Trefor Owen
—Internationally Acclaimed Jazz Guitarist, Educator and Author
“I saw Jack Wilkins jam with Trefor Owen at the Benedetto booth and that was something! I never realized what a fine player Trefor is what great technique he has”.
–Dan Adler
More About Trefor Owen
Trefor Owen was born in the village of Gwalchmai, Anglesey. (Anglesey is an island off the Northern tip of Wales). Trefor, who is a Welsh speaker, is one of Britain’s finest jazz guitarists and a familiar figure on the U.S. Jazz guitar scene. His CD Wales Plays Brazil has won widespread critical acclaim and was featured regularly on Jazz FM. Trefor has toured the U.K. extensively and performed in the U.S.A with many American musicians, and has appeared with many European and British musicians. He has made several appearances at the New York Guitar Show, Long Island and at the NAMM Show, Los Angeles.
Trefor Owen is one of the foremost jazz and improvisation teachers in the U.K., covering all instruments. He has over 30 years experience teaching at the highest level both in Britain and the USA. For eight of those years he was an associate lecturer at Leeds College of Music. Also, for twenty five years he was a visiting lecturer at Liverpool Community College. For five years he taught at Wigan and Leigh College.
“Your unique approach to teaching the rigours of facility building through applied practice is ground breaking”.
Trefor Owen has also considerable experience in tutoring clinics and workshops. Among the many he has conducted are celebrity workshops at Cork International Jazz Festival, London’s Guitar Institute, the Zinc Bar, New York, New York Guitar Show, Long Island and, as mentioned above, the Chet Atkins Convention in Nashville.
For eight years, between 2000 and 2008, he led a team of international guitarists performing and tutoring at the North Wales International Jazz Guitar Festival and Summer School, the biggest jazz guitar event in the world, where his teaching won annual applause, and has since been resident tutor at each of the highly renowned bi-annual jazz guitar weekends presented by North Wales Jazz.
Biography
Here are some of the highlights from Trefor’s career spanning over 25 years.
Trefor interviews Pat Martino for Archtop Magazine
Trefor tours with Louis Stewart
Trefor conducts the prestigious jazz workshop at Cork International Jazz Festival with Adrian Ingram
Trefor was short-listed for the Daily Post Award for Jazz
Trefor was awarded an Arts Council bursary for the composition of ten Latin American pieces
1993 UK Tour
Trefor Owen appeared at Cork International Jazz Festival with International Guitar Spectacular, a four-guitar combo in which he featured with Mundell Lowe, Louis Stewart and Doug Raney.
15-date British tour with Mundell Lowe
Trefor Owen and Mundell Lowe in a BBC recording and broadcast in the Radio 3 series “Impressions”
Trefor performed at the Northern Guitar Show organised by Guitarist Magazine
In September, The Trefor Owen Quartet presentation “A Tribute To Wes Montgomery” received a Jazz Services National Touring Support Scheme Award for its UK tour
In October, Trefor appeared with Howard Alden and Adrian Ingram at the Arlington Guitar Show Texas USA.
Trefor became a regular columnist for an American publication “Just Jazz Guitar”
Trefor Owen’s 1996 festival dates included Keswick, Llangollen and Cork.
Trefor tours the UK with Paris based U.S. guitarist Jimmy Gourley
In January 1997 Trefor played at the NAMM Show in Los Angeles
In May, Trefor appeared at the New York Guitar Show, alongside many Jazz guitar greats
Trefor’s dream of a tour of the U.S.A. came true in July 1997 when he performed concerts and workshops in New York, North Carolina and Nashville.
In October, Trefor again toured the U.K. with the legendary Mundell Lowe, performing both concerts and workshops
Highlights of the 1997 UK Tour where included a broadcast for BBC Radio Scotland
January 1998 began with appearances at the NAMM Show, Los Angeles.
Trefor also appeared with Mundell Lowe and John Pisano at the L. A. Jazz Guitar Weekend at Papashon’s Restaurant, Encino alongside many Jazz guitar greats.
In April 1998 Trefor released his album titled “WALES PLAYS BRAZIL”.
In May 1998 Trefor Owen again appeared at the New York Guitar Show, Long Island giving a workshop and concert.
In July/August of 1998 Trefor performed in a guitar duo with Jim Nichols in the main auditorium, and conducted a workshop, at the Chet Atkins Convention in Nashville
Also in July and August of 1998, Trefor made a return visit to Papashon’s Restaurant, Encino, Los Angeles, where he played with Ron Eschete and John Pisano.
On the same US tour of 1998, Trefor made appearances in San Francisco at Enrico’s with Jim Nichols, and at the famous Pearl’s Jazz Club with guitarist Bruce Forman, and performed at the Acoustic Guitar Show at San Rafael.
In September Trefor made appearances with American guitarist Randy Johnston and in October paid his fourth visit of 1998 to the USA, giving performances in the Boston area.
Trefor began the year by making his third appearance at the NAMM Show, Los Angeles
In May, Trefor played for the third time at the New York Guitar Show, alongside many Jazz guitar greats.
In the Autumn Trefor toured the U.K. with Mundell Lowe.
In November Trefor did his second U.K. tour of the year, this time with Randy Johnston.
In April 2000 Trefor Owen was again invited to appear at the New York Guitar Show, Long Island.
In April Trefor again toured the U.K. with the legendary Mundell Lowe, performing both concerts and workshops. Highlights of the tour included a broadcast for BBC Radio Scotland.
For the third consecutive year, 2004-2006, Trefor toured California appearing in San Francisco and at John Pisano’s Guitar Night at Spazios, Sherman Oaks, L. A. During the tour, Trefor performed clinics for JazzMasters Workshops at Carmel, the first non American guitarist to do so and has since made another appearance in the Jazz Bar at the Classic American Guitar Show, and appeared at the prestigious Jazz Cafe, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC.
In August, for the eighth year, Trefor led a team of international guitarists tutoring and performing at the North Wales International Jazz Guitar Festival and Summer School in Wrexham.
