„Here was a guitarist who knew how to laugh with the music and share the joke with his audience. But behind the entertainer lies a serious artist, whose extended composition in memory of Jana Obrovská proved fully capable of stirring emotions at the other end of the scale. Never was a standing ovation more richly deserved. Pavel Steidl had won the hearts and minds of a capacity crowd.“
(Classical guitar magazine)

Pavel Steidl was born in Rakovník, Czech Republic. Since winning first prize at the Radio France International Competition in Paris in 1982, he has become one of the most celebrated soloists of his generation. The jury included renowned artists such as Alexander Tansman, Antonio Lauro, and Maria Luisa Anido. Before that, he studied with guitarists like Milan Zelenka and Stephan Rak in Prague. In 1987, he decided to emigrate to the Netherlands, where, after years of study and drawing inspiration from many different artists, he developed his own style. This style respects the authentic interpretation of 19th-century guitar literature on period instruments while also incorporating elements of world music. Since 2004, he has returned to the Czech Republic, and since 2019, he has been giving lectures at the Conservatoire in The Hague.

He has had the honor of working with artists such as Leo Brouwer, Carlo Domeniconi, Paolo Paolini, John Williams, Miroslav Vitouš, Karin Schaupp, Edin Karamazov, and others. Since 2012, he has been a member of the European Guitar Quartet, along with Zoran Dukić, Reentko Dirks, and Thomas Fellow.

Pavel Steidl also composes, and his compositions are often performed at his concerts and recordings. He has played in more than 40 countries, including Canada, the USA, China, India, Japan, Europe, South and Central America, and Australia. In a poll conducted by the Italian Guitar Magazine Guitart, readers chose him as Guitar Player of the Year in 2004. Pavel Steidl plays many instruments, but mainly Francisco Simplicio (1926), Walter Verreydt, Franz Butcher, and Federico Sheppard. He also plays romantic guitars: copies of J. G. Stauffer guitars made by B. Kresse, and original instruments from the early 19th century by Nikolaus G. Ries (c. 1830) and Johann Anton Stauffer (c. 1840).

Zoran Dukić (1969, Zagreb) was presented with a guitar at the early age of six. Today he is one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of our time. His concert performances, both as a soloist or with an orchestra, leave long-lasting impressions on audiences and critics alike.

He graduated from the Music Academy of Zagreb with Darko Petrinjak and completed his studies with Hubert Käppel at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne.

In his “tour de force” competition years (1990-1997) Zoran Dukić has won an astonishing number of competitions, more than any other guitarist in the world. He is the only guitarist to have won both “Andrés Segovia” competitions, in Granada and in Palma de Mallorca. Showing astounding mastery in a wide variety of musical periods and styles he has also won competitions dedicated to „Fernando Sor“, „Manuel Ponce“, „Manuel de Falla“, and „Francisco Tárrega“ among others. In the greatest Spanish guitar competition in Madrid, patronized by the Royal Family, he was awarded, in addition to the first prize, the special prize for the best interpretation of Spanish music (first time awarded to a non-Spaniard). In numerous competitions he was selected by the audience itself for the prize of the public, a self-evident testimony to his natural ability to communicate through music.

His performances throughout the 5 continents have inspired numerous composers to dedicate their works to him. His premiers of new music are strengthened by his admiration of contemporary musical expression. His programs include works by Takemitsu, Henze, Reily, Carter or Gubaidulina among many others. He has also toured with entire Bach programs, performing complete cycles of lute, violin or cello suites. Music by J. S. Bach is still the focal point of his musical life.

He also has a special affinity for Spanish and South American musical idiom, the core repertoire of classical guitar. Currently, his carefully balanced programs present a range of music from Bach to Britten, from Sor to Albéniz, from Tárrega to Villa-Lobos and Brouwer.

Being exceptionally enthusiastic and dedicated to teaching, his pedagogical activities are equally impressive. Having taught at the Zagreb Music Academy and Hochschule Für Musik in Aachen, he is currently teaching at the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague and at the Escuela Superior de Musica in Barcelona, he has educated generations of young classical guitarists and has one of the most successful classes in Europe. In addition to this, he regularly gives masterclasses all over the world and is often an invited guest to numerous guitar festivals. Zoran Dukić is also a very active chamber music performer and a founding member of the „Trio de Cologne“. He has recorded compact discs for labels in Germany, Spain, Belgium and Canada.

Judicaël Perroy is widely known as an extraordinary virtuoso classical guitarist and musician with several prizes to his credit. In 1997 he captured the prestigious first prize of the 15th Guitar Foundation of America International Competition and Convention awarding him tour of the United States and Canada with more than sixty concerts and master classes. 

​Born in 1973 in Paris, he began playing the guitar at age 7 attending the Conservatoire Municipal Inter-districts of Paris. He studied with Delia Estrada and Raymond Gratien at the Ecole Nationale d'Aulnay-sous-Bois where he graduated with honors.  At age 11, he performed as soloist in two concertos by Vivaldi with Ensemble Instrumental du Mans, under the direction of André Girard and continued his musical studies with Roberto Aussel and Daniel Lavialle. At 14, he won second prize at the International guitar competition of Ile de France. In 1992, he won the grand prize and audience prize at the 15th Concours international de guitare René Bartoli by unanimous jury decision. In 1994, he received Licence de Concert from Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris from Alberto Ponce’s class and later that year he was awarded the 1st prize at the 7th International Competition of Bourg-Madame where the final vote was by the general public without any jury. In 1996, he was the first prize winner of his graduating class at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris (Paris Conservatoire).

​During his GFA victory tour Mel Bay Publications recorded and published his live concert in Lubbock (Texas).  Following his GFA victory tour, a CD recording entitled “Aspen Suite” as well as his earlier CD recording on the French label QUANTUM received high praise and won 5 Diapasons, awarded by Diapason magazine and was subsequently re-released on Bayard Musique recording label in 2008. He has recorded two CDs for the collection of Bayard Musique Meditation including a Disc with flutist Florence Bellon and another with harpist Joanna Kozielska. He recorded an all Bach CD for Naxos label which includes an impressive and unprecedented performance of Bach’s second keyboard partita transcription on the classical guitar. In 2016, he recorded a  CD of Ponce’s music (Naxos) which features the premiere of Sonata no. 2 as well as new CD for Contrastes Records titled “Paris est une solitude peuplée”. Judicaël's current discography includes eight albums and one DVD. In addition, Judicaël has given many concerts in France that have been broadcast live on France-Musique.

In great demand as a teacher, Judicaël is regularly invited to give master classes at many of the top conservatories and universities in the United States and abroad. His students have won several top prizes in regional, national and international competitions including Guitar Foundation of America, while emerging as mature and upcoming rising stars of classical guitar and international music scene. Mr. Perroy has held teaching positions at Ecole Nationale de Musique d'Aulnay-sous-Bois and Ecole Nationale de Musique Blanc-Mesnil (1995 to 2004). In the winter of 2000, he was chosen to substitute for the chair of guitar department, Steven Robinson, at Stetson University.

​In 2017, Judicaël was appointed to the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He continues to hold a teaching position in Lille’s apPSEA (Association de préfiguration du Pôle supérieur d'enseignements artistiques) Nord-Pas-de-Calais,France.

https://www.judicael-perroy.com

Campbell is an internationally award winning classical guitarist from Canberra, Australia, and is currently based in Linz, Austria, where he has recently been appointed Guitar Professor at the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität of Music.

Campbell completed his Bachelor degree (First Class Hons) with Hubert Käppel at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne, Germany, and continued his postgraduate studies with Judicaël Perroy at the Haute Ecole de Musique Genève. Prior, he was a student of Timothy Kain and Minh Le Hoang at the ANU School of Music in Canberra, Australia. He began studying the classical guitar at the late age of 17, and now, he is regarded as one of the leading guitarists of his generation.

Campbell has greatly benefited from significant study periods at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena with Oscar Ghiglia and with Carlo Marchione. He has had the privilege of participating in numerous masterclasses with musicians and scholars such as David Russell, Roberto Aussel, Zoran Dukic, Marcin Dylla, Lorenzo Micheli, Ricardo Gallén, Pavel Steidl, Roland Dyens and more.

He has given concerts all around Australia and in Japan, Korea, Germany, Norway, Montenegro, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Croatia, Brazil, Finland, India, Italy, Portugal, France, China, Austria, Serbia, Romania and Greece as a soloist and a chamber musician. He has appeared on several major radio stations including Classic FM UK, ABC Classic FM, WDR 3 (German Classic FM), and many more. He has performed and given masterclasses in many of the worlds most prestigious guitar festivals and music concert series’, including Koblenz International Guitar Festival, Iserlohn International Guitar Festival, Cultura Artistica – Sao Paulo, Berlin International Guitar Festival, Paris International Guitar Festival, GuitarArt Festival, Forum Gitarre Wien and many more.

Campbell is a sponsored D’addario and Guitarlift Artist and plays on a 2015 Antonius Müller Guitar.

He has won over 30 prizes in International competitions.

https://campbelldiamondguitar.com

“The birth of a sparkling new star in the concert sky.”

These were the words which the German press used to describe the ensemble’s debut concert in Dresden in the spring of 2012. The meeting between two global stars of the classical guitar and two of the most outstanding protagonists of the acoustic guitar scene was accompanied by enthusiastic appreciation from both critics and audience alike. It was therefore no surprise that their debut was followed by invitations to festivals around the world, which include major festivals in Scandinavia and Germany (Bergen Music Festival, MDR Musiksommer) as well as other prestigious events in Austria, Switzerland, India and South America. Fellow musicians such as Klezmer legend Giora Feidman have also been quick to voice their admiration for their music.

“DANZA” would be a fitting title for the quartet’s current program, as it combines the intense, virtuoso, spirited music of South America and Europe to take listeners on a thrilling musical journey. Unique interpretations of pieces by Astor Piazzolla and the dances of the Paraguayan guitar legend Agustín Barrios mingle with the melodious compositions of the masterly Nicolo Paganini and the complex rhythms of Balkan dances (Dusan Bogdanovic). Works by Thomas Fellow and Reentko also feature, and present concert music, world music and jazz in a contemporary embrace.

These four musicians – each of them a renowned performer in their own right – have set themselves the task of blending the instrument’s concert tradition with the expressive, dynamic sounds of modern music.

The European Guitar Quartet is endorsing and playing strings by D´Addario Strings.

“When Karamazov plays there’s magic in the air. It’s not just playing within the historical context, but putting an expressive spin on music, which turns into a generation of art that creates rather than recreates. Not everybody can do that.”  
Leo Brouwer (Havana, 2013)

Edin Karamazov was born in 1965 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A protégé of Sergiu Celibidache, he began his musical career as a classical guitarist before taking up the Baroque lute, which he studied with Hopkinson Smith at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basle, Switzerland.

Karamazov made his solo debut as a lutenist in 1998, stepping in at the last minute for the legendary Julian Bream. Since then, he has established himself as today’s most exciting and charismatic player of the lute. His thrilling virtuoso performances on the lute and guitar, with a repertoire that ranges from 16th-century classics to the music of today, have garnered rave reviews and unprecedented critical acclaim in Europe and America. As a soloist he has performed and recorded with leading international early music ensembles and artists including the Hilliard Ensemble, Hespèrion XX, Andreas Scholl as well as Sting. A consummate interpreter and master technician on numerous early and contemporary stringed instruments, outstanding recital artist Edin Karamazov has appeared at numerous major venues, including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, London’s Wigmore Hall, Berlin’s Philharmonie, and Vienna’s Konzerthaus, among many others. Looking back to his early days, he continues to enjoy giving impromptu performances on the street.

His discography for Decca includes the CDs A Musical Banquet – a collection of lute songs with Andreas Scholl and Wayfaring Stranger – folksongs with Andreas Scholl. The highly successful album Songs from the Labyrinth with Sting, released on Deutsche Grammophon, has not only made him a household name far beyond the confines of the early-music world but also launched a new “lute renaissance” for the 21st century. His latest recording for Decca has been released to great acclaim: The Lute is a Song comprises solo works by J. S. Bach, Leo Brouwer, Zamboni and Domeniconi as well as arias by Handel with Andreas Scholl, Purcell with Renée Fleming, a traditional Macedonian song with Macedonian singer and songwriter Kaliopi, and a work by and with Sting.

Edin Karamazov plays several plucked instruments of various cultures and epochs and remains committed to exploring the use of lutes in modern music and contemporary improvisational contexts. In addition to his solo career, he enjoys accompanying singers in different styles and backgrounds.

Anabel Montesinos, the youngest winner (at the age of 17 years old) of the Francisco Tárrega International Guitar Competition in Spain, is a leader figure on the classical guitar worldwide. As a winner of more than 10 first prizes in major guitar contests like the Michele Pittaluga, Città di Alessandria, in Italy, the Julián Arcas, in Spain, the Raifeisenwettbewerb in Salzburg, Austria, among others.

Anabel Montesinos has performed concerts all around the world, made her Debut at the Carnegie Hall in the year 2011, she has played Concierto de Aranjuez by J. Rodrigo in Potsdam “open air concerts”, Berlin, for more than 4000 people, and performed with orchestras like the Philharmonic of Turin-Italy, Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra (Venezuela), Philharmonic of Sundsvall (Sweden), Philharmonic of Oulu (Finland), Havana Philharmonic-Cuba, Philharmonic of Moscow-Russia, Pomeranian Philharmonic in Poland, etc. She is also an Honour Citizen of the city of Solero, in Italy. In the year 2011 she won “Premio Chitarra D’Oro” as promising young talent and acknowledge of her artistic activities, at the Convegno Internazionale di Chitarra, in Alessandria.

Anabel Montesinos has recorded for the label Naxos, and her first CD was chosen as a part of the music program for intercontinental flights by the British Airways. Her albums have been praised by the international press highlighting the beauty, freshness and virtuosity of her interpretations. She has shared a concert series with Paco de Lucía, celebrated during one day and presenting “the other side of Spanish music” with a resounding success. Besides her classical program that spans from the Renaissance to the present day, she has also performed popular works on several occasions, such as music by “The Beatles” or a series of songs by the rock band “Queen” adapted for guitar and orchestra, among them, the famous “Bohemian Rhapsody”, which was the last project in her tour in 2019, praised with outstanding ovation. 

Last December 2021 she recorder her 3rd solo album in Brasil with the company GuitarCoop. The album is called Alma Llanera and is dedicated to the Latin-American music, both classical and popular works. She is Savarez Artist, playing with Cantiga Alliance Premium, high tension strings and her guitar, called Jasmine, was built in 2018 by the great luthier Steve Connor.

Born into a music-loving family, Gaëlle Solal discovered the classical guitar at age five and began studying at the Marseille Conservatoire the following year. As a little girl she wrote in a notebook, “When I grow up, I want to be a dancer and musician.” Some dreams do indeed come true.

Solal entered the Paris Conservatoire at age 16 and graduated three years later with a Premier Prix honours degree and a desire to keep learning. Fun-loving, ambitious, and keen not to let any new challenge pass her by, she took part in international competitions while studying for her master’s degree at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne. In 1998, Solal became the first Frenchwoman to win the City of Alessandria Competition, one of the world’s leading classical guitar competitions. She also won prizes in 12 other national and international competitions and was awarded grants and scholarships by numerous foundations.

In the early 2000s, Solal moved to Andalusia to begin a teaching career, obtaining professorships at the conservatories of Córdoba and Seville while continuing her own studies through masterclasses around the world. After ten years in the Astor Duo, she resumed her solo performing career in 2006 and won second prize in the Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition. Solal went on to perform at prestigious venues in more than forty countries as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra.

A devotee of freedom rather than dogma, Solal moves seamlessly from Bach to the Beatles, from contemporary music to Baroque, and from formal performances to comic acts with partner Boris Gaquere in the Crazy Nails duo.

A committed and supportive professional, Solal campaigns for the presence and visibility of women in the guitar world via the Guitar’elles organization, which she founded. Solal has lived in Brussels since 2011. She plays on Savarez strings and with a Rondine guitar by Walter Verreydt and Martina Gozzini.  

Gabriel Bianco is considered to be one of nowadays finest classical guitarists. Gabriel has won first prize in several international competitions, has performed in over fifty countries spanning every continent, and has recorded 8 CDs.

ADAMI Classic Revelation in 2011 as well as first prize competing in Sernancelhe (Portugal, 2005), Ile de Ré (France, 2006), Gitarre Forum Wien (Austria, 2006), “Silesian Autumn” in Tychy (Poland, 2006), “Hubert Käppel” in Koblenz (Germany, 2007), Barbezieux (France, 2007), Guitar Foundation of America (United States of America, 2008), “Fundación Gredos san Diego” in Madrid (Spain, 2011), “Andrés Segovia” in Almuñecar (Spain, 2012). 
Born in 1988 in Paris. Gabriel started playing the guitar with his father. In 1997, he enrolled at the CNR (Conservatoire National de Région) in Paris in Ramon de Herrera’s class.
He was in music-study until the baccalaureate. In 2005 he was unanimously admitted to the CNSMDP (National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris) where he joined Olivier Chassain’s class. 

He won his guitar prize in 2008 and his chamber music prize in 2015, both times with the congratulations of the jury.
Gabriel Bianco has performed in concert in prestigious venues such as the Théâtre du Châtelet, la Folle Nantes Day, the Radio-France Occitanie Festival, the International Festival of guitar in Paris, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, the Luis Arango Auditorium in Bogota, the Central Conservatory of Beijing, the Musashino Art Centre and the Yamaha Hall in Tokyo, the Kyiv Philharmonic, the Zurich Opera and the Lausanne Opera.
Gabriel Bianco is passionate about chamber music. He has been a member of Quatuor Eclisses since its creation in 2012, for which he has composed many arrangements and has recorded 4 records with the Ad Vitam record label. 

He also performs with Marina Viotti (Mezzo-soprano), always with his arrangements of classical and popular music, whose record was released in April 2023 with the Aparté label. 

He has also made record duetting with oboist Michaela Hrabánková on the Ad Vitam label. He occasionally shares the stage with Edgar Moreau (cello), Maïté Louis (violin), Mathilde Caldérini (flute), Lola Descours (bassoon), Kévin Amiel (tenor), Romuald Grimbert-Barré (violin).
Bianco has recorded 2 solo records, the first with the Naxos label in a Bach, Mertz & Koshkin programme then with the Ad Vitam Records label in Da Milano, Scarlatti, Regondi & Paganini programmes. Gabriel is very active in the creation of contemporary pieces. 

He has worked with Atanas Ourkouzounov, Sergio Assad, Karol Beffa, Orestis Kalampalikis, Matthieu Stefanelli, Jules Matton, Camille Pépin, Inès Halimi and Thomas Viloteau on the creation of new works for solo guitar or chamber music.

Since 2018, Gabriel Bianco is Senior Docent at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He gives individual guitar lessons and directs the classical guitar section. He plays exclusively on Savarez. strings.

Today, he directs the higher education at the “Conservatorium van Amsterdam” (Netherlands), he gives individual lessons there.

Marek Pasieczny (Ph.D Comp., MMus Comp., MMus Perf, PGDip Perf., PGDip Comp., MA Performance) composer and guitarist.

Pasieczny holds three Master Degrees in music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, UK (for composition and performance with distinction) and “Karol Lipinski” Academy of Music in Wroclaw, Poland (for performance with distinction). In 2010, Pasieczny began a combined doctoral degree in composition and performance in Australia, before returning to Europe in 2012 and completing his PhD at Surrey University in Guildford, UK in December 2015.

As a composer, guitarist, lecturer and adjudicator Pasieczny has appeared regularly at festivals in Europe (Poland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Greece, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, The UK, and Italy), Asia (China, Japan) Russia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and USA.

Masterclasses and lectures:

2012-2015 University of Surrey (The UK), 2020: Leeds College of Music, Leeds, The UK, Zürich University of The Arts, Switzerland, 2018: University of Alaska, UAA Anchorage, Alaska, USA, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada, RNCM – Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (Birmingham City University), Birmingham (The UK). 2017: California State University, Fullerton/LA, USA 2016: The Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, (China), Hochschule fur Musik, Freiburg (Germany), 2021: Hochschule für Musik und Theater Rostock (Germany), Hochschule für Künste Bremen (Germany), Hans-Werner-Henze Musikschule Berlin (Germany), New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. 2015: Conservatory: Koninklijk Conservatorium – Brussels (Belgium) 2013: Auckland University, Auckland (New Zealand).

Pasieczny has composed for and collaborated with such musicians as: Pat Metheny (CD „Upojenie”), Anna Maria Jopek, Odair and Clarice Assad, David Russell, Roland Dyens, Carlo Domeniconi, LAGQ: Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Ana Vidovic, Hilary Hahn, James Gourlay, Aaron Shorr, Andrew York, Pavel Steidl, Krzysztof Pelech, Michal Stanikowski, Andrzej Bauer, Vojin Kocic, Duo Melis, Lulo Reinchard and many others.

Premieres of his works have been performed in venues such as: Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, USA (2012), Conservatoire National de Strasbourg, France (2011), He Luting Hall, Shanghai, China (2008), BBC Scotland, UK (2007), Royal Albert Hall, London, UK (2004), W. Lutosławski’s Hall (2003) (Warsaw, Poland) and Carnegie Hall, New York (2006, 2014).

Pasieczny appeares on a total of 36 albums. As a composer and performer: on 14 albums, singles, solo EPs, 5 albums with chamber music, 3 albums with chamber and symphony orchestras. 4 albums has been dedicated entirely to the work of Pasieczny, and 10 albums on which he appears among other composers. Pasieczny’s music has been also used for ballet (Taiwan) and film-documentaries (Germany, USA).

In 2012, Pasieczny became a D’Addario artist and as well featured on the cover of the Classical Guitar Magazine. Pasieczny’s works has been published by: PWM (Poland), Les Productions D’Oz (Canada), Lathkill Music (The UK), HomaDream Inc., (Japan), SLE (The UK / Republic of South Africa)

“Very talented composer (…) Hope for the polish modern repertoire of classical guitar”

Maestro KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI –composer and conductor

(Canterbury, England; April 2009)

“I do consider Marek Pasieczny as a highly inspired guitarist and composer. His musical world deeply touches me by its great personality and originality. He is what I call a free artist.”

ROLAND DYENS - guitarist and composer, Teacher at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris (Paris, France; October 2008)

“Pasieczny is one of the most important guitarists-composers-musicians from our time” – CARLO DOMENICONI (guitarist and composer) (Berlin, Germany, 2010)

Celebrated for her “emotive, poetic playing” and as a “great interpreter in every respect” at the Long Island Festival/New York.

Pia studied in Berlin and Bremen as well as postgraduate at the Centro Chitarristico “Francisco Tàrrega” Pordenone/Italy with Prof. Thomas Offermann, Prof. Jens Wagner and Prof. Paolo Pegoraro.

She was a member of the internationally acclaimed Radio Youth Choir Wernigerode, its chamber choir and the internationally acclaimed Vocal Consort Weimar.

Pia Offermann is a winner of the International Classical Guitar Competition in Kraków, Poland.

She deepened her knowledge at masterclasses with Roberto Aussel, David Russell, Hopkinson Smith and the renowned New York pianist Seymour Bernstein, among others.

Pia is active both as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles, and has been invited to international festivals, juries, masterclasses and lectures at music colleges and universities in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. She also cooperates with the German Embassy, the Goethe Institute, the Instituto Cervantes.

2010 she became 'Artist in Residence' at the Mount Royal University Calgary in Canada.

Many years she has been teaching at the Bremen University of the Arts and has been artistic director of the international Bremen Guitar Art Festival and international youth competition. Nowadays, she is an Artistic Director of the Federal State Guitar Orchestra Saxony-Anhalt (Germany).

In addition to her artistic work, she earned a diploma as a cultural manager.

Pia released two solo CDs “Satyagraha” and “Spanish Guitar Masterpieces” by AureaVox. For 2023 she is planning a new CD with works by Alexandre Tansman.

Since April 2010 she is an D'Addario Artist (USA).

„She is nothing but a true artist who never wants to show off but aims to speaking to us, something we need today more than ever. Indeed, we need a music that speaks about our time: us, our questions and feelings about truth, tenderness, depth or delicious lightness. And she is delivering that. Let’s listen … “ / Danielle Ribouillault, Paris, from Review for Classical Guitar London

REENTKO received his international attention and recognition not only as an impressive guitarist and percussionist, but also as a composer, whose works have won many awards and can be heard in the program of the "Cirque de Soleil" and the Semperoper Dresden, among others. He teaches at the Dresden Academy of Music and has also gained greater attention as a guitarist in projects by Giora Feidman and Ksenija Sidorova.

THOMAS FELLOW (D) is an acoustic guitarist of the first rank and has become one of the most successful and formative musical accompanists on this instrument, not least through his innovative playing in the duo "Friend 'n Fellow" (after almost 2000 concerts with Ray Charles, Luther Allison and Tommy Emmanuel, among others). As an author and composer, he publishes with Schott Music, leads the pioneering education for "Acoustic Guitar" at the Musikhochschule Dresden and has performed in over 30 countries.

“A real personality, an artist through and through.” (Nuances magazine).

In April 2019 Marina Viotti was awarded