Guitar
MARIO DIAZ
GUITAR PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Mario Díaz is a guitarist, singer, audio engineer, and educator whose musical activities have taken him across the U.S. and South America. A member of the Oregon Guitar Quartet, he has also performed with Portland Opera, 45th Parallel, Fear No Music and Third Angle New Music. He is a faculty member at Portland State University and Portland Community College, Director of the PSU Guitar Series, and head of the guitar program at Young Musicians & Artists. Mario also maintains a private teaching studio in Portland and serves as a clinician and adjudicator across the region.
Díaz’s work as a soloist and collaborator crosses over into a wide range of genres and styles, from classical to rock. He has participated in three tours and two Idaho residencies with the Dave Eggar Band and has recorded with Pink Martini, the von Trapps, and Martin Zarzar. During his time at Allegro Media Group, Mario engineered and mastered over 300 recordings. In addition to teaching in the guitar program at PSU, he is a faculty member in the university’s groundbreaking Sonic Arts and Music Production program.
Mario holds degrees from San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Portland State University, where he studied with composer/guitarists Bryan Johanson and Sergio Assad. When not making music, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.