About the artist

Steven Sunnarborg graduated with his Bachelor of Music Degree from California State University, Northridge. While at C.S.U.N., Steven was the winner of the Andres Segovia Memorial Scholarship and the Randy Rhoads Memorial Scholarship.  Steven received his performing arts teaching credential from Cal Lutheran University.  Also, Steven has studied with many guitar greats such as Christopher Parkening and Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne).  

Currently, Steven is an Artist in Residence at Rio School District in Oxnard, CA. He travels to several schools daily throughout the district to teach music. This ranges from junior high guitar orchestra, elementary school (grades pre-k through five) and music for special-education.  He also teaches at Guitar Planet and is the Owner/Operator of the Ventura Guitar Academy. Steven was also the head of the music department at North Hills Preparatory School and has taught guitar workshops at the Ventura College Institute.

In addition to  teaching, Steven has been working with virtuoso violinist Hekar Rivera in the Rivera Sunnarborg Guitar/Violin Duo since 1996. They have won some prestigious awards for their compositions at the Rubicon Theater Company(Murder in the First, Driving Miss Daisy, Night of the Iguana and Romeo and Juliet). Hekar and Steven have performed in a large variety of venues in the area  and are currently working on releasing their next recording in the fall of 2024.

In the spring of 2018, Steven was invited to join the melodic metal band Prima Donna Rising as lead guitarist.  Currently, the band is enjoying international airplay and much cyber popularity. In addition to having completed a highly successful UK/European tour last summer,  Prima Donna Rising performs live regularly at concert venues such as the Whisky A- Go Go and The Canyon Club. They are delighted to have shared the stage alongside such rock icons as The Sweet, Dokken, Quiet Riot, Angel, Kix, & The Babys to name a few. Prima Donna Rising is well known for their powerful songs,  excellent musicians and their crowd pleasing live shows. Prima Donna Rising is in the process of recording their album at Artisan Sound Recorders in Los Angeles. It  is very exciting for the band as they are recording in the same recording studio where artists like Elton John, Metallica, Fleetwood Mac, Eminem and David Lee Roth have created and recorded their multi platinum records.  The groups highly anticipated album will be released late spring next year. Another invasion of of Americas and Europe will follow this  summer. So, Dude… the band might make it after all!