Guy Hirschberger began playing the guitar at the age of nine in Jerusalem, Israel. He studied with Irit Even Tov in the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance High School, then during his bachelor’s degree studies in the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Since 2022, Guy is studying with Judicaël Perroy in the Haute École de Musique de Genève. From a young age, Guy has been winning prizes in classical music competitions in Israel and abroad. His prizes include the 1st prize and imposed piece prize in the Antwerpen Gitaarfestival junior guitar competition in 2018, the first prize in the Arian Yerushalmi Guitar Competition in 2021, and the audience prize in the Groningen Guitar Competition in 2024. In 2024 he was awarded the “Prix de la Ville de Genève” for his artistic and academic achievements. For over a decade, Guy has been generously supported by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.

Alberto Mesirca – Classical Guitar Alberto Mesirca (1984) is an award-winning Italian guitarist, winner of the 2020 GRAMOPHONE Prize for “Best Concept Album of the Year”. He studied at the Castelfranco Veneto Conservatory and with Wolfgang Lendle in Germany. He has won the ‘Golden Guitar’ for ‘Best Recording’ twice and was named ‘Best Emerging Artist’ in 2009. As a chamber musician, he has worked with Dimitri Ashkenazy, Vladimir Mendelssohn and the Ex Novo Ensemble, among others. He has performed in prestigious venues such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Teatro La Fenice in Venice. Mesirca is also known for his digital archiving work in Istanbul’s Beyazit Library and discovered lost works by Francesco Da Milano. He has given world premieres of works by Leo Brouwer, among others.

Daniel Rowland – Violin Daniel Rowland is a Dutch/English violinist with an international reputation. His playing is praised for its intensity and finesse. He has played concertos with orchestras worldwide, including works by Beethoven, Elgar and Schnittke, and has worked with conductors such as Heinz Holliger and Jaap van Zweden. As a chamber musician he has performed with Ivry Gitlis and Anna Fedorova, among others. He is the founder of the Stift International Music Festival and played in the Brodsky Quartet for twelve years. Rowland teaches at the Royal College of Music and plays a violin by Lorenzo Storioni.

Norwegian classical guitarist Kristina Vårlid is known for her creative approach to repertoire and captivating performances. Her 2023 album, “5 Stages of Grief,” a tribute to her late mentor Sabrina Vlaskalic, has been praised for its emotional depth. Vårlid’s debut album, “An Idea,” was named Norwegian Classical Album of the Year in 2019. An acclaimed performer, Vårlid has played at prestigious venues like the Royal Concertgebouw and with orchestras such as the Bergen Philharmonic. She has won numerous awards, including the Antwerpen International Guitar Competition and the Grachtenfestival Conservatorium Concours. Vårlid began playing guitar at age six and studied with renowned professors like Allan Neave, Sabrina Vlaškalić, and Erik Stenstadvold. At 24, she became a professor at the Prince Claus Conservatoire and directs the Dutch Guitar Foundation. She is a recipient of the Norwegian State Artist Work Grant and a D’Addario artist.

De jonge Filipijnse Samuel Asistores heeft begin dit jaar de harten van het Groningse publiek gestolen en won met overtuigende meerderheid de publieksprijs van de Grande Finale van de competitie van het Groningen Guitar Festival 2023.
Hij begon zijn gitaarstudie op zijn negende op de Filipijnen en vervolgde hij zijn opleiding in de Verenigde Staten. Momenteel studeert hij aan de École Supérieure Musique et Danse Hauts-de-France in Lille. Ondanks zijn jonge leeftijd gaf hij wereldwijd (lees verder..)

De musicus en classicus Lorenzo Micheli is een alleskunner: tijdens meer dan achthonderd concerten wereldwijd en op meer dan twintig albums verkende en vertolkte hij de volle breedte van de gitaarmuziek. Van de Europese barok, klassieken en romantiek tot de Zuid-Amerikaanse twintigste eeuw, alle stijlen en componisten zijn bij hem in goede handen. Veel van de werken die hij solo, met orkest of met zijn duo-partner Matteo Mela uitvoerde en opnam arrangeerde hij zelf. (lees verder..)

De wereldberoemde Franse gitarist Gérard Abiton geeft al decennia concerten op alle continenten. Hoewel hij pas op zijn twaalfde als autodidact begon met gitaarspelen werd hij vier jaar later al toegelaten tot het Conservatoire Supérieure National de Musique in Parijs. Hij won prijzen op meerdere festivals en volgde masterclasses bij twintigste-eeuwsekopstukken als Andrés Segovia, Abel Carlevaro en John Williams. Gedurende zijn loopbaan voerde hij muziek uit alle continenten (lees verder..)