Bio

Stephan Kane is an international classical guitarist and guitar teacher based in Berlin and San Francisco.

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Solo Musician:

Raised in Kailua, Hawaii, Stephan began his career performing as a solo artist at restaurants and art galleries. His innovative arrangements have made him a top solo wedding musician in Hawaii, Oregon, and the San Francisco Bay Area, performing at over 400 events, including celebrity weddings and corporate functions for brands like Ferrari. His international performances have taken him to Germany, Canada, Mexico, Spain, and Iceland. Stephan is a concerto soloist and has performed Joaquin Rodrigo’s Fantasia para un gentilhombre and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Concerto No. 1, Op. 99 with live orchestras.

Chamber Musician:

Stephan has performed with the Ashland Guitar Quartet at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, with the contemporary Hawaiian band Ha’ena at casinos and festivals throughout Oregon, and tours with the Sforzato Guitar Quartet in Iceland’s Westfjords. He was previously featured in This is Classical Guitar with Kailua Guitar Duo partner Luke Trimble. Stephan has accompanied opera and pop vocalists and served as principal guitarist in musical productions, including Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story.

Education:

Stephan holds a Master of Music and Professional Studies Diploma in Classical Guitar Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), graduating summa cum laude. At SFCM, he studied under David Tanenbaum, Marc Teicholz, and John Dearman while serving as the guitar student council representative. Stephan has performed in masterclasses for some of the world’s most distinguished guitarists such as: Scott Tennant, Jason Vieaux, Ana Vidovic, Zoran Dukic, Pavel Steidl, Marcin Dylla, Andrew York, and Benjamin Verdery. Stephan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music-Business from Southern Oregon University, where he studied under David Rogers and James Bishop-Edwards. In May 2024, Stephan built a traditional Hauser-style guitar under the guidance of master builder Pavel Gavryushov in Granada, Spain, gaining a profound understanding of guitar construction and sound.

Teaching Info

Teaching:

Stephan is an experienced educator with over 20 years of international experience. He has developed a teaching philosophy centered on meeting the unique needs of each student. Stephan has studied guitar pedagogy at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and he was selected as the Teaching Assistant to SFCM’s guitar faculty for two consecutive years coaching other students and hosting performance class. Stephan was previously on the guitar faculty at the California Conservatory of Music, where he taught using the Suzuki Method for students as young as three years old. He now specializes in working with adults, teens, and children. Stephan has been invited back to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a guest lecturer and currently runs a full-time private teaching studio in Berlin. He continues to teach both in-person and online, providing lessons to students in Berlin and worldwide through Zoom.

Private classical guitar lessons are available in person in Berlin and online worldwide via Zoom, suitable for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. With a patient, experienced, and qualified professional instructor, we will start from the basics, focusing on fundamental techniques that will equip you to play virtually any style of music with confidence and ease.

Guitar lessons will help you to:

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• Learn to read music

• Develop effective practice techniques

• Gain confidence in your playing and performances

• Feel inspired and inspire others

• Express yourself artistically

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The classical guitar style will be incorporated into our weekly lessons.  It is the goal of this first period to supply each student with a foundation of understanding in the classical guitar technique that will allow them to progress in the musical direction of their choice, whether they wish to continue with classical or integrate popular or folk styles. Each lesson plan is tailored to the individual student.