Kenny Hill
Trustee
Bio
Kenny Hill is one of the most accomplished, experienced and versatile classical guitar makers in the world today. He is recognized as a fine maker, player, teacher and innovator. He has worked as an individual luthier, in small workshops as well as in large factory settings, to bring fine guitars to thousands of players of all levels around the world. In 2006 he joined in a new partnership in China to set up a workshop and factory from the ground up with the commitment to make lower cost, high quality instruments for players who couldn’t afford his domestic instruments. That business to date has grown to a factory employing over 200 people and producing over 50,000 guitars per year. This is the factory and workshop that produces New World Guitarsto Kenny’s design specifications and instruction. As President of Hill Guitar Company,Inc., Kenny continues to develop the Hill Guitar line in Santa Cruz building fine classical guitars for the world market. This is the location where luthiers are making the entire range of Signature, and Performance model guitars. Kenny states, “The guitars are wonderful, and the impact they have on the guitar world make the effort worthwhile. We have seen Hill Guitars growing in influence and esteem worldwide over the past decade, with the best still to come.” Kenny Hill has written many articles for various guitar publications, including Acoustic Guitar, Soundboard, and American Lutherie. He is an active member of the GFA, GAL, ASIA and NAMM, and has participated in each association’s expositions. He has won awards and prizes in more than a dozen national and international contests, among which the following prizes stand out: 3rd Place: Tredrez-Loquemeau International Competition, France (2000) 2nd Place: Primo European Contest di Chitarra, Città di Gorizia, Italy (2004) 1st Place: 8th Contest and International Guitar Festival of the City of Taxco, Guerrero (2005) 1st Place: contest “Virtuosismo Guitarrístico” within the 16th International Guitar Festival of Morelia (2006) 2nd Place: III National Guitar Competition “Revueltas 2010“, Durango, Dgo. Since 2001 he has been a founding member of the Guitars Quartet of the City of Mexico, with which he has produced two record productions: “Jícamo a Cuatro” and “… a cinco”, both with original music by contemporary Mexican composers. He has performed at various festivals in Mexico, Italy, Belgium, Romania, Costa Rica, Peru and the United States of America. As a soloist he has performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Mexico City, the Carlos Chávez Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the cities of Acapulco, Guerrero; Querétaro and Toluca, State of Mexico. From 2005 to the present he is professor of the guitar chair at the School of Music “Life and Movement” of the Ollin Yoliztli Cultural Center in Mexico City, and at the Conservatory of Music of the State of Mexico.
