Andrew Zohn is excited to meet this year’s outstanding guitar students who will compete at the 13th annual Columbus State University Guitar Symposium this weekend.

During the symposium, there are competitions for middle school, high school and collegiate students, as well as young adult guitarists just starting their teaching or performance careers.

Zohn, a guitar instructor with CSU’s Schwob School of Music, has 11 current students who will compete.

One of Zohn’s current students is Joel Sharbaugh, a 21-year-old senior from Bowie, Md.

When he was in high school, he first visited the Schwob School of Music and met Zohn. Sharbaugh competed in the Guitar Symposium in the high school division.

He said he liked what he saw and “decided to come down here. It worked out fantastically.”

After graduating later this spring, Sharbaugh will begin a master’s program either in Switzerland or at an American university.

Ultimately, he wants to do what Zohn does -- teach, record and travel the world as a performer

Zohn’s students are an international bunch. He has a student from Ghana and another from Colombia. The others are from all over America, though none are from Georgia or Alabama this year.

On Saturday, Zohn will perform with his group Duo Spiritoso which features Canadian guitarist Jeffrey McFadden. Italian guitarist Marko Feri will also perform.

Zohn has been busy this year. Besides planning the symposium, he has been in Canada this semester recording a CD with McFadden, and he’s performed in several out-of-town concerts.

Zohn said the symposium has gotten bigger every year and each year he tries to top the previous year’s gathering.