Acker, Brandon

Brandon Acker

Brandon Acker is one of the leading voices for early plucked instruments on the internet. On his YouTube channel with 485,000 subscribers, he has been producing educational content and performance videos on theorbo, lute, baroque guitar, classical guitar, and more. His videos have been viewed over 40 million times and his collaborations with rock guitarist and YouTuber Rob Scallon have increased the global awareness of instruments like the theorbo by millions.

In 2020, Brandon and his wife founded Arpeggiato.com, an online music school for “all things that go pluck.” Serving as director of the school, Brandon brought together 13 teachers who

have now taught over 2000 online lessons in over 20 countries on instruments such as lute, baroque guitar, mandolin, oud, classical guitar, fingerstyle guitar, electric guitar, and more.

Brandon’s versatile performance career started in Wisconsin playing in rock and metal bands and learning how to be an audio engineer. His University studies then took him to Chicago for two degrees in classical guitar performance. Since 2014, Brandon has been pursuing a career as an early plucked instrument specialist. On classical guitar he has toured extensively through England, Canada, Scotland and Wales, and recorded two CDs on his own record label Jester Recordings. Playing basso continuo, Brandon has performed with notable groups such as Apollo’s Fire, the Leipzig Baroque Orchestra, Piffaro, the Joffrey Ballet, the Chicago Philharmonic, the Newberry Consort, and more. As a soloist, Brandon was one of five international laureates in the Indianapolis International Baroque Competition and will be directing a concert in 2024 with that ensemble called “The Lute in Italy.”

To learn more about Brandon, please visit his YouTube channel