Michael Vascones was born in 1998 in Queens, New York. Inspired by watching his father play,
Michael began playing guitar at the age of twelve. 

Michael completed his undergraduate studies at the Juilliard School in 2021, studying under
Sharon Isbin, and finished his graduate studies at Manhattan School of Music in 2023 as a
student of Mark Delpriora. Michael currently attends the University of Southern California for his
doctorate in music, where he is an assistant lecturer in the guitar department.

Michael has won first prize in the ASTA L.A Guitar Competition, USC Classical Guitar
Competition, Southern Guitar Festival and Competition, Domaine Forget International Music
Festival Youth Competition, and the National Federation of Music Clubs Classical Guitar Award.
Michael was also a finalist in the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Youth
Competition.

Michael has recently been featured on numerous radio stations with his recordings of works by
Justin Holland, the 19th century African-American guitarist and composer.