Nicholas Ciraldo is a leader among his generation of American classical guitarists. At the start of his career, he won awards and reached high levels at the Tredrez Locquemau International Guitar Competition (France), the Gaetano Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition (Italy), the GFA Solo Guitar Competition (USA), the Portland International Guitar Competition (USA), and the MTNA Guitar Competition (USA). Ciraldo now pursues numerous solo, chamber, and concerto performances across four continents, now having played in such venues as the United States’ Jordan Hall, Germany’s Berliner Dom, and Brazil’s Teatro José Maria Santos.
Soundboard magazine states that Nicholas Ciraldo’s performances are “without reservations, marvelous…with abundant technique and commitment to the music…one of the best….” Allmusic.com describes his playing “goes right to the heart of the music, with his precise, active, athletic style.” The Baton Rouge Advocate writes that Ciraldo is “definitely in command….generating a collective gasp of amazement in the audience.” Kansas City’s Journal of the Performing Arts says Ciraldo’s “touch was nimble and delicate, skilled without being flashy. The instrument was a clear extension of the performer, with integrity of sound and performance taking precedence.”
Nicholas Ciraldo is an avid chamber musician who devotes the majority of his performing schedule to music written for guitar and various instruments, including piccolo, flute, alto flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, trombone, violin, viola, cello, harp, piano, harpsichord, organ, voices of all types, and various percussion instruments. Currently, Dr. Ciraldo performs regularly with flutist Rachel Taratoot Ciraldo, in Duo Cintemani. Their concert venues have included several National Flute Association Conventions, the Pelican State Chamber Music Series, Lamar Chamber Series, and the Escola da musica e bellas artes do Parana, Brazil. Ciraldo was also a founding member of the multi-genre music duo Seven19 with Ben McIlwain, the HonkyTonk Philharmonic, and the Quadrivium Guitar Quartet.
Nicholas Ciraldo has been artist-in-residence at several notable organizations. As a member of the Quadrivium Guitar Quartet, he traveled throughout rural Kentucky under the auspices of New Performing Arts. The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Austin Classical Guitar has hosted Duo Cintemani both twice. Most recently, Ciraldo taught at the School of Music and Fine Arts in Curitiba, Brazil, the Industrial University of Santander, in Bucaramanga, Colombia, and the University of Costa Rica. He has given numerous lectures and masterclasses throughout North and South America.
Nicholas Ciraldo has released four full-length recordings. The first is entitled “The Guitar Music of Villa-Lobos Including the ‘1928 Manuscript’,” a collection of the composer’s five preludes for guitar as well as all twelve of his etudes, carefully interpreted from their hand-written version dated 1928. His second album, entitled “Coming of Age,” includes masterworks by Bach, Sor, Tórroba, and Brouwer. Ciraldo’s third, entitled “So Wonderful, So Nice,” includes works by Sor and Regondi. Finally, the fourth album, entitled “Liminal,” is a recording of the complete solo and chamber works for guitar by composer Matt Van Brink.
Nicholas Ciraldo held diverse positions with several arts organizations. He was Artistic Director of the Boston Classical Guitar Society and Vice President of Austin Classical Guitar. He was co-founder of the Hammer/Nail Project, a program that links student composers with guitarists in order to show composers how to write for the guitar. He was Undergraduate Coordinator as well as Associate Director of the Southern Miss School of Music.
Nicholas Ciraldo earned a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University at Bloomington, where he studied with Ernesto Bitetti and Luis Zea. He earned a Master of Music with Honors and Distinction in Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with David Leisner. He earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin, as a three-year recipient of the “Freeman Fellowship” and a student of Adam Holzman. His doctoral research involved the “1928 Manuscript” of the Etudes for Guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Nicholas Ciraldo is Professor of Music of the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, where he manages the guitar and string chamber music programs, mentors guitarists from the undergraduate through the doctoral level, and coaches various chamber ensembles. He has received several awards and grants, including the College of Arts and Letters’ Creative Activity Award, the Lucas Faculty Excellence Award, and the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Performing Artist Fellowship. His hobbies include audio-video rabbit holes, horology, running, cycling, cooking, and bothering his wife.
