Scott Gossage began playing guitar at age ten, after his father bought an old guitar at a pawnshop, intending to learn to play it himself. There was also a record of the great Andres Segovia. When he heard this music, Gossage thought it was really cool, and started bugging his parents about lessons. Gossage had his first guitar lessons at The Peabody Institute, in the preparatory department, mostly because his sisters went there for their ballet lessons on Saturdays. It also turned out that Peabody was one of the country’s most important centers for studying the classical guitar, so that was kind of convenient, as it turned out, going forward.
Gossage has performed extensively as a soloist throughout the United States, in locations ranging from Seattle to New Orleans, Washington D.C, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. He has appeared in venues covering the entire spectrum of prestige and respectability, from the humble and scruffy to the exalted and sublime.
Gossage has been teaching privately for over 30 years, in Baltimore and in the SF Bay Area. Gossage has taught guitar at San Francisco Conservatory of Music PreCollege since 2015. He is a founder of Silicon Valley Classical Guitar School in Sunnyvale, California and taught there from 2009-2024. From 2001 through 2009, Gossage served on the teaching staff at the Longay Conservatory of Guitar in Santa Clara, California, a school which is known throughout the world as one of the most important centers for teaching the Suzuki method for guitar. In 2008, he completed his apprenticeship working with legendary Suzuki guitar guru Frank Longay. As a result, he is among the most highly trained and experienced Suzuki guitar teachers working in the world today. Gossage is trained through Book 9 and Practicum of the Suzuki Method for Guitar, and is currently working on becoming a Teacher Trainer.
Gossage is known for his infectious enthusiasm, supportive and upbeat demeanor, professionalism, and expert teaching ability. His students have wowed audiences, and won major competitions. Gossage is an impeccable player, having studied at Peabody with Ray Chester and in master classes with Manuel Barrueco.