About Luis

Luis Angel Medina, founder of the Vancouver Classical Guitar Festival, is an accomplished performer and teacher based in North America. He is the recipient of the Silver Medal from the 2017 Vancouver International Music Competition and holds a Master's degree from the University of Georgia in Athens. Luis’s career has taken him to perform in various cities across Europe, China, and North America.

​Luis was born in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. He began his formal studies in music theory and ear training at the age of fourteen, when he enrolled in the Music Diploma program at the University of Guadalajara. He then moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he began another Diploma at Capilano University and won numerous awards and scholarships. He concluded his Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance at the University of British Columbia, where he was on the Dean’s List every year during his studies. 

He has now graduated with a Master's degree at the University of Georgia in Athens under the mentorship and guidance of guitarist Dr. Daniel Bolshoy, where he functioned as Guitar Teacher Assistant. Upon graduation, he was awarded the Director's Excellence Award, which recognizes students for excellence in musicianship, scholarship, leadership, and service, and he also passed his final oral examinations with distinction. Among his roles at the University are teaching Guitar classes for non-music university students and individual guidance to other students pursuing a Bachelor's in Guitar Performance at UGA. 

​Luis is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) program at the University of Toronto, where he is conducting research on the life and music of the prolific contemporary Mexican composer, Julio Cesar Oliva, under the guidance of acclaimed Canadian guitarist Dr. Jeffrey McFadden. As part of his Doctoral studies, he is currently furthering his guitar expertise with world-renowned guitarist Jorge Caballero. Luis has taken masterclasses with some of the world's top guitarists, including David Russell, Roland Dyens, René Izquierdo, Jason Vieaux, Jerome Ducharme, Iliana Matos, Denis Azabagic, and Marc Teicholz, among others. He continues to promote the guitar through public events and performances as well as through his active involvement with the Toronto Guitar Society, where he serves as Director of Operations. 

About Tejay

Tejay Liao is a performer, researcher, and educator who has spent most of his career focusing on raising awareness about growth mindsets, mental health in music, and evidence-based learning strategies. By incorporating neuroscience research into practical applications for music, Tejay is expanding the boundaries of classical music pedagogy. Backed by the most up-to-date findings in learning and memory, Tejay livestreams to his community of over 10,000 members, teaching healthier and more efficient methods to improve as a musician. He hopes that by educating people on the fundamental principles of learning, the standard anecdotal methods that have been traditionally passed down in classical music pedagogy will be replaced with more effective alternatives founded in science.