SI-YO ARTIST™
Alberta Khoury
Bio courtesy of Alberta Khoury
As a four-year old watching her father take up the guitar as a hobby, Khoury was immediately captivated and asked for a guitar. She began having lessons at the age of 5 with a local teacher in Sydney, Alfred Alexander. Within three years, Khoury entered her first competition with competitors twice her age. By 13 Khoury made her mark, capturing first prize in an open age competition. Khoury made an impact in the international guitar scene, winning 5th place in the Parkening International Guitar Competition at 16.
Khoury began her undergraduate studies at the Juilliard School with Sharon Isbin, awarded a full scholarship by the Augustine Foundation. Khoury completed her Master of Music degree in Juilliard’s Accelerated Program and is the first guitarist to have been awarded the prestigious Kovner Fellowship. Khoury was invited to present a talk on community engagement as well as share a performance at the Lincoln Center all-staff meeting, Kaplan Penthouse. She is the first guitarist to receive the William Schuman prize for distinguished musicianship and leadership in the Juilliard School.
She has been heard at an event honoring Placido Domingo graced by Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain at the Metropolitan Club. At 23, Khoury became a recipient of the American-Australian Arts Fund, receiving a grant for her studies and pursuit in arts and society. She has been interviewed about her studies and research on ABC Radio with Chris Bath as well as featured in the Sydney Daily Telegraph. She serves as a Student Ambassador for Juilliard, known for vivid collaborations with musicians, actors and dancers. In 2019, Khoury was an invited artist at the Vail Dance Festival, collaborating with dancers and the Brooklyn Rider String Quartet.
She is the first guitarist to be accepted into the Doctor of Musical Arts program at Juilliard, and has recently performed at the Kennedy Center in March 2020 as part of the DEMO Series.
Khoury is a recipient of the C.V.Starr Fellowship.