Frank Koonce is an internationally recognized guitarist, teacher, scholar, and editor. He holds degrees from the North Carolina School of the Arts and Southern Methodist University (summa cum laude), where he studied first with Jesús Silva and then with Robert Guthrie. During 1974–75, he was a Fulbright Scholar and performer in Italy, studying with Sergio Notaro and Alirio Díaz in Rome and presenting a concert tour of Italy sponsored by the U.S. Embassy. He has also presented recitals throughout the United States and in England, Korea, Macedonia, Taiwan, China, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Denmark.
Frank’s editorial work has had a lasting influence on guitarists interested in carefully researched and idiomatic editions. Published by Kjos Music, his Johann Sebastian Bach: The Solo Lute Works has become a standard reference for classical guitarists. The publication reflects decades of research and a thorough understanding of how to present historically complex music in notation that respects the original sources while meeting the practical needs of performers. His collaborations with Mel Bay Publications and Productions d’Oz are represented by The Frank Koonce Series, a collection of anthologies and individual editions that has become an important resource for guitarists, particularly those exploring early music. These include The Baroque Guitar in Spain and the New World and The Renaissance Vihuela and Guitar in Sixteenth-Century Spain. His study of the music of J.S. Bach has led to editions of the six Cello Suites and six Violin Sonatas and Partitas, co-authored with Heather DeRome. These publications reflect his commitment to connecting historical scholarship with the practical demands of performance.
Frank’s recordings reflect the same breadth of musical interests evident throughout his career. He made the world-premiere recording in English of Mario Castelnuovo-
Tedesco’s Platero and I for narrator and guitar (Summit, DCD 1002), followed by a second recording of the work with the original Spanish narration (Soundset, SR 1026).
He has also recorded A Southwest Christmas with the Phoenix Bach Choir (Soundset, SR1005) and is featured in a live concert video with Russian composer and guitarist Nikita Koshkin (Mel Bay 99231VX). As a founding partner of Soundset Recordings, Frank helped produce numerous classical compact discs, including a premiere recording of works by Alan Hovhaness with the Korean Broadcasting System Symphony Orchestra. Music from that recording was later used as part of the soundtrack for Paramount Pictures’ Academy Award-winning film There Will Be Blood.
As Professor of Music at Arizona State University, Frank directed the guitar program from 1978 to 2018. He served as Director of Guitar Festival 1987, an international event jointly sponsored by the Guitar Foundation of America and the American String Teachers Association, and later served as Chair of the GFA Advisory Board. In 1988, he began a two-year tenure as editor of the "Guitar Forum" in American String Teacher and was appointed editor of the "Pedagogy Forum" in Soundboard, a position he held through 2012. He wrote and edited an extensive series of articles for both journals.
