The Old Guitarist was born in County Cavan Ireland. At the age of three, his family emigrated to the United States, where his father founded the Irish Studies Department, at the University of Montana.

He played baseball and fished as if they were full-time jobs. He also sang in the church choir with his mother. At the age of 11, inspired by the Beatles, he purchased his first guitar. He wrote songs and played in rock bands. At the age of 20, he came to his father and told him he wanted to change his major from philosophy to music. “What does it matter”, his father said, “either way you’ll be broke.”

The Old Guitarist attended SUNY Purchase where he studied with Phillip Defremery, teaching assistant to Oscar Ghiglia, as well as Frederick Hand, a student of the legendary British guitarist Julian Bream. During a lesson with Fred Hand reviewing one of The Old Guitarist’s compositions, Fred turned to him and said, “… you’re really good.” Since then, he has gotten even older.

The Old Guitarist received his Master of Music degree from Yale University, where he studied with Eliot Fisk, Andres Segovia’s last student, as well as Peter Oiujian, first violinist with the Tokyo String Quartet, and Phyliss Curtain, head of the Tanglewood vocal department. He was awarded the Lucy G. Moses Fellowship while at Yale, “… awarded to students of exceptional promise.”

The Old Guitarist has been awarded grants from the Yamaha Foundation as well as Meet the Composer. He has performed as a chamber musician and soloist throughout the United States and Europe. His newest release Bach and Bourbon has been hailed as his best work in twenty years. It was nominated and won Album of the Year, admittedly it was an internal award and the only release this year, so competition was thin.

The Old Guitarist remains an avid fisherman, for decades he has given up the rod and reel for a new technique. He wades out into a river or stream and plays his guitar hoping a fish will jump into the soundhole. While he has yet to catch a fish, he maintains a number of the fish have learned how to sing. Mostly simple folk songs, but there is a trout who is just mad about show tunes and a catfish who has mastered the fiendishly difficult Queen of the Night aria from Mozart’s delightful Magic Flute.

He feels despite not catching any fish he has been successful because it is called “fishing” not “catching”. The Old Guitarist also maintains that the stories of him engaging in bear dancing or bear wrestling, if you will, are untrue, and are nothing but vicious rumors.