Canadian musician Liona Boyd is an internationally acclaimed musician frequently referred to as "The First Lady of the Guitar". The talented classical guitarist has attracted fans around the globe with her flawless playing and entrancing performances. Liona Boyd's accomplishments include five gold and three platinum albums, as well as five Juno Awards, The Order of Canada and four honorary degrees. She is one of the world's most widely known classical guitarists.

Born in London, England, Liona Boyd immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of eight. Liona received an old family guitar from Spain as a Christmas gift when she was thirteen, and began taking classical guitar lessons. The teenager got excited about her musical studies only after attending a concert in Toronto by the famous English guitarist Julian Bream. Liona began more intensive music lessons with a well-known Viennese teacher in Toronto - Eli Kassner - but loved dance and dreamed of being a ballerina.

But it was her music that brought fame to Liona Boyd. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Performance and studied with Alexandre Lagoya in Paris. The rest is "herstory" - Liona Boyd recorded her first album and made her debut at Carnegie Recital Hall. A hectic schedule of concerts took Liona to concert halls across North America and from Tokyo to New Delhi, Rio, Auckland and Paris. Liona Boyd has performed for world leaders and royalty, and toured with the likes of Eric Clapton, Chet Atkins and Gordon Lightfoot.

Liona Boyd, who now lives in Connecticut but retains her Canadian citizenship, continues to tour and record her music. Two new CDs will be released in 2009.

• Classical Guitar Liona Maria Boyd
  The official Liona Boyd website, with biography, video clips, press reviews, paintings, etc.
• Liona Boyd
  Article from The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.
• Liona Boyd Biography and Music Downloads from MP3.com
• Teacher Feature - Liona Boyd
  Info from Vision Music.