Brad Mahon regularly appears nationally and internationally as an award-winning and acclaimed guitarist, instructor, adjudicator, clinician, lecturer, and administrator.
He is President and CEO of Great Plains College and a senior member of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s College of Examiners.
His formal education is highlighted by a PhD (musicology) from the University of Calgary, an MBA (executive management) from Royal Roads University, and an ARCT (guitar) from the Royal Conservatory of Music.
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Shameless Bio (there’s a quiz at the end)
As a guitarist and past prize-winner in the Pacific Northwest International Guitar Competition, Brad Mahon has been described as “an outstanding classical guitarist” (20th Century Guitar, New York) and “a very accomplished performer” (CBC Radio, Canada), while his concert performances have been reviewed as “a delightful musical night and great spectacle for the audience” (Baiao Noticia, Portugal). For many years, Brad’s artistic focus was recording, performing, and touring with the Oberon Guitar Trio—“A highly competent trio” (Classical Guitar magazine, UK); “Three times the fun” (Castlegar News)—and with the East-West Guitar Duo—“Most impressive” (Brantford Expositor); “Entertaining” (Comox Valley Record). His diverse recording portfolio comprises commercial releases and made-for-radio broadcasts, including In Concert (CBC Radio, 1995), Six Strings (CD, 2005), Classic Melodies (CD, 2006), Music of Our Time (CD, 2010), and the forthcoming, Greatest Hits (2023). A frequent collaborative artist, he has also appeared in concert with the Diaz Trio, Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Calgary Opera, and the JUNO award-winning Land’s End Ensemble.
As a musicologist, Brad Mahon’s research interests include topics related to the guitar—its history, performance practice, pedagogy, and cultural impression. He has been published in Music Matters, Soundboard, Fast Forward, and Guitar Connoisseur and was part of the editing team responsible for, The Classical Guitar: a Comprehensive Guitar Series (11 volumes published by Frederick Harris Music). His work has been frequently presented at academic conferences, including for the Canadian University Music Society and the American Musicological Society, and he’s acted as a reviewer for Oxford University Press, Frederick Harris Music, and Wilfred Laurie University Press. Brad’s doctoral dissertation was completed at the University of Calgary under the mentorship of Dr Victor Coelho, winning a Graduate Fellowship Award from the Province of Alberta.
As an educator, Brad has instructed at several institutions as an adjunct faculty member, including Mount Royal University, Ambrose University, Boston University, Burman University, University of Lethbridge, University of Regina, and the University of Calgary, where, at the latter, he was nominated for a Student’s Union Teaching Excellence Award. His classroom lecturers are constantly praised for their high energy and student engagement while his guitar students have received scholarships, awards, and prizes at local, provincial, national, and international music festivals and competitions. Former students have also been accepted into notable post-secondary music programs in the United States, Europe, and Canada. He has also given clinics, workshops, and masterclasses at universities, colleges, and conservatories across Canada, the US, Portugal, and China.
As an adjudicator, Brad is a distinguished member of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s College of Examiners and a popular, habitual judge at music festivals across Canada. Recent adjudication highlights include the British Columbia Provincial Music Festival, Toronto’s Peel Music Festival, the Northwest Guitar Festival, Edmonton’s Fall Festival, and the Vancouver Music Festival, as well as regular, reoccurring appearances at music festivals throughout Alberta.
As an administrator, Brad Mahon brings over 25 years of post-secondary experience to his role as President and CEO of Great Plains College, having found success in the classroom, the boardroom, and engaging the community. As a leader in the higher education sector, he is a passionate advocate for providing learners with a transformative educational experience and ensuring institutions are meaningfully engaged with the communities they serve. His administrative tenures have consistently prioritized collaboration and cooperation, including establishing strategic partnerships with other post-secondary institutions, community organizations, and industry.
In 2022, Brad received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal recognizing his service in the education sector.
(Kidding about the quiz; thanks for your interest though).