Andrew Wilder
About
Dr. Andrew Wilder is an award-winning guitarist with over twenty years of professional performing, recording, and teaching experience.
He has performed as a soloist and in ensembles nationally and internationally, instructed over five hundred students, taught more than thirty higher education courses, and recorded and produced multiple critically acclaimed studio albums.
He holds teaching positions at University of Colorado Boulder and University of Tennessee Southern.
Teaching Style
As a musician and an educator, Wilder emphasizes innovation, creativity, and collaboration as indispensable aspects of artistic life and musical growth. His artistic goal is to enrich the lives of others through music and to encourage intrinsic musical potential.
Wilder makes special effort to work with each student to clarify their individual goals and motivations. He works to create an environment built on trust in which students can feel at ease, focused, and free to express themselves.
Credentials & Affiliations
• Artist Diploma: Istituto Musicale Pareggiato Della Valle D’Aosta, Aosta, Italy
• Artist Diploma: Conservatorio Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
• Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance: Columbus State University
• Master of Music in Guitar Performance: University of Kentucky
• Doctor of Musical Art in Guitar Performance: University of Colorado Boulder
“Andrew is a very hard-working guitarist, which is one of the things that inspires me most about him. He always respects his students’ approach and encourages them to try new things. When he gives his own opinion he also opens a space for his student in a very supportive way. I believe this is one of the most important parts of being a teacher; helping to find the student’s own voice and guide them without insensitively imposing the teacher’s own ideas. Whenever I found a chance to learn from Andrew in the last two years, I felt that he was happy to give his guidance and support as a teacher.”
– Melda Turuncoglu
“Andrew is a very inspiring and versatile teacher. Interpretation is often the main theme of my classical guitar lessons with him. From identifying voices to brainstorming fingerings to phrasing, he has the abilities to see multiple options and choose the optimal one(s) that brings out the message of the score. What’s equally amazing is his ability to explain his interpretation, which often feels like musical intuition. He would go through different ways of seeing the same music and let you feel/hear the difference. By doing this kind of mental exercise, I feel like I find a way to decode classical guitar pieces as an amateur.”
- Xuanyu Chen
"Andrew is a true master of his craft, and having the opportunity to learn from him is a true gift. He brings so much insight into the infinite potential of creation as a musician and guitar player. He is an incredibly versatile teacher, and he really meets you where you are. He has an uncanny ability to help you make sense of seemingly complex musical concepts through a multifaceted approach that gives you a deeper understanding of your learning material from different angles. He has full mastery over the conceptual and technical aspects of guitar playing, and blends them to provide a full teaching experience. This is done in a wonderfully co-creative way - as he helps lead you to understanding through your authentic experience. He truly cares about your progress and growth as a musician because he knows the profound impact of music on an individual. His patience and kindness create a space where you feel comfortable to explore your creative self, and thus create an authentic relationship with music in a deeper fashion. I always leave a lesson feeling awe inspired and excited to integrate the learning and I always come back hungry for more! Andrew is simply the full package.”
- Dylan Webster