Michael Bemmels is an accomplished guitarist from Richmond, B.C. He holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in classical guitar performance from UBC, where he studied under Daniel Bolshoy and Michael Strutt. Throughout his studies at UBC, Michael was awarded nine scholarships, including the Wallace Berry Memorial Prize for his outstanding achievements in music theory courses. In 2013, he won 1st place in both the Kiwanis and the Performing Arts BC Festivals, going on to finish 2nd place in the FCMF National Festival in Waterloo, Ontario. Michael has a wide range of professional experiences as a musician, including teaching guitar, adjudicating guitar at the 2015 BCCM music festival, arranging popular songs for solo guitar, and working as a music theory Teaching Assistant at UBC.

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         Michael has performed countless times for the Vancouver Classic Guitar Society and Vancouver Health Arts Society. In October of 2015 he performed a “Music at Midweek” concert with mezzo-soprano Katie Miller at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. In 2019 he gave the west coast premiere performance of Luis Ramirez's composition Singularity, as part of the Canada-wide Class Axe Project.

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         Prior to his studies at UBC, Michael played jazz trumpet, popular and rock music on electric guitar, and developed a keen and lasting interest in music theory and composition. As a composer, Michael often draws upon influences from both classical and popular styles of music, quotes familiar folk tunes or nursery rhymes, and ultimately strives to create music that is both fun and sophisticated. In 2023 his composition "Matador's Nemesis" was a finalist in the 7th Fidelio Online Guitar Composition Contest.  

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         Currently Michael teaches guitar at World of Music and Arts. He is always accepting new students of any skill level and style of music.