The compositions of Thomas Schuttenhelm (b. 1970) are cherished by performers for their exquisite craft and richness of style, and equally loved by audiences. His compositions can be heard on numerous recordings and have been performed throughout the country and abroad by such artists as: the Alturas Duo (guitar and viola), the Adaskin String Trio; classical guitarists: Eliot Fisk, Jason Vieaux, Christopher Ladd, Alex Walker, Daniel Salazar and the Hartford Festival Orchestra; pianist Paul Bisaccia, the Goldspiel/Provost Classical Guitar Duo, bassist Robert Black from Bang on A Can All-Stars, bassist Volkan Orhon, the Connecticut Trio, and the Connecticut Yankee Chorale. His piano music was featured on the PBS (WGBY- Springfield, WGBH-Boston) special "The Great American Piano." In addition to composing for some of America’s top soloists and ensembles, Thomas Schuttenhelm is also an experienced performer and scholar. He received his doctorate in Composition and Guitar Performance from The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. He has performed electric guitar with the FIREWORKS Ensemble, a contemporary music ensemble; collaborated with the Wellspring Dance Company, a performance art company based in New York; toured with Purple Rock Productions, a diverse theater group, performing on guitar and balalaika; and is a composer/performer member of the Boston Public Works Contemporary Music Series held at Harvard University. He has taught guitar, theory, and music history at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, and is currently teaching at Central Connecticut State University. He serves on the board of the Connecticut Classical Guitar Society and has published several articles on the history and performance of guitar in the journal Soundboard. He is a contributing author to an edition on Fernando Sor and the nineteenth century guitar and has recently completed a book: "The Selected Letters of Michael Tippett", which is published by Faber. In addition, he has contributed to a number of BBC Radio programs. In 2007 he received a Fulbright grant to the United Kingdom where he will be compiling material for his second book on Tippett, performing his music, and completing commissions.