Joseph Mayes began his formal musical studies with Peter Colonna at the Settlement Music School in 1963. In 1968, he was awarded a scholarship by the government of Spain to study with renouned guitarist Andres Segovia in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Since then he has studied with such notables as José Tomas, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, and Glen Caluda.

      Mr. Mayes currently heads the guitar department at Rowan University where he has taught guitar, lute, vihuela, and mandolin since 1972.

      He has performed extensively in the United States and Europe and made his critically acclaimed London debut in Wigmore Hall in January, 1981.

      Mr. Mayes has two recent recordings which include both music of the Renaisance and guitar music of the 18th century.