For guitarists all over the world, there's one competition that stands out from the rest, The Guitar Foundation of America's International Concert Artist Competition.

The 2023 winner, Ukrainian guitarist Marko Topchii, visited Arizona State University as a part of his concert tour and spoke about his competition journey and his resolve to create a legacy as a Ukrainian musician.

After the GFA, unusually for myself, I listened to that performance.

I was just like getting used to the fact that this happened, that this was me.

I remember I was, very glad abou performance, because I know how I could have broken down on any, like, in any moment possible.

And sometimes you just.

It's not just about having a good day.

Like, I was actually late for the competition.

I was late for the soundcheck.

I was late for in my taxi in New York.

Was just like, I forgot my headset in the taxi.

I was just I was my typical self.

And then you just you have to be focused when you perform.

The GFA stands for Guitar Foundation of America, and it has been an organization that supports the classical guitar internationally, in existence since 1973.

So 52 years as of this year.

The thing that I think, carries the most, international intrigue is the competition.

And this competition has become somewhat of, you know, the international championship for classical guitar.

And it attracts the top young players from around the world.

They come really seeking the prize, which is not just cash, which is cash is great, but it's a big concert tour.

I decided to use a lot of competitions as my means of development.

I actually had to learn how to play the way I like or the way I need to.

Because when you're on stage at a competition, when you know that people are not only listening to you, but actually heavily evaluating you, it's really it becomes such a, I would say, mind bending thing that you sometimes want to just surrender.

So not surrendering your thinking is actually a very important skill that I have to learn to develop.

Marko stands out not just because he was a winner, he stands out because he's an artist and he has been from the day I met Marko.

Through his years competing, he won a ridiculous number of competitions and then he also didn't win.

probably also ridiculous number of competitions.

In a competition sometimes the safer player wins.

There's absolutely nothing safe about Marko.

What we're safe with with Marko is that he's going to do something that we haven't seen before.

While so many times I have been criticized for being non-conservative with my program, and this was usually very often actually the reason why there were either certain nos or I wouldn't even say nos, but I would be in the finals, but I would not get the top prize, for example.

With Marko, all I ever felt when I handed him second prize or third prize for the, you know, however manyeth time.

All I ever felt for Marko was gratitude and appreciation.

As the organizer, I don't root for anyone.

I root for everyone to do their best.

I root for, the jury to, you know, do their work in the most equitable way.

And I'm always happy for whoever wins.

But I will say that there was a little extra happiness when I got to hand him the number one prize, and the world was there to celebrate with him.

I was really happy for him in that moment.

And he has officially competed with us for the very last time.

First prize Marko Topchii from Ukraine.

The 2022 Russian invasion into Ukraine changed the lives of Ukrainians forever.

Marko took a moment to reflect on what his role is as a musician amidst the conflict.

When the invasion into the Ukraine happened, I was thinking, that I should actually accelerate in my own development, in my work on Ukrainian music.

That's like the point I decided that I need to keep on working on, like, wherever I am, as a Ukrainian representative.

Immediately when the war began, I realized that I need to make an arrangement on something Ukrainian.

I would say that most of us are not particularly familiar with composers from Ukraine.

Marko is working to change that, which I think is really cool.

So he is frequently presenting works from his country.

And I think part of what I love and appreciated about Marko is that Marko is who he is because of from whence he comes, and he celebrates that and brings that all to us.

So he has presented more Ukrainian composers in his repertoire, in competition, on stage.

And touchingly, he's been, playing works by his mother, who's a pianist composer.

It's my vital need to work on music like that, to work on Ukrainian music and kind of like, continue or expand the legacy of the culture.

Every time I perform the piece, I feel like I'm transferring this energy of love to my mother.

I get to involve people in that process, and I think it's very strategic that I put this piece to the very end of my program because it has a certain pedestal.

So to make sure that it does not go unnoticed because of the placement of the piece.

The situation is just like so intense, literally when the first rockets that hit, my city, which is the capital of Ukraine, you don't know what's happening, you don't know if Ukraine will be actually captured altogether and people will be repressed, for example, for who they are or what they think.

It could have been easily possible had not the Ukrainians decided to defend themselves.

A lot of things have been changed, including those that just had to relocate.

Change of plans, major change of plans for everyone.

To me, it spoke that I have to mobilize myself and that I actually have to accelerate and I have to be responsible.

It's very, very different from the person that I was, before the invasion.

And all that together makes you understand that all these drone bombings and shelling are real, and they're not just happening somewhere else.

But I think by being a Ukrainian, and by being able to communicate with people after concerts or in my social media, space, which is right, the place to discuss those two things that are global.

I think it's, an opportunity.