Biography

Praised for, “Virtuosity and deep musical interpretation”, Samuel Hines is an award-winning guitarist from Southern California. World-renowned Cuban guitarist, René Izquierdo has described his pupil as, “A profound musician, Samuel Hines has matured to become a remarkable guitarist. His artistry will touch many!”

An Augustine Strings Artist, Hines maintains a busy performance schedule and has been a guest artist at the Los Angeles Guitar Festival, Florida Guitar Festival, East Carolina Summer Guitar Festival, Latino Arts Strings Festival in Wisconsin, and the 5th Latin-American Guitar Festival in Chicago, among others. 

Hines has won prizes in over 40 competition, with recent first prizes including the 2023 Florida Guitar Extravaganza Festival, 2019 Houston Guitar Festival, the 2019 Gohar and Ovanes Andriassian Competition at Cal State LA, the 2019 New Orleans International Guitar Festival, the 2019 Appalachian Guitarfest, the 2017 Florida Guitar Festival, the 2017 East Carolina University Guitar Festival, and the 2015 Sierra Nevada International Guitar Festival. Hines was also a competitor at the prestigious Parkening International Guitar Competition, selected as one of 15 competitors from around the world at the 2012, 2015 and 2019 editions.

His educational background includes a Bachelor of Music from Vanguard University of Southern California with Michael Nigro, a Master of Music from University of the Wisconsin-Milwaukee with René Izquierdo and is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts with Maja Radovanlija from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities while working as teaching assistant. 

Hines now lives in Mora, Minnesota, with his wife Katherine, daughter Hannah Noel, and enjoys hiking, nature, and good coffee.

Samuel Hines plays a 2014 Antonio Marin Montero, and a 2023 Marshall Brune, on Augustin Regal Strings