There is a single live monitored audition for All-State Guitar Ensemble. All auditions will be audio recorded by the District Director or his/her designee and submitted to the All-State Guitar Chair as an mp3 file. District directors will verify that teachers of all students participating in these auditions are current members of LMEA.
All-State Rules and Regulations are part of the All-State School and Emergency Permission Form and are to be signed by each student, parent, director and principal involved.
Rules and Regulations for LMEA All-State:
Teachers are required to screen students who are discipline problems and not allow them to audition.
Students are expected to follow their school’s rules while at LMEA All-State.
Students must be present and on time for registration, all rehearsals, and any other scheduled All-State events.
Students failing to adhere to their LMEA All-State schedule or the rules and regulations are subject to dismissal.
Students are responsible for their personal equipment and instruments, including any school instruments or other items checked out to them. LMEA will not assume responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen equipment or instruments.
Any student who participates in any type of vandalism will be subject to immediate dismissal. The student and the school will be held responsible for damages.
Any student in possession of prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription, any illegal drugs or other illegal substances, including alcoholic beverages, or who consumes any of these will be subject to immediate dismissal. The parent, director, and administrator will be notified.
Students’ teachers are required to be current LMEA members and to register for and be present at the All-State event and Professional Development Conference to ensure students are supervised/chaperoned when not in rehearsals or another scheduled All-State activity.
Parents or a designated chaperone are responsible for students when they are not in a rehearsal or at an LMEA sponsored event.
Consequences and procedures related to the violation of any rules:
The student’s principal, director and parents will be immediately notified of any rule violation.
A disciplinary committee consisting of the Executive Director, the LMEA President, and the Band, Orchestra, Vocal, Guitar, Handbell, or Jazz Ensemble Chairperson (as pertinent) shall review any disciplinary problems before dismissal from the All-State group is recommended.
Any student dismissed (sent home) from an All-State event will be prohibited from participating in any LMEA event for one (1) full year starting from the time of the dismissal.
Any school organization whose student (or students) must be dismissed from an LMEA All-State event will be placed on a one-year probation. If a student is dismissed within the probation period, that school organization will be prohibited from participating in LMEA All-State events the following year.
Any infraction and subsequent dismissal will be referred to the LMEA Executive Board for resolution and clarification.
DEADLINES for 2026-27:
District Deadlines – District Directors will provide procedural information and set the deadline for receiving checks and student information from schools in their district. This deadline may be before the state’s deadline.
October 10, 2026 (by 11:59 pm) – Deadline for completion of all auditions and the receipt of all student registrations and audition fees by the district director or his/her designee.
October 20, 2026 (by 11:59 pm) – Results for the All-State Guitar Ensemble will be posted online. Registration forms for students selected to an ensemble will be opened once rosters are posted.
November 6, 2026 (by 11:59 pm) – Deadline for students selected to the High School All-State Guitar Ensemble to complete their registration.
Students auditioning must be enrolled in a Louisiana-accredited high school and must be an active member of that school’s instrumental ensemble or guitar program. Click for a list of Nonpublic Accredited Approved Schools 2024-25. Students’ ensemble directors must be current full LMEA members.
In a situation where there is no guitar program in the school, the student must be enrolled in a Louisiana-accredited high school and certified by the eligible music teacher at that school or a private teacher who is an LMEA member.
District directors will verify that teachers of all students participating in these auditions are current members of LMEA.
Students are eligible for membership in only one All-State ensemble.
DATE and LOCATION: Each district director will schedule the date, time, and location for recording the guitar auditions in his/her district.
STUDENT RELEASE OF INFORMATION FORM – this form will need to be printed, signed, and submitted to your District Director. Follow your his/her instructions for submitting it. Auditions cannot be adjudicated without this form.
