June 27, 2026 — The winners of the 2026 Houston Classical Guitar Festival Competition were announced by Dr. Jay Kacherski, Co-Artistic Director of the Gulf Coast Guitar Association. The event drew 65 competitors from 9 countries and 16 U.S. states. Since 2024, this competition has been held entirely online and includes five divisions: Artist, College I Advanced, College II Intermediate, High School, and Middle School. Entrants submitted unedited performance videos recorded in a single take, without added effects, and using one camera angle showing the performer’s full body throughout the performance. Dr. Kacherski noted: “The performance level was inspiring this year, and it made it very difficult for all our judges. The scores were so close that we decided to add a 4th Place Honorable Mention for each division. This is a non-cash award, but each recipient will receive a certificate.”
The 2026 winners are as follows:
Artist Division:
- 1st Place: Tohi Harada (Japan)
- 2nd Place: Ana Maria Iordache (Romania)
- 3rd Place: Millet Padrón (Cuba)
- 4th Place Honorable Mention: Davide Picci (Italy)
College I Advanced Division:
- 1st Place: Axel Centeno (Mexico)
- 2nd Place (Tie): Luis Antonio Gonzales Vallejo (Mexico) and Aleksandr Lapshin (Russia)
- 3rd Place: Not awarded this year
- 4th Place Honorable Mention: Carlos Peña (Mexico)
College II Intermediate Division:
- 1st Place: Miranda Morales Dalia (Mexico)
- 2nd Place: Carlos Romero Cabrera (Mexico)
- 3rd Place (Tie): Christian Hinojosa (USA) and Adan Sanchez (USA)
- 4th Place Honorable Mention (Tie): Angelyn Bonilla Garcia (USA) and Mark McKeighan (USA)
High School Division:
- 1st Place: Daria Povesma (Russia)
- 2nd Place: Wyatt Green (USA)
- 3rd Place: Minh Trinh Binh (Vietnam)
- 4th Place Honorable Mention: Ryan Ivanov (USA)
Middle School Division:
- 1st Place: Kawei Niu (China)
- 2nd Place: Ploychompo Torsubcin (Thailand)
- 3rd Place: Aaron Walters (USA)
- 4th Place Honorable Mention: Remy Nguyen (USA)
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