Austin Wahl, a Minneapolis native, began his guitar studies in 1998 with Alan Johnston, a former member of the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, at the MacPhail Center for Music. Annually from 2004 to 2011, Wahl attended the American Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point, WI where he worked with Alan Johnston and Joseph Pecoraro. In 2009, he also studied with David Madsen at the MacPhail Suzuki Institute in Minneapolis. Between 2011 and 2015, Wahl earned his B. M. and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, studying with Dr. Nicholas Goluses. He will begin his M. M. studies in August of 2015, also at the Eastman School with Dr. Goluses. Wahl received his Suzuki guitar teaching certificate in August of 2012 from Mary Lou Roberts in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Wahl has won top prizes in various competitions. These include first in the Schubert Club (2010) and Thursday Musical (2011) scholarship competitions, second in the 2009 Schubert Club competition, being named a Showcase Artist in the inaugural Minnesota Varsity competition (2011), third in the Women of the Guitar Competition (2014), third in the Great Lakes Guitar Society Competition in 2013 and 2014, and first in 2015. In addition. Wahl also won the prestigious biennial Eastman Guitar Concerto Competition, and performed Rodrigo’s Fantasia para un Gentilhombre with the Eastman Philharmonia in April of 2014.

Wahl has performed in masterclasses for David Russell, Lorenzo Micheli, Matteo Mela, Benjamin Verdery, William and Adam Kossler, Judicael Perroy, Jeremy Jouve, Raphaella Smits, David Madsen, Sharon Isbin, Eliot Fisk, Roland Dyens, the Eden-Stell Guitar Duo, Anton Baranov, and Krzysztof Meisinger.