Imagine what our world would be like if all of our duels and disputes, were settled over a singing or a guitar competition. A dreamy world it would be, a rainforest of enchantement.
Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
As a four-year old watching her father take up the guitar as a hobby, Alberta was immediately captivated and asked for one. Her wish was granted and she began exploring the instrument, leaving lots of scratches and marks from carrying the instrument with her everywhere. She began having lessons at the age of 5 with Sydney's Alfred Alexander. Alberta was overjoyed learning her favourite songs from method books. She voraciously began learning other repertoire for the instrument, eager to play as many works as she could. Within a couple of years, Alberta commenced performing at various local events, churches and community events and by the age of eight she entered her first competition. The experience, competing against older competitors, sometime unnerving yet always humbling and fun, taught her stage skills, perseverance and honed her musicality. By thirteen Alberta won her first prize in an open age competition.
Under the tutelage of maestro Gregory Pikler, Alberta shaped her music to the highest levels and began exploring musical festivals and international competitions in Australia, throughout Europe and the US. She had the wonderful opportunities of having master classes and lessons with many respected guitarists including Hubert Käppel, Peter Katona, Jason Vieux and Fabio Zanon. She also had a chance to meet her guitar heroes, Maestros Pepe Romero and David Russell, whose artistry and technical prowess further inspired her resolve to design her life as a musician. At sixteen, Alberta achieved another milestone as the youngest competitor and first female to advance to the semi-finals, subsequently achieving 5th place in the Parkening International Guitar Competition.
Alberta began her undergraduate studies at The Juilliard School with multi-Grammy Awards winner Sharon Isbin, awarded a full scholarship by the Augustine Foundation. Within a year, Alberta’s performance in New York’s Bruno Walter Auditorium was hailed for her ability to “captivate the audience with her conviction” (The Guitar, 2014). She then performed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters, as part of the New York Guitar Marathon and The Greene Space Radio at WQXR.
At 22, Alberta made her debut performing in the Krannert Center of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. The local News-Gazette noted “Khoury is clearly possessed of a brilliant technique, which she tastefully uses to project a wide spectrum of moods, from languid melancholy, to fiery rage.”
Throughout her Juilliard undergraduate degree, Alberta has received several of the Schools fellowships including the Concert Fellowship, the Gluck Community Service Fellowship, the McCabe Guitar Fellowship and the Morse Teaching Artist Fellowship. A contributing writer for the Juilliard Journal, she shared her experiences of community engagement in, “A Guitar Student Expands her Audience in the Juilliard Community” as well as an article titled “Reaching New Audiences”, describing her collaborative experiences with MacArthur Fellow, Vijay Gupta at a homeless shelter.
Now completing her Master of Music degree in Juilliard’s Accelerated Program, she serves as a Student Ambassador for Juilliard, known for vivid collaborations with musicians, actors and dancers. She has performed both original compositions with actors and dancers as well as formed musical projects and groups with an array of musicians including guitarists, singers, pianists, percussionists, flautists and string players. Alberta has premiered a composition for guitar duo at the ‘FOCUS! Festival’, ‘Our Southern Neighbours: The Music of Latin America’ in Peter Jay Sharp Theater, New York. She has also been involved in a Juilliard Vocal Arts Production of Britten’s ‘The Burning Fiery furnace’, performing incidental music.
Alberta is a committed volunteer, bringing music into the community wherever she is. In Sydney, Alberta has enjoyed performing both solo and chamber music at the Chris O’Brien Cancer Center, Westmead Children’s Hospital and libraries. She loves seeing music bring people together, and witnessed children and their parents experiencing live music for the first time, despite their residence in a major metropolitan area. Within the Juilliard community, Alberta enjoys pursuing her project Music in Every Corner, playing music in the offices as well as various parts of the building, bringing music to the staff as a gesture of appreciation for their efforts and care. Alberta was invited to present a talk on community engagement as well as share a performance at the Lincoln Center all-staff meeting, Kaplan Penthouse. She was the first Juilliard student ever to be featured as a guest artist.
On December 12th 2018, Alberta was priviliged to perform at the Sophia Award Luncheon graced by the guitar-loving Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain, honoring Dr. Elena Barraquer and the world-renowned multifaceted artist Plácido Domingo.
At 23, she became a recipient of the American-Australian Arts Fund, receiving a grant for her studies and pursuit in arts and society.
Alberta is a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School.