Part of the Hudson Valley Community College Fall 2026 Lunchtime Concert Series featuring free concerts from the very best local and regional musicians. This event is free and open to the public and is presented by the HVCC Cultural Affairs Program. Attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to donate to the Viking Cupboard Food Pantry.

Classical guitarist Matthew Ardizzone has built a distinguished career as a performer, educator and arts administrator. Since becoming the first guitarist to earn a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music, he has performed throughout North America, appearing in cities including New York, Montréal, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Ardizzone's performances have earned praise for their artistry and technical excellence. The Pittsburgh Tribune highlighted his "sensitive nuances," while the NYC Guitar Society commended his "incredible tone, marvelous technical facility, and poetic phrasing." He made his orchestral debut in 2005 performing Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the Anderson Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a guest soloist with orchestras in New York and Puerto Rico.

A dedicated collaborator, Ardizzone has performed with acclaimed musicians including violinist Movses Pogossian, soprano Audrey Luna and saxophonist Matthew Sintchak. His solo recording, Mazurka!, received a Communicator Crystal Award of Excellence, and he has earned honors in several national and international guitar competitions.

Ardizzone currently serves as associate dean of graduate studies at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music. Prior to his doctoral studies at Eastman with Nicholas Goluses, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Ithaca College, where he studied with Edward Flower.