Randall Avers gained recognition in the classical guitar world at the age of 17 by winning the 2nd prize in the 1991 Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Competition. Three decades later, Avers has been awarded numerous accolades in international competitions and performs regularly in North America and Europe. He has released three solo recordings, four chamber music recordings and is sought after as a performer, educator, composer, and juror for international level competition.
Randall grew up in Massillon, Ohio. Before receiving his high school diploma, he had already enrolled at the University of Akron and graduated from the Walnut Hill School of the Arts in Natick, MA taking lessons at the New England Conservatory, His bachelor in Music studies began at the North Carolina School of the Arts and concluded at the Oberlin Conservatory. He received a Masters in Music at the University of Arizona. He continued his studies in Europe at the Conservatoire de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) where he received a first prizes in guitar (unanimous) and chamber music, as well as the Norwegian Academy of Music (Norges Musikkhøgskole).
Two projects in 2010 led him to embark on a new musical path: he was awarded a 2-year artist stipend by the Norwegian Culture Department to study the solo guitar music and improvisational style of Ralph Towner, a legendary ECM jazz artist. The project culminated in the recording “Man in the Moon”. Secondly, he formed the duo “les Frères Méduses” (the Jellyfish Brothers) with French guitarist Benoit Albert purposely setting sights on exploring new territory in the guitar duo format, including the creation of live silent film scores, theater spectacles, free improvisation, and arranging or composing music that would accommodate these new formats.
Randall is the recipient of the Presser Award, Harriet Hale Wolley Award and was chosen to be an American Artistic Ambassador touring North Africa and the Middle East. He makes his home in Horten, Norway with his wife and three children and teaches at the Asker Kulturskole and Tønsberg Kulturskole. His books and compositions are published by Productions D’Oz.