid-Studies – Murray Visscher was a very important later teacher introducing modern classical guitar technique and familiarity of standardized repertoire. Nearly all Bradford’s technique and basic guitar skills can be traced to these studies. Additional lessons with Stephen Boswell covered early-advanced repertoire and performance skills. A number of years of music theory and musicianship with Wes RD Waggett opened up a vast array of new ideas and knowledge. There were also additional composition and orchestration lessons with Wraggett and Stephen Brown.
Later Studies – A brief year in jazz college proceeded Bradford’s completion of a classical music diploma and teacher training certification. Later stage studies with Alexander Dunn covered advanced repertoire, auxiliary techniques, chamber music, and concert program preparation. Bradford also played in masterclasses for Paul Galbraith, Roland Dyens, David Tanenbaum, Pepe Romero, Adam Holzman, John Schneideman, Michael Partington, Ron MacFarlane, Ana Vidovic, Jeremy Jouve, Thibault Cauvin, and many more.
Personal Website: bradfordwerner.ca
Contact: brad@bradfordwerner.ca
Also check out my amazing partner Erin Frances Fisher who teaches piano lessons in Victoria, BC. We both taught at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for 16 years and have played chamber music ever since. She helps type out the sheet music before I add the fingering and do the final edits. She is also a fantastic writer and has this awesome collection of short stories titled That Tiny Life published by Anansi Press. You can buy her collection via Anansi Press, Amazon.ca (Canada), or Amazon.com (USA). In settings that range from the old American West to pre-revolutionary France, from a present-day dig site in the high tablelands of South America to deep space, That Tiny Life is a wide-ranging and utterly original collection of short fiction and a novella that examines the idea of progress and humanity’s never-ending cycle of creation and destruction.