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. He also composes flamenco music for Mel Bay Publications having written two books that are in press for 2022 release. "Mel Bay Repertoire Series: Formative Works for Classical and Flamenco Guitar" and "The Flamenco/Classical Guitar Tradition, Vol. II" both being co-authored with Ricardo Marlow. 

Dr. Whitehead performs classical period (1780-1850) repertoire on a guitar made by Gennaro Fabricatore, (Napoli, 1808) later repertoire on a guitar by Robert S. Ruck, (Miami, 1974) and performs flamenco on a guitar made in 1966 by Manuel Reyes Sr. (Córdoba). Dr. Whitehead also plays Renaissance and Baroque literature on lute, a replica of an 8-course lute from 1627, from the British Museum made by Allen Clark and David Rubio (1974, England).

Dr. Whitehead is a Professor of Music at Fresno State, and joined the faculty as lecturer in January 2003, after having received the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Music Performance under the guidance of Prof. Thomas Patterson in May, 2002 at the University of Arizona. 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.

Dr. Whitehead 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. Later in 2009 through 2010, Dr. Whitehead contributed 30 works in 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.

As a performer, Dr. Whitehead is not contained within a single genre, nor instrument, as he also plays electric guitar, (jazz, rock, and pop) and has recorded and toured with John Parr, Bobby Kimball (ex-Toto), Herman Rarebell (ex-Scorpions, Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock), and with Fall oF Silence, his own band which has released two EPs in 2017-2018. In 2018,  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 Stommeln, Germany with these artists released in 2019, 2020, and more to come in 2022 as this video featured three singers and is released as a three-part documentary called "Music Behind Closed Doors." 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.

A notable performance highlight just before the pandemic shutdowns, 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, and later that year as a trio at the Fresno State Guitar Festival with Tony Franklin and Alvin Taylor.