Post by borborygmus on Nov 21, 2023 21:32:26 GMT
“We are incredibly sad to announce that Michael Chapdelaine, husband, father, friend, maestro, guitarist, passed away unexpectedly on November 16, 2023.
Born in 1956 in San Diego, CA, Michael traveled the United States as the son of a Navy Officer in a military family. He fell in love with the guitar at an early age and began his career “rocking out” with his band, on electric guitar, in Pensacola, FL at officer and enlisted Navy clubs. Upon deciding to attend Florida State University (FSU), he discovered that there was no major called “rock star” and elected to study classical guitar. The rest is history.
Michael Chapdelaine is the only guitarist ever to win First Prize in the world’s top competitions in both the Classical and Fingerstyle genres - the Guitar Foundation of America International Classical Guitar Competition and the National Fingerstyle Championship at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield. He also twice won the coveted National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Grant and took first prize in the Music Teachers National Association’s Guitar Competition. Michael won the Silver Medal in Venezuela’s VIII Concurso Internacional de Guitarra “Alirio Diaz.”
In the 1990’s, Michael turned his attention from playing only classical music on a nylon string guitar to composing original pieces and arranging pop tunes to be played on any type of guitar. He traded his tuxedo and polished dress shoes for guitar t-shirts and bare feet (as well as rollerblades and swimming flippers). He touched the hearts of fans across the globe with passionate compositions like “Blue Chile,” “Portrait de Femme,” “Lullaby for Two,” and his wife’s favorite, “Cowboy Waltz.” Michael also upended the acoustic fingerstyle guitar world with his hit arrangements for songs like “Come Together” by the Beatles and “Somebody that I Used to Know” by Gotye.
Michael, Professor Emeritus, spent 33 years as a Professor of Music and the head of guitar studies at the University of New Mexico (UNM). He was previously on the faculty at Metropolitan State University (MSU) and the University of Colorado Denver in Denver, CO. Students from UNM and around the world continue his legacy, taking his focused, caring, hard-taught lessons and scaling them into magnificent performances and teachings of their own. Michael’s teachers included Andres Segovia, Oscar Ghiglia, Eliot Fisk, and Bruce Holzman. Michael credits Bruce for teaching him how to play classical guitar and for helping him to grow in life and be a good man.
A multi-year alum of the Aspen Music Festival and School, Michael fell in love with the Rocky Mountains from the moment he saw the small, rocky points rise from the plains of eastern Colorado as he drove from Tallahassee to Aspen to build his knowledge and musicianship. Recently, Michael and Suzanne moved to Boulder, CO where he played amongst the beautiful mountain views. When he wasn’t passing on his diligently-practiced skills to students or playing concerts, Michael enjoyed lively discussions over glasses of fine wine. Sunny days found him biking the foothills and watching the paragliders circle overhead. Winter days found him beaming proudly from his own skis as his kids flew past at high speeds on the Rocky Mountain slopes. All the days found him making the espresso machine sing as he crafted perfectly-pulled cappuccinos and filled coffee cups for his family, friends, students, and all that knew him.
Michael is survived by his wife Suzanne, his son Chris, his daughter Caroline (Kirsten), his sister Jenny (Joe), his brother Chuck (Debbie), and his nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his beloved mom, Arlys.
Please, play Michael’s beautiful music and smile with us. Share his love for the guitar with your friends and family. If you are interested in donating in Michael’s name, the family will provide more information about opportunities in the near future. Thank you for respecting our sadness and privacy at this hard time.”
Born in 1956 in San Diego, CA, Michael traveled the United States as the son of a Navy Officer in a military family. He fell in love with the guitar at an early age and began his career “rocking out” with his band, on electric guitar, in Pensacola, FL at officer and enlisted Navy clubs. Upon deciding to attend Florida State University (FSU), he discovered that there was no major called “rock star” and elected to study classical guitar. The rest is history.
Michael Chapdelaine is the only guitarist ever to win First Prize in the world’s top competitions in both the Classical and Fingerstyle genres - the Guitar Foundation of America International Classical Guitar Competition and the National Fingerstyle Championship at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield. He also twice won the coveted National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Grant and took first prize in the Music Teachers National Association’s Guitar Competition. Michael won the Silver Medal in Venezuela’s VIII Concurso Internacional de Guitarra “Alirio Diaz.”
In the 1990’s, Michael turned his attention from playing only classical music on a nylon string guitar to composing original pieces and arranging pop tunes to be played on any type of guitar. He traded his tuxedo and polished dress shoes for guitar t-shirts and bare feet (as well as rollerblades and swimming flippers). He touched the hearts of fans across the globe with passionate compositions like “Blue Chile,” “Portrait de Femme,” “Lullaby for Two,” and his wife’s favorite, “Cowboy Waltz.” Michael also upended the acoustic fingerstyle guitar world with his hit arrangements for songs like “Come Together” by the Beatles and “Somebody that I Used to Know” by Gotye.
Michael, Professor Emeritus, spent 33 years as a Professor of Music and the head of guitar studies at the University of New Mexico (UNM). He was previously on the faculty at Metropolitan State University (MSU) and the University of Colorado Denver in Denver, CO. Students from UNM and around the world continue his legacy, taking his focused, caring, hard-taught lessons and scaling them into magnificent performances and teachings of their own. Michael’s teachers included Andres Segovia, Oscar Ghiglia, Eliot Fisk, and Bruce Holzman. Michael credits Bruce for teaching him how to play classical guitar and for helping him to grow in life and be a good man.
A multi-year alum of the Aspen Music Festival and School, Michael fell in love with the Rocky Mountains from the moment he saw the small, rocky points rise from the plains of eastern Colorado as he drove from Tallahassee to Aspen to build his knowledge and musicianship. Recently, Michael and Suzanne moved to Boulder, CO where he played amongst the beautiful mountain views. When he wasn’t passing on his diligently-practiced skills to students or playing concerts, Michael enjoyed lively discussions over glasses of fine wine. Sunny days found him biking the foothills and watching the paragliders circle overhead. Winter days found him beaming proudly from his own skis as his kids flew past at high speeds on the Rocky Mountain slopes. All the days found him making the espresso machine sing as he crafted perfectly-pulled cappuccinos and filled coffee cups for his family, friends, students, and all that knew him.
Michael is survived by his wife Suzanne, his son Chris, his daughter Caroline (Kirsten), his sister Jenny (Joe), his brother Chuck (Debbie), and his nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his beloved mom, Arlys.
Please, play Michael’s beautiful music and smile with us. Share his love for the guitar with your friends and family. If you are interested in donating in Michael’s name, the family will provide more information about opportunities in the near future. Thank you for respecting our sadness and privacy at this hard time.”