Julia Banzi

Professor of Guitar (Ph.D.)

Academic Credentials

Specialty: Flamenco, Classical and Folk Guitar. Ethnomusicology.

Courses taught in English and Castellano.

Ph.D. Ethnomusicology University of California, Santa Barbara.

B.A. Music Lewis & Clark College.

Professional Biography

Julia Banzi teaches guitar at Lewis & Clark College and Reed College. She is a devoted teacher, composer and performer who truly enjoys working with students of all levels. Whether in flamenco, folk or classical, Julia provides students with a solid foundation on the guitar while guiding students toward creating original music they can call their own. At all levels, from learning to play their favorite songs to accompanying flamenco dancers, Julia prepares students with both solo and ensemble skills and toward a lifetime of enjoyment and proficiency on the instrument. Fluent in Castellano, Julia instructs in both English & Spanish (as per request).

Professor, performer, ethnomusicologist, composer and one of a very few female flamenco guitarists worldwide, Julia's work reflects her many years of living, studying and performing in Spain and North Africa. In Granada, Sanlucar de Barrameda and later at Madrid’s Amor de Dios studios, Julia worked accompanying notable dance instructors such as Ciro, La Tate & Manolete and studied with some of Spain’s finest guitarists including Manolo Sanlucar, Isidro Muñoz, David Serva, Felipe Maya and Rafael Morales. Her passion for flamenco led her to explore its root. She went on to secure a B.A. in Music followed by a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology. She continues to tour worldwide including performances in Spain with regularity with the international performance ensemble, Al-Andalus which she also co-directs. Her doctoral dissertation “Flamenco Guitar Innovation and the Circumscription of Tradition” examines the flamenco guitar tradition and the processes of when, why, and how performance traditions become obsolete. Julia frequently gives talks worldwide on the subject of women and music, the topic of her thesis “Women’s Andalusian Ensembles of Tetuan, Morocco.”

Winner of the 2009 “Peoples Grammy Award” for “Best World Music Song of 2009."
“A delightful proposition of exquisite music!” El Pais. Madrid, Spain.