Corey E. Whitehead

Dr. Corey E. Whitehead, was one of five flamenco guitarists in the world chosen by the legendary Manolo Sanlúcar to receive the full scholarship to study in Córdoba at "La forma y naturaleza de la guitarra flamenca" and is the only guitarist from the United States ever chosen for this scholarship, having done so twice, in 2009, and 2010.

Dr. Whitehead is a Professor of Music at California State and received the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Music Performance under the guidance of Prof. Thomas Patterson in May, 2002. Since then he has studied extensively with the legendary Cordoba-born flamenco guitarist Juan Serrano, and with the legendary Manolo Sanlúcar, and with luminaries such as Manolo Franco, José Antonio Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Romero, and Paco Serrano. Corey was appointed in May, 2006 as Juan Serrano’s replacement in the area of Guitar Performance, at California State University, Fresno after an international search. Dr. Whitehead has received international acclaim for his direction of the program. Under his leadership, the program continues to be widely considered as the top flamenco guitar program in the United States. Fresno State University is the only institution in the Americas that offers a degree in music performance with emphasis in flamenco guitar studies. His book “The Flamenco/Classical Guitar Tradition,” Mel Bay, 2009, is co-authored with Juan Serrano. Corey was recently awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Music at Fresno State. His current work includes a new repertoire series book on Mel Bay called “Formative Works for Flamenco and Classical Guitar,’ and a second volume of the aforementioned guitar method. Dr. Whitehead is notable in the world of flamenco for transcription and engraving for Flamenco: Obra Didactica-Aristica (a ten volume book-DVD of 50 flamenco works by luminary artists) by Produciónes Manolo Sanlúcar, The Government of Andalucia, Spain, and the Flamenco Agency of the Government of Andalucia.

Dr. Whitehead has recorded and toured with John Parr, Bobby Kimball (ex-Toto), Herman Rarebell (ex-Scorpions, Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock), and now with Fall oF Silence, his own band which has released two EPs in 2017-2018. In 2018, Corey’s band Fall oF Silence recorded their third EP in Franklin, Tennessee, at The Castle Recording Studios with bassist David Ellefson, and drummer Miles McPherson.

He has also recorded a 21-song live video in Dierks Studios in Stpmmeln, Germany with these artists due to be released in 2020. This video recording was preceded by the release of a 13-song album called “Acoustic Fever” with these musicians and other famous singers from the 1970s-1980s era of corporate rock: Jack Russell, Don Dokken, Tony Martin, Gary Barden, Doogie White, Paul Shortino and more. In June, 2019 Corey performed with Jefferson Airplane Revisited, featuring members of Jefferson Airplane at The 42^nd Annual Haight-Ashbury Street Fair in San Francisco as the headlining act on the Stanyan Stage.