Geoff Hartwell

Geoff Hartwell is a New York guitarist, songwriter, teacher and clinician. Growing up, he studied guitar fiercely and was playing NYC venues such as CBGB's, Kenny’s Castaways and the Lion's Den by the time he was in his teens.

Geoff Hartwell has been a Director in the music department at the Northern Westchester Center for the Arts, and is a long-time faculty member at the National Guitar Workshop’s main campus in Connecticut and satellites such as Austin, Texas. In 2007 he taught a seminar called “Sounds of the Slide Guitar Masters” with special guests Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar in Austin. This led to a sold-out show in New York with Geoff Hartwell and Sonny Landreth performing together again.

Recent television performances include appearing as a “Naked Hippie” in a hugely popular skit on Saturday Night Live (which was chosen to open the “Best of the Year” DVD), and playing guitar for the theme to the Discovery Channel show “Outward Bound”. He has done interview/performances on The Guitar Show with Mike Byrnes, and The Listening Room on RNN. Hartwell has also enjoyed a great response to airplay of his CD, “Perfect Stranger” on college radio stations in the Northeast such as WVKR, Vassar College Radio.

Geoff Hartwell has a Keyman endorsement with Hamer Guitars. He is also endorsed by Gold Tone Acoustic Instruments and Pigtronix Effects and he is sponsored by Sam Ash Music.

In addition to maintaining a busy clinic and teaching schedule, Geoff Hartwell continues to perform roughly 200 nights per year.

What People Are Saying...

"There's something incredibly satisfying about a guitar lick that gallops up the strings and tags every sweet note in it's path...Saucy!"
-Jude Gold, Guitar Player Magazine

"(Geoff Hartwell) has distinguished himself as an up and coming musician and songwriter with some serious slide guitar chops."
-MORE SUGAR! Magazine

"Guitar slinger/songwriter Geoff Hartwell's debut CD 'Perfect Stranger' is a true testimonial to his obvious love and talent with both the sonic and the sonnet, the searing and the soft".
-Cindy Cashdollar, world-class lap steel & Dobro artist (Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart)

"Aside from being an outstanding musician and guitar player, Geoff Hartwell’s skills as a clinician put him at the top of the heap. Geoff’s knowledge and understanding of the mechanics of slide playing is bullet-proof. The master-class he conducted at the Lone Star School of Music was attended by absolute beginners, professional guitarists and every level in between- No one left empty-handed.
Not only do Geoff’s skills as a slide player put him in an elite group of musicians, but his ability to break down those skills and demonstrate them in simple, crystal clear terms make him one of a kind."
-Kurt Phillips - President, Lone Star School of Music, Austin, Texas