AUDITION FEE and REGISTRATION:
$15 per audition
Ensemble directors should follow their District Director’s instructions and deadline for submitting school checks and registration information.
District Directors must confirm the receipt of all audition fees and forms by the date the audition files are uploaded. An audition cannot be adjudicated if the audition fee has not been received.
All auditioner information will be submitted by the District Director or his/her designee. This includes: Name, School, Grade, Instrument or Voice, All-State Ensemble preference, T-Shirt Size, Audio audition file, Verification of receipt of the “Release of Information” Form.
All audition recordings and registration forms must be uploaded via the Google form by 11:59 pm on Monday, October 13, 2025 by the District Director or his/her designee. (Links will be sent to the District Director.)
Students auditioning for more than one ensemble must indicate their preference of ensembles when their audition registration information is submitted. This information will be used should he/she be selected to participate in more than one of this year’s LMEA All-State ensembles.
The audition includes scales and prepared selections. There will be a 4-year rotation cycle of materials.
Scales – Required scales have been written out in the current year’s “set” materials.
Prepared Selections – There is a 4-year rotation cycle of prepared materials, each set containing two selections carefully chosen to highlight different styles and tempos.
There is a single audition, recorded at the district level, for All-State Guitar Ensemble.
MONITORS and AUDITION:
All guitar ensemble auditions will be audio recorded (.mp3 file).
Each District Director will assign one or more monitors to record the audition and certify that each auditioner played the material without any restarts.
Monitors should be carefully selected by the district director to ensure procedural continuity of the audition.
An audio test of the recorder and room should be done before any auditions begin. Be sure the student will be clearly heard.
Be sure that the instrument and audition number announced on the recording are accurately entered on the track sheet.
Monitors should verify that the recording is on the recorder before the auditioner leaves the room (if possible). (This can be done by playing a few seconds of the recording and checking the length of the file on the recorder.)
Audition restarts will only be allowed if there is a technical issue with the recorder.
Each recorded audition must be unedited and made in one single file – do not dub any portion of the audition.
AUDITION INSTRUCTIONS and ORDER:
Start the recording.
Identification Information:The monitor will read the following script to announce and identify each auditioner: “On guitar,this is Audition Number (Insert Audition Number).”
Scales: The student will perform the current set’s scales as written.
Prepared Selections: The student will play the performance selections in the order listed on the current year’s Set page.
TRACK SHEET
A track sheet will be shared via Google Sheets to enter the audition information at the “room” level. This includes: Room Number, Recorder Number, File Name, File Duration, Last Name, First Name, Instrument/Voice, Audition Number.
The Room Number, Recorder Number, File Name and Audition Number are to be determined by the District Director or his/her designee.
There should be one track sheet for each room used at the audition.
RECORDING EQUIPMENT
The recommended recorder is a typical “voice recorder” like those used for adjudicators at large ensemble assessment. District Directors have received information about these recorders.
AUDITION FILE SUBMISSION PROCEDURE:
Each district director (or designee) will be responsible for submitting auditioners’ information and uploading all audio audition recordings (.mp3 files only) into the Google form provided by the audition coordinator.
All student registration information and audition recordings must be submitted by Monday, October 7, 2024 (11:59 pm). District Directors will communicate to their district regarding how they want to receive student information – name, school, grade, instrument, All-State ensemble preference, t-shirt size, audio audition file, verification of receipt of the “Student Release of Information Form.”
Google Drive is one of the easiest and most accessible platforms to use for file sharing. However, some school districts restrict the sharing of files from their school google drives. Files must be accessible to the chairperson to be judged for inclusion in the group. Discussions with your school district’s IT department may be necessary to ensure usage in the All-State audition.
Audition Results: Results will be posted on this website as soon as possible once they are finalized for all ensembles. For 2025-26, results will be posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 (11:59 pm).
Ranking Scores: At the completion of the adjudication process, students will be ranked according to their final scores.
Tie Breaker: Any ties will be broken by the scale score. If the tie remains, it shall be broken with the toss of a coin.
