Guitar

Andy Nitkin

Andrew Nitkin is the original Founder/Director of the American Institute of Guitar (AIG) in New York City that was established over four decades ago, as well as the American Studio of Music and other music related companies. At AIG, he developed a specific curriculum geared towards the teaching of all styles of guitar playing as well as an international concert series that featured many of today's great performers on the instrument. After leaving New York, Andrew joined the faculty of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA) in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey and was later named to numerous Director positions. In 2014, he was named the Director of Education working closely with the then. Executive Director to develop programming across the three branches of WIPA, the New Jersey Youth Symphony, Paterson Music Project, and the Wharton Performing Arts School. With over 40 years of experience in music education and other areas of the music industry, upon the Executive Director’s departure in 2018, Andrew was named Interim Executive Director of WIPA. Trained as well as a performer and instructor on classical guitar, Andrew’s style is a mix of classical, Spanish, and Brazilian having studied with Leonid Bolotine and Tiberio Nacimento at Mannes College of Music in New York City in the 1970’s and 80’s. After leaving the American Institute of Guitar in 2004, Andrew went on to teach, perform, and work administratively full time at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts advancing the cause of music education. Recently, he joined the faculty of the Raritan Music Center as a guitar instructor.