Kithara Duo (Olga Amelkina-Vera and Fernand Vera) was formed in 2002, when they were graduate students at the University of North Texas. Since then, they have performed nationally as well as in Europe and South America. Kithara Duo’s critically acclaimed debut CD, Beings, was released by Soundset Recordings in 2011. The duo is home to an international award-winning composer (Olga), and their first album is a world premiere recording of her music for guitar duo. In addition to Olga’s original compositions, Fernand and Olga regularly contribute to guitar duo repertoire through arrangements and transcriptions of music by such composers as Albeniz, Ferrabosco, Soler, and Vivaldi. Their second CD, Lingua Franca (2015), features their new arrangements of music from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Kithara Duo are faculty at Collin College in Plano, Texas, where Fernand directs the award-winning Guitar Studies program, and Olga teaches in the guitar, theory, history, and composition areas. They organize the Collin College Guitar Festival, held each spring semester, and Collin College Guitar Competition, held each fall. For the most up-to-date information, please follow www.facebook.com/kitharaduo.

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