Sergio Franqueira

Sergio Franqueira was born in Ordes, a little town in the province of A Coruña in 1981, and started to play guitar at 11, by his parent’s initiative at the local Conservatory in Carballo, with a old guitar of his father, and a little later, started to play Trombone in the local Wind Band. In the middle of some other activities, like painting or swimming, the guitar started to take an important part of his life little by little, but it was not until he moved to La Coruña at the age of 18 when he decided to study music as a career, after finally attend for very first time to real recitals and masterclasses at the Conservatory.

An Interview with William Starling – the Biographer of John Williams

‘Strings Attached – The Life and Music of John Williams’, is the newly published and authorised biography of one of the greatest guitarists ever. Astonishingly, coming in John’s seventy-second year, it is also the first ever biography. The book tells the fascinating story of John’s extraordinary life as a musician but also reveals a great deal about the man and his making. It is an intimate portrait of one of the most important musicians of his time, informed by privileged access to John’s family, friends, colleagues and, of course, with the full support of the man himself.

Dan Evans

Dan plays finger-style mountain dulcimer with precision and delicacy and he is a highly accomplished and stylish acoustic guitarist, specialising in Open C tuning. He adopts a unique approach to British folk melodies, sometimes in medieval modes, often with jazzy chords and rhythms. On a specially tailored guitar with two pickups, Dan has developed a unique palette of sounds using digital effects and sampling to produce an electro-acoustic sounds full of imagination and atmosphere.

With 4 CD albums and 14 international tours under his belt, Dan has won the respect of the world’s leading dulcimer players and won the hearts of audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. For this, his thirteenth appearance at Ealing Guitar Society, Dan’s concert will include a beautiful selection of traditional folk melodies, some fun original pieces and a few popular classics played on dulcimer, acoustic and electro-acoustic guitars.

‘a highly individual and stylish guitarist ~ your performance was very enthusiastically received and attracted a good-sized audience" - Barbican Centre, London 

‘a stylish blend of medieval folk and contemporary jazz guitar idioms’ -  The Independent (newspaper)

Carlos Bonell

Carlos Bonell has been described by the Classical Guitar Magazine, UK as "one of the great communicators of the guitar world". He has recorded more than twenty albums and played in forty countries, with concert appearances ranging from intimate recitals to concertos with symphony orchestras.

His latest album Magical Mystery Guitar Tour, inspired by his association with Sir Paul McCartney is dedicated to the music of the Beatles in Carlos' own arrangements for solo guitar. It went to number one on the UK iTunes classical album charts in May 2012.

Carlos was born in London of Spanish parents in 1949. He started to play at the age of five, learning to play Spanish folk music from his father who was a keen amateur guitarist. He completed his studies at the Royal College of Music with John Williams, where he was appointed the youngest ever professor at the age of 22.

After Carlos' New York début in 1978, the New York Times described him as an artist of "superb poetic gifts".Appearances followed at many international Festivals followed including The City of London, Aldeburgh, Helsinki, Israel, Tanglewood, Sydney, Istanbul, and Hong Kong.

In 1981 Carlos made the first of his three recordings of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. Recorded in Canada with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Charles Dutoit for the Decca label, it was the first-ever digital recording of the concerto and was hailed as "a magnificent triumph" by the Classical Music magazine. It was awarded a coveted rosette by the Penguin CD Guide and has been frequently singled out ever since as the finest version available.

In 1995 Carlos gave a landmark benefit concert at the Wigmore Hall, London with John Williams to raise awareness of the plight of children around the world caught in acts of war. All proceeds were donated to the organisation War Child. This was one of many appearances with John Williams during a lifetime's association.

2005 saw the first London International Guitar Festival, of which Carlos was founder and artistic director. The festival has remained to this day the largest guitar festival ever presented in London with events in five major halls.

In 2006 Carlos began to help Sir Paul McCartney who is composing a concerto for guitar and orchestra. Over many meetings he has notated and recorded drafts of the guitar part. The work was featured in a June 2007 cover article by The New Yorker magazine.

