ALEIA GONZALEZ

Classical guitarist Aleia Gonzalez was born in Paraguay and started her guitar studies at the age of 8. Aleia proceeded her music studies at the conservatory Clave de Sol in Asuncion, where she graduated with the diploma of Classical Guitar Instructor after presenting a paper about guitar composers and performing a recital featuring guitar solo and chamber music repertoire.

Aleia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Catholic University Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Paraguay and a Master of Music degree in classical guitar performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she studied with guitarist Dr. Bráulio Bosi.

Aleia is a recipient of several prizes and awards. In 2021, Aleia was selected to record videos for the Guitar Salon International in Santa Monica, California. Aleia also received a grant through the UMKC Women’s Council in 2019 for her participation and collaboration at the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Cortona, Italy. In 2016, Aleia was selected to be part of the Pu Rory ensemble, a twenty-five-guitar ensemble that performed in Paraguay under the direction and coaching of Paraguayan classical guitarist Berta Rojas. Aleia has also participated at the Momento Musical international competition in Paraguay in two occasions, where she placed second in the solo guitar category in 2011 and received an honorable mention in the chamber music category in 2010.

Throughout her career, Aleia has participated in several masterclasses with renowned guitarists including Leo Brouwer, Berta Rojas, Siqueira-Lima guitar duo, and Brad DeRoche. As an active performer of the Kansas City metropolitan area, Aleia is constantly collaborating with singers, instrumentalists, and ensembles of the region. Some of Aleia’s recent collaborations include a duo program with Dr. Alejandro Avila presenting a program of South American repertoire, and the Jopara ensemble, an instrumental group that performs arrangements of Paraguayan classical and folk repertoire.

Internationally, Aleia has performed at the Vocal Academy of Opera – Bodrum in Turkey as part of the orchestra in Carmen’s production. In Italy, Aleia premiered two chamber music pieces at the the 2019 Cortona Sessions for New Music, a contemporary music festival. Locally, she has been featured at the Ruel Joyce Recital Series, the Kansas Paraguay Partners annual meeting, and several concerts at Emporia State University, Washburn University, MidAmerica Nazarene University, among others.

Aleia is a board member of the Kansas City Guitar Society since 2020 serving as Treasurer and Membership Chair and always enjoys performing for their Casual Concert Series each season. Recently, Aleia has also accepted a position as a board member and Treasurer of the Salt Creek Song Festival, an art song festival held in Nebraska each Spring, where she performs with singers and instrumentalists of the Midwest region.

Currently, education plays an essential role in Aleia’s musical life. Based in Great Bend, Kansas, Aleia has been appointed Guitar Instructor at Barton Community College and Kansas Wesleyan University. Previously, she taught at Washburn University in Topeka, Rockhurst University in Kansas City, and MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe. In her free time, Aleia likes cooking, shopping, and just being outdoors enjoying the sunshine.