Grace Sheppard is a classical guitarist from Tucson, Arizona who has played guitar for over 15 years. She is currently pursuing her BA in Guitar Performance from the Bolton Guitar Program at the University of Arizona, and studies with the director Tom Patterson.
In 2013, she won first prize in the junior division of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Competition, becoming the first American female to win the prize. The following year in 2014, she won second prize in the senior division, becoming the first person to ever place in both divisions in consecutive years. The following year, she was a finalist in the Christopher Parkening International Youth Competition. Recently, she won first prize in both the Wolfe Undergraduate Competition and Schaeffer Undergraduate Competition, both held by the University of Arizona’s Bolton Guitar Program. Most recently in October 2019, she was a finalist in the Beeston Guitar Competition at the University of Arizona. Aside from competing, she frequently attends masterclasses, technique classes, and performs at the University of Arizona. In her hometown of Tucson, she has done performances for the local organization Lead Guitar, nursing/retirement homes, and fundraising concerts for the Bolton Guitar Program at the University of Arizona. She also works for the TMC Healing Arts Program by playing music for patients in the hospital. In addition to studying with Tom Patterson, she has studied with David Russell, Sergio and Odair Assad, Marcin Dylla, Tomas Viloteau, Jonathan Leathwood, Daniel Bolshoy, Margarita Escarpa, and Paul Odette.