Carlos' interest in bringing the classical guitar into the mainstream led in 2008 to his album release Queen Guitar Rhapsodies, in concerto-style arrangements of music by the group Queen for solo guitar and symphony orchestra. It was widely praised, including by Queen's Brian May.

During 2013 Carlos is presenting Magical Mystery Guitar Tour in concert. As well as going to number one on the UK classical iTunes charts, the album also entered the top ten in the overall UK iTunes charts.

Richard Clark and Steve Dell

Richard Clark

Richard was born in Liverpool in 1959, had classical guitar lessons in his teens, and obtained an ALCM diploma. Since that time he continued practising and learning and has been a member of the EGS for about 20 years. He has performed at the EGS a number of times and at charity events, including an annual appearance at mental health charity MIND’s festival in Kingston. In addition to his classical work he has worked with singer David Jennings and Australian composer and producer Cliff Bradley to write and record songs. He loves the sound and versatility of the classical guitar and will present a programme of music ranging from renaissance to romantic music.

Steve Dell

Steve has been playing the guitar since his eighth birthday, inspired by his father Chris, who wrote many tutor books for the guitar, piano, descant and treble recorders. Chris attended the earliest concerts at the Ealing Guitar Society from 1970-1973, which inspired him to form the Old Malthouse Music Society in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire in 1975, which he chaired until 2002.

During this Golden Age of the Guitar, Steve attended all the OMMS concerts and workshops until his late teens, picking up tips and tricks from some of the finest teachers of their day, including Terry Spooner, John Duarte, John Mills, Cheryl Grice, David Russell, Graham Wade, Chris Kilvington, Neil Smith.

Steve is primarily a guitar teacher, who enjoys accepting the opportunity of playing live from time to time.

Adam Brown

London-based guitarist Adam Brown has performed throughout Europe, the United States and South America.  Among his many concert appearances are recitals at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and the 92nd St.Y-Tisch Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, and at London’s Wigmore Hall and Southbank Centre.  He has also performed at such renowned music festivals as Aspen (USA), Spoleto (Italy), Accademia Chigiana (Italy), Amsterdam International Guitar Festival (The Netherlands), Bath International Guitar Festival (England) and the Musica y Danza Festival (Peru).

Performances in 2011 included solo recitals at the Purcell Room at London’s Southbank Centre, the Bath, Bermuda, Bolivar Hall-London Guitar Festival, and Cheltenham International Guitar Festivals, the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival and the International Guitar Festival at Kings Place in London.

The Rebels Within, Adam Brown’s first commercial solo album, released in 2009 features works by Benjamin Britten, Frank Martin, Nuccio D'Angelo and Lennox Berkeley.  Gladios, his recently released second album, showcases works by prominent Latin American composers, including Lauro, Montes, Chavez, Piazzolla, Brouwer and Barrios.  Adam’s current recording project, Without Limits-An American Century of Music for Guitar, will highlight the eclectic characteristics of contemporary music in the United States.

Born in Edinburgh, Adam Brown studied with Carlos Bonell as a Foundation Scholar at the Royal College of Music in London, where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree with HHonours and received several prestigious awards.  He continued his studies with Sharon Isbin at the Juilliard School in New York City, completing the Masters of Music degree and subsequently becoming the first guitarist to obtain Julliard's distinguished Artist Diploma degree.  He went on to earn a performance-based Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he studied with the celebrated guitarists William Kanengiser and Pepe Romero. 

More information on the artist, including audio and video performances, can be found at www.adambrownguitar.com.

Stephen Yates

Stephen Yates is one of the few composer/guitarists in the UK. He began playing the guitar aged 13 after hearing a recording of Andres Segovia on the radio. He then studied in London with Douglas Rogers and performed widely both as a classical guitarist, winning several competitions including "Guitarist" magazine's "Guitarist Of The Year" and also as an electric guitarist with the band "Scat Opera". He now lives in Devon.

Stephen will perform a programme of his own works as well as works from the classical guitar repertoire including Jorge Morel's exciting arrangement of "West Side Story".

Idit Gold (guitar), Rachel Seghers (soprano) and Petros Andreou (bouzouki)

Idit Gold

Idit took up classical guitar at the aged of 12 inspired by listening to Julian Bream’s album.

She studied at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem under Professor Joseph Urshulmi and won numerous scholarships to further her studies. During that time Idit gave many recitals and played as a soloist with various chamber ensembles.  

Towards the end of her studies, Idit decided to give up playing the classical guitar in order to pursue her career in choir conducting which she has been working with since.

In 2010 Idit decided to pick up the guitar and to dedicate a year to recapture the classical technique she has lost over the years.   Since then she won a first prize at the Richmond upon Thanes Festival and at The North London Festival.

In October 2011 Idit gave a concert with her guest soprano Rachel Seghers at the Hampstead Garden Suburb Free Church.

This is the second joint concert that brings together the repertoire of the Baroque and Spanish music.  

Rachel Seghers

A light lyric soprano, Rachel is currently a member of the W10 Singers, Questors Choir (Ealing) and Voicelab (Southbank) and has sung previously with a number of other choirs including the London Symphony Chorus at the BBC Proms, the Royal Festival Hall and at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen.

Rachel currently studies singing with Betty Roe having previously studied with Diana Kiverstein.  She regularly performs as a soloist at concerts, weddings, funerals and other occasions, and enjoys singing a wide repertoire range from early music, classical and opera to musicals and music hall.  A convert to the ukulele, she enjoys exploring the songs of the 1920s and 30s and also teaches the ukulele at corporate events and schools.

Petros Andreou

Petros was born in 1960 in Cyprus, but since the age of 6 months has lived in the United Kingdom. Petros started learning the Classical Guitar at the age of 9 and then the Bouzouki at the age of 12. He started playing the Bouzouki professionally from the age of 15. He experimented with transcribing classical music for the Bouzouki and found an authentic sound. He has performed the Vivaldi guitar concerto adapted for Bouzouki and has given numerous recitals as a soloist performing classical transcriptions. He has also performed his own compositions. He has performed twice at the Purcell Room of the Royal Festival Hall in London with soprano singer Soumaya Deeb, and was then invited to perform at the Auditorium Al Bustan in Beirut Lebanon in 2005 which proved to be a great success. Petros currently teaches both the Classical Guitar and Bouzouki; and performs on both instruments.

Dmitri Timoshenko

Dmitri Timoshenko was born in Tallinn and he studied at the Georg Ots music school with Tiit Peterson.  In 2005 he started to study also with the distinguished Estonian jazz guitarist Mart Soo and took a part in Uno Naissoo composition competition and played for famous composers´ family members.  He has made few world premieres of highly acclaimed young Estonian-Canadian composer Riho Esko Maimets.
 
During his studies he was also composing his own music. His background in jazz and rock guitar has influenced his style. Dmitri wrote music in 2007 for the play based on the writer Paulo Coelho book «Alchemist» directed by Eret Kunnberg which was shown in Pirita Monastery, Tallinn, in the same year for the choreographer Irina Krotova for the modern dance on “Nothing is faster than…” as a project in Pärnu Dance Festival, Estonia.  He has played at international festivals including Turku Guitar Festival, Youth Festival «Culture for friendship of people» in Helsinki, «Karvian päivät» in Karvia, «Vanha Turku Soi» in Turku, «Wanha Kivikirkko soi» in Tampere and «Fiesta de la Guitarra» in Tallinn.

In 2011 he had performances in Brussels, Belgium in such places as Berlaymont, European Council House, NATO building. Same year in December guitar duo Dmitri Timoshenko and Vahur Kubja received a grant from the Estonian Culture Capital and played 5 concerts in Estonia named «Duo Concertante» in Tallinn, Narva, Pärnu, Tartu and Kuressaare playing Riho Esko Maimets piece for guitar duo Prayer of Quiet world premiere. Since 2008 Dmitri has been studying in Turku, Finland with Timo Korhonen at the Turku Art Academy in Finland.
Dmitri participated in numerous masterclasses with guitarists such as Leo Brouwer, Ismo Eskelinen, Jyrki Myllärinen, Carlo Domeniconi, Raphaella Smits and Elena Papandreou. In July 2012 he took part in summer school of Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Siena, Italy, attending classes of maestro Oscar Ghiglia.

Timoshenko is also a member of Turku guitar orchestra. Dmitri plays a wide range of styles. He performs regularly in different settings and events including circus and modern dance. He recorded the sound tracks for estonian movie.  Dmitri gave solo recitals in Finland and Estonia.

Starting from 2010 he is studying composition with Tuomo Teirilä at Turku Art Academy. Timoshenko plays a guitar made by the Finnish luthier Keijo Korelin.  For this concert he plays music from Europe, Asia, Latin America and Estonia.

Claire Overbury (flute) & Simon Davies (guitar)

Claire Overbury is 28 and is an up and coming soloist and orchestral player in London. She has just completed a year as one of two principal flutes in the orchestral academy Southbank Sinfonia and now freelances for orchestras in and around London. She performs solo recitals around the UK and is a Classical performer on cruise lines such as Cunard and Crystal. In addition to her performance commitments, she teaches flute at Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls, King Alfred’s School and Mill Hill School in London.
 

Claire has a Postgraduate Diploma in Performance, with Distinction, from Trinity College of Music, London, where she also received the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Silver Medal Award for 2004. Prior to this Claire gained an upper second class honours degree in Music from Christ Church, Oxford University, where she held an instrumental exhibition for three years.
 

During 2005, Claire was awarded the second prize in the Anglo-Czechoslovak competition and also gained a place on the Making Music ‘Arthur and Gwyneth Harrison Professional Development Programme’. In 2006 she won the Lions District Flute Competition and was a finalist in the Eastbourne Young Soloist Competition. She has recently been short-listed for the Park Lane Group concert series with her piano duo partner, Elspeth Wyllie.
 

Simon Davies studied at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music before receiving his Honours Degree at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. He performs regularly in The Arada Guitar Duo, and their recent release for Landor Records, ‘Mediterranean’ has received glowing reviews from publications such as International Record Review and Gramophone magazine. The duo has also performed on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM and in some of the countries finest chamber music venues. Performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company “band”, Simon has most recently appeared in the West End run of “Romeo and Juliet” and the critically acclaimed “Venus & Adonis”.
 

As a soloist, Simon has won numerous competitions and represented the U.K. in the European Young Musicians’ Concert. He has performed in many of the U.K’s leading recital halls including the Purcell Rooms and Lauderdale House. In addition to his performing career, Simon is guitar tutor at Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls and is an examiner for Trinity Guildhall Music.

Antonio de Innocentis

Antonio was born in Naples in 1961. In 1985 he was awarded ‘Summa cum Laude’ at the D. Cimarosa Conservatory in Avellino, Italy. From 1983 to 1990 he attended Master Classes by Eliot Fisk in Florence, at the Vienna Conservatory and at the Salzburg Mozarteum. He gave his first concert in 1980 and apart from playing all over Europe, since 2000 he has been regularly holding tours in the USA. He has won first prize in several guitar competitions including Pesaro (2^nd National Contest, 1981), Bardolino (4^th International Contest, 1981) and Genoa (4^th National Contest ‘P. Taraffo’, 1984). He was the first guitarist in the world to have performed the entire ‘24 Caprices’ by N. Paganini in one single concert (Avellino, Italy, 1992).

Flavio Cucchi

"One of the most reknown and admired Italian guitarists" (Il Fronimo), Flavio Cucchi has given hundreds of recitals in Europe, America, Asia and Australia in addition to participating in radio and TV shows for the some of the biggest world-wide broadcasting corporations (the BBC, RAI, ZDF, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Televisa Mexico, Television Corporation of Singapore, Radio Praga, and others).

As a soloist, he has played in over then 30 European cities and he is regularly invited by the major  festivals all over the world.

Winner of international competitions he started his international career as a contemporary music specialist: he has played the world premiere of Sestina d'Autunno by Petrassi and many modern masterpieces as Boulez “Marteau sains maitre” (at the Scala di Milano), Henze's “Cimarron” etc.. He has also participated in several operas by Bussotti, Berio etc.

He is one of the first Italian guitarists to popularize the compositions of Leo Brouwer, who wrote: "Flavio Cucchi's perfect tone and virtuoso approach is serving marvellously to a panorama of my music"

Many composers have been inspired to write for Flavio including the famous pianist Chick Corea who wrote: "Ever since I first heard Flavio play the guitar I've been a big fan. His playing is simply filled with Beauty. I want to play the guitar like this."

He is a professor at the Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali "Pietro  Mascagni" of Livorno since 1985 and held  also Masterclasses in  USA, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Russia etc. for the most important music societies.

The Poet Yusef Komunyakaa (Pulitzer prize 1994), dedicated to him “Ode to the guitar” presented at Genova International Festival of Poetry.

Flavio has recently toured Japan, where he inspired the following comments:  ". . he is a superb musician...he created a great impression in the guitar world in Japan . . ."

Gendai Guitar January 2012

Flavio has recorded over 15 CDs and he is Artistic Director of Guitar Media Collection.

Azusa Shimizu

After studies in French literature in Tokyo, Japanese guitarist Azusa Shimizu moved to Europe where she lived from 1984 to 1995.

While in France, she undertook musical studies at National Conservatory in Nice, in La Courneuve and Boulogne-sur-Mer, and in Copenhagen at the Royal Academy.

Azusa is a Laureate artist from the Palme d'or in Italy, and was a participant in the Tokyo International Guitar Competition in 1991.

She is an active recitalist, having made critically acclaimed appearances throughout Japan, as well as in France, Belgium, Denmark and Taiwan.

Carlos Bonell

Carlos Bonell is one of today's most celebrated guitarists. He was born in London of Spanish parents and he studied at the Royal College of Music with John Williams, where he was appointed the youngest ever professor in 1972. He gained prominence in 1981 through his recording for Decca of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Charles Dutoit. It has been repeatedly singled out as the finest version available. At the beginning of his recording career, his 1976 CBS recording with John Williams and Friends received a Grammy nomination. Since that time Carlos has made more than 20 LP and CD recordings.

Since 2006 Carlos has been helping Sir Paul McCartney in notating and recording a concerto for guitar and orchestra, with the composition of the work due to continue into 2011. The work was featured in a June 2007 cover article by The New Yorker magazine.

His career includes TV, Film and CD recordings, worldwide tours, concertos with the major orchestras, and the creation of his own Ensemble. He can be heard on the sound tracks of the Hollywood films City of Angels and The Honest Courtesan and on the BBC TV productions Inspector Morse and The Politician's Wife. He has played at many international Festivals including The City of London, Aldeburgh, Helsinki, Israel, Tanglewood, Sydney, Istanbul, Hong Kong, and New York's Mostly Mozart Festival, and his tours take him as far as Australia, the Far East and South America.

Carlos has formed musical associations with a wide variety of musicians including ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, guitarists John Williams and Paco Peña, violinists Salvatore Accardo and Pinchas Zukerman, and singers Patricia Rozario and Teresa Berganza.

Carlos’ first DVD Classical Guitar Performance, released in 2005 contains a one hour live performance with spoken introductions in English and Spanish by Carlos himself. It has met with universal acclaim. The same year saw the first book about the guitar by Carlos: Guitar - An Easy Guide.

In 2006 Carlos undertook an extended tour of the USA which included Fort Worth, Dallas, Atlanta and Las Vegas, presenting his acclaimed solo programme “Millennium Guitar, the first 1000 years”.

In 2007 he was awarded the prestigious Spanish prize Premio Trujamán for his work for the solo guitar, and in 2008 he presented the third edition of the London International Guitar Festival, of which he is the Artistic Director. Also in 2008 his album release Queen Guitar Rhapsodies of new arrangements of music by the group Queen for solo guitar and symphony orchestra, was widely praised, including by Queen’s Brian May himself.

From 2007 to 2009 Carlos has toured extensively through Europe, North and South America and Asia both as soloist and guest with Symphony Orchestras. In 2010 he returned to Japan for an extended tour.

Carlos is greatly in demand as a teacher. Every year he conducts international teaching courses in Italy, Spain, the UK and Venezuela, as well as masterclasses during many of his concert tours. In Venezuela he was awarded the Cátedra Internacional de Guitarra Carlos Bonell in recognition of his teaching activities there since 2000 which have included workshops and masterclasses throughout the country. The Cátedra receives financial support from numerous organisations and institutions, and is recognized by Universities as a valuable part of student studies.

Following his association with Sir Paul McCartney Carlos released the album Magical Mystery Guitar Tour in 2011. It is dedicated to the music of the Beatles in Carlos’ own arrangements for solo guitar.

www.carlosbonell.com

Concordia Guitar Duo, Martin Byatt, Alex Lewis

Dennis Cooke and Nick Hartley have been performing as the Concordia Guitar Duo for about twenty years now. Both had much previous experience of ensemble playing, notably: Nick with Gilbert Biberian's ‘Omega Players’; and Dennis with Ian Cross, based in Scotland, and giving performances that included television and radio. Recently Nick and Dennis have given more time to their other breadwinning activities but have continued playing at various events in London and the South of England.

Their programmes have always included a mix of standard guitar duo repertoire and their own arrangements, which tend to push at the limits of the combination's possibilities, sometimes even stretching this with requinto and ten-string guitars (giving greater pitch range).

For this concert they play music from Europe and the Americas using two standard guitars. They will tell you a little something about the pieces during the recital.

Martin Byatt is a Scottish guitarist and composer based in London whose playing style draws on many influences.

His background in classical guitar, jazz and rock styles is evident in his compositions, and his arrangements of some of the hits of the 70’s ( Dire Straits, Steely Dan, Allman Bros etc. ) hark back to a mis-spent youth!

In 1995 he wrote and arranged music for Radio 3’s production of Sharman MacDonalds play The Sea Urchins – reminiscences of her father’s obsession with blues and steel guitar playing. Apart from his solo work Martin performs with his Latin-Jazz trio  - Zaramba –  performing Spanish, South American and Latin Jazz music.

 

Alex Lewis recently played guitar for Ruth Ojadi on the BBC documentary 'I swear I can sing', and also recorded with Radio one DJ Reggie Yates. Alex enjoys playing a wide range of styles, including many of his own compositions. He performs regularly at Lauderdale House, Highgate, and has also played in many different settings, including musicals and clubs. He studies with the Head of Guitar Studies at Trinity college, Graham Devine.

Johan Lofving

 

Johan Löfving was born in Sweden in 1989 and started to play the guitar at the age of nine at the local Music School with Lars Eriksson. Three years later he started to study privately with the distinguished Norwegian Guitar Professor Sven Lundestad and between 2005 and 2008 he attended Södra Latin´s Upper Secondary School in Stockholm, were Bo Hansson was his guitar teacher. At Södra Latin he also studied conducting with Jan Risberg. He is currently studying with Gary Ryan at the Royal College of Music in London were he also studies theorbo with Jakob Lindberg. In the autumn of 2010 he studied with Eliot Fisk at the Mozarteum in Salzburg as a part of the Erasmus Exchange Programme.

In October 2011 Johan was awarded the First Prize in the Young Talent Concert at the Uppsala Guitar Festival in Sweden with the following motivation: "Despite of demanding programme he did the best performance. Good control and tone. Mature playing with great expression."

Johan was also awarded the First Prize in the National Swedish Competition for young guitarists in 2006 and one year later he received the Jörgen Rörby Scholarship from the Swedish Guitar and Lute Society. At the Royal College of Music he has been awarded both the Guitar Prize and the Hilda Anderson Dean Prize.  Johan has also participated in numerous masterclasses with guitarists such as Eduardo Fernandez, Zoran Dukic and Paul Galbraith.

Since 2008, he performs regularly with the flautist Yu-Wei Hu under the name Duo Flauguissimo and together they have performed in London venues such as King's Place and V&A Museum as well as in the Cadogan Hall Lunchtime Concert Series. He has also performed in venues such as the Amaryllis Flemming Concert Hall, The Forges and the Pump Room in Bath.

His passion for new music has resulted in several world premieres of both solo and chamber works, notably by the highly acclaimed British composer and guitarist Sam Cave.

Johan plays on a guitar made by the Norwegian Luthier Yngvar Thomassen.

Morgan Szymanski

Described as ‘a player destined for future glories’ (Classical Guitar Magazine) over the last year Morgan Szymanski was selected as ‘one to watch’ by Gramophone Magazine and the BBC Music Magazine, was featured artist on the cover of Classical Guitar Magazine and was a finalist in the ‘2008 Outstanding Young Artist Award’ (MIDEM Classique/IAMA).

Born in Mexico City in 1979, Morgan Szymanski started playing the guitar at the age of six. Early studies at the National Music School (Mexico) and the Edinburgh Music School led to a scholarship to study under Carlos Bonell and Gary Ryan and the Royal College of Music in London, graduating in 2004 with first class honours. During his studies he won all guitar prizes from the RCM as well as scholarships from the Tillett Trust, Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Leverhulme Trust, Wall Trust, FONCA and a scholarship to study at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He immediately went on to become the first solo guitarist to be selected by YCAT and was the first guitarist to be awarded a Junior Fellowship at the RCM, where he completed his Masters with distinction.

A top prize-winner at international competitions, in 2002 Morgan won first prize at the National Guitar Competition in Mexico. Abroad, performances as a soloist and with orchestras have taken him concert halls and festivals in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, China, Chile, France, Germany, Guatemala, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Macedonia, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Scotland, U.S.A, Wales and Zimbabwe.

Over the last year Morgan has given recitals at major UK venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Bridgwater Hall, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, King’s Place, the Sage Gateshead, Royal Opera House and London International Guitar Festival. In May 2007 he made his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performing Joaquin Rodrigo’s ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’. He has broadcast live on TV and radio worldwide, highlights including BBC World Service and Radio 3. Abroad he has performed at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Vienna Konzerhaus and Mexico’s Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Described as ‘top class in every respect’ (Classical Guitar Magazine, 2005), Morgan’s previous CD ‘The Unicorn in the Garden’, was released in 2005 including works by Iannarelli, Ritter, Ponce and Barrios as well as works especially written for him by Alec Roth. His recordings with His ensemble ‘Machaca’ Mano a Mano and Los Ambulantes on  Sarabande Records have been qualified as ‘a jewel’ by Gramophone Magazine.

Morgan’s interest in chamber music has led to collaborations with artists such as John Williams and Carlos Bonell (guitar), Mark Padmore (tenor), Alison Balsom (trumpet),  Priya Mitchell (violin), Marcelo Nisinman (bandoneon), the Sacconi Quartet, Phuong Nguyen (accordion), Adam Walker (flute) and Clara Mouriz (mezzo-soprano) amongst others.

He has appeared as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Ocrhestra, Hallé, Orchestra of the Swan, Southbank Sinfonia, the Welsh Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Sinfonia, the Cervantes Choir and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

For more details please visit www.morganszymanski.co.uk and www.sarabanderecords.com

Ben Kearsley

Ben Kearsley was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He began classical guitar with Norman Quinney and later with Ian Smith. During his time at school Ben won The Young Musician Of The Year 1993 at James Gillepies High School and the Norman Quinney Prize for Classical Guitar. Performances at the Usher Hall and Queens Hall in Edinburgh took place during this time.
After 5 years of full time study in music (one year at Napier University and four years at Birmingham Conservatoire ) Ben graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire in 1998 with a BMus (Hons) 2:1

During this time Ben performed in masterclasses for Alirio Diaz, Jose Tomas, David Russell, Roland Dyens, Nigel North and Carlos Bonell. Performances at the Adrian Bolt Hall, Birmingham Town Hall and Symphony Hall took place during this time. During the 1990’s Ben attended many summer schools in Scotland, England, France and Belguim.

After studing Ben lived in La Paz, Bolivia and then Madrid, Spain. He taught guitar at the Conservatoirio De La Paz and performed at the British Embassy, Palacio Chico and Theatre Municipal.

Flavio Cucchi

"One of the most reknowned and admired Italian guitarists" (Il Fronimo), Flavio Cucchi has given hundreds of recitals in Europe, America, Asia and Australia in addition to participating in radio and TV shows for the some of the biggest world-wide broadcasting corporations (the BBC, RAI, ZDF, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Televisa Mexico, Television Corporation of Singapore, Radio Praga, and others).

As a soloist, he has played in over then 30 European cities and he is regularly invited by the major  festivals all over the world.

Winner of international competitions he started his international career as a contemporary music specialist: he has played the world premiere of Sestina d'Autunno by Petrassi and many modern masterpieces as Boulez “Marteau sains maitre” (at the Scala di Milano), Henze's “Cimarron” etc.. He has also participated in several operas by Bussotti, Berio etc.

He is one of the first Italian guitarists to popularize the compositions of Leo Brouwer, who wrote: "Flavio Cucchi's perfect tone and virtuoso approach is serving marvellously to a panorama of my music"

Many composers have been inspired to write for Flavio including the famous pianist Chick Corea who wrote: "Ever since I first heard Flavio play the guitar I've been a big fan. His playing is simply filled with Beauty. I want to play the guitar like this."

He is a professor at the Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali "Pietro  Mascagni" of Livorno since 1985 and held  also Masterclasses in  USA, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Russia etc. for the most important music societies.

The Poet Yusef Komunyakaa (Pulitzer prize 1994), dedicated to him “Ode to the guitar” presented at Genova International Festival of Poetry

He has recorded over 15 CDs and he is Artistic Director of Guitar Media Collection

Neil Smith

Neil Smith is among Britain’s best-known guitarists whose reputation is world-wide. He started life as an engineer for the MoD but soon went on to play for the Mecca and Top Rank organizations in major ballrooms across the UK. There and on television, he worked alongside many stars including George Melly, Freddie Star, The Comedians and Fivepenny Piece, Bob Monkhouse, Edward Fox, Robert Hardy, Jim Bowen, Patty Boulaye, etc, etc. He studied classical guitar with Madame Adele Kramer (friend of Adolf Hitler and pupil of the great Miguel Llobet) of the Guildhall School of Music in London and the composer John Duarte and theory with the pianist Robert Marsh and he gained a scholarship to study in in Canada with Leo Brouwer and Alirio Diaz at Toronto University in 1975.His successful debut in 1979 led to tours and BBC broadcasts and a first LP record whichwas Pick of The Month in two journals. He toured Europe and the USSR under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, appeared at the Scottish Proms directed by Sir Alexander Gibson and later at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Festival Hall, and then the new Barbican Hall in a Royal Gala Weekend along with Rostropovich and Andres Segovia.His US debut drew a standing ovation and he returned coast-to-coast and he went beyond the Iron Curtain to play in massive festivals and also for the Red Army in Transylvania. He has recorded for seven labels and has given classes globally. In 2000, he was honoured to play for Her Majesty The Queen Mother’s 100th birthday at her home in Glamis, Scotland.His travels have become widely known in the music world via his book; HAVE GUITAR, WILL TRAVEL where he documents his life on the road; a Molotov-Cocktail exploded near his taxi in the Belfast Troubles, a killer escaping the Police threatened him with a knife and in the USSR, he found Security Police on his trail due to his former MoD connections. At one crucial meeting, he was faced by none other than the dreaded Soviet KGB and was placed under city-arrest and threatened with a fine of $12,000. In Rome, he played for the film stars Elizabeth Taylor and also Geraldine Chaplin by request. In Dubai, he played for His Highness General Sheikh Mahktoum. His book is available via the Website known as authorsonline, his CDs from www.thespanglishstore.com. From Western Canada, across the USA, the Atlantic, Europe and Siberia to Japan, his tours have taken him literally round the world.He is a Fellow of the London College of Music and has been an Examiner for the University of Wales, the University of Huddersfield and a Visiting Tutor and Assessor for the Royal Northern College of Music. For a number of years he was the British representative at the great Cup of The North Festival in North Russia and in 1990 he directed Holland’s main guitar festival in Zwolle. Last season he played on Orkney and gave classes in Perugia in Italy and also in Austria and Southern Ireland and recently, he visited Denmark and Norway. He also writes for Europe’s largest classical guitar magazine Classical Guitar.