The public is invited.  Admission is free.

Whitehead first began playing the guitar at the age of 14, and was self-taught for about a year before receiving his first private instruction. He progressed quickly.  Since presenting his first recital at age 16, he has performed a number of recitals and has competed at various international festivals. Among other honors, he was a semi-finalist at the 2009 Columbus State University Guitar Symposium and at the 2011 East Carolina University Guitar Competition, and earned top prizes at the 2011 James Stroud Guitar Competition and at the 2010 and 2011 University of Louisville International Guitar Competition.

Whitehead has also played for concert series throughout Michigan and Ohio, including the Musical Arts for Justice in the Community (MAJIC) concert series in Grand Rapids, the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts and the Stars in the Classics series in Cleveland, Ohio. He has also performed in master classes for many internationally acclaimed concert artists, including Zoran Dukic, Jason Vieaux, Marcin Dylla and Ricardo Cobo.

In addition to being an accomplished performer, Whitehead enjoys composing for the guitar and for other instruments. His compositions have won awards in the 2008 Michigan Music Teachers Association Honors Composition Competition, and he was selected from a number of professional composers to premiere one of his works in a concert for the Grand Rapids MAJIC series.

Whitehead has been teaching privately since 2007. He has taught private and group lessons in both English and Spanish and in a variety of styles. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in guitar performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and this entered into the Artist Diploma program at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pa., studying with renowned guitarists Jason Vieaux and David Starobin.

Nykerk Hall of Music is located in the central Hope campus at the former 127 E. 12th Street between College and Columbia avenues.

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