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PSC Finger Style Acoustic Guitar Competition and Master Class Participants. (Clockwise, starting top left). Pre-competition Group (left to right) – Dr. Joe Stallings (Director of Guitar Programs at PSC), Jérémy Jouve (guest artist and adjudicator), John Marchlewski, Ezekiel Brito, Micah Fetner, Jack Corduan, Collin Kirkpatrick, Benjamin Poczatek, Joshua Khan, Alex Probst and Derrick Javier (adjudicator); Ezekiel Brito; Collin Kirkpatrick; Benjamin Poczatek; Joshua Khan; 2025 FSAGC Prize Winners – Benjamin Poczatek (1st), Micah Fetner (2nd) and John Marchlewski (3rd); John Marchlewski; Micah Fetner; (center) 2025 FSAGC Winners and Adjudicators – Derrick Javier (adjudicator), Benjamin Poczatek (1st), Micah Fetner (2nd) and John Marchlewski (3rd), Jérémy Jouve (guest artist and adjudicator), and Dr. Joe Stallings (Director of Guitar Programs at PSC).
The Pensacola State College 2025 Finger Style Acoustic Guitar Competition brought together talented young musicians for an unforgettable day of competition, instruction and inspiration on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium.
This prestigious competition, open to pre-college guitarists aged 18 and younger, offered not only generous cash prizes but also the rare opportunity to work closely with world-renowned guitarist Jérémy Jouve from Paris, France.
Despite travel delays due to weather conditions, Jouve adapted seamlessly, working with PSC Director of Guitar Programs Dr. Joe Stallings to rearrange the weekend’s schedule. As a result, the master class originally planned for Friday was held after the competition on Saturday, giving participants a unique chance to receive direct feedback from a globally celebrated musician.
Each young guitarist received personalized instruction from Jouve during the master class, gaining insights and techniques from one of the world’s most accomplished classical guitarists.
The competition’s top three prize winners earned not only cash awards—$600 for first place, $450 for second, and $300 for third—but also the honor of performing as featured soloists at the Pensacola Guitar Orchestra’s 2025 Spring Recital on Saturday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium. Admission to the recital is free, and the public is encouraged to attend and support these rising stars.
The 2025 Finger Style Acoustic Guitar Competition Winners:
- 1st Prize – Benjamin Poczatek (Birmingham, Alabama)
- 2nd Prize – Micah Fetner (Bayou La Batre, Alabama)
- 3rd Prize – John Marchlewski (Milton, Florida)
The winners were officially announced during the awards ceremony at intermission of Jouve’s concert on Saturday evening, where he captivated the audience with his masterful performance.
Jouve’s presence at PSC provided an extraordinary experience for young musicians, reinforcing the College’s commitment to fostering artistic excellence and offering students opportunities to learn from internationally recognized professionals.
Dr. Stallings and the Pensacola State College Performing Arts Department want to express deep appreciation for the three local sponsors of this event, who were instrumental in bringing the vision of the weekend to life and without whom the day’s activities would not have been possible: Blues Angel Music in Pensacola, FL bluesangelmusic.com; Minds on Music in Gulf Breeze, FL mindsonmusic.net; and A Joyful Noise Music Store in Milton, FL ajoyfulnoisemusic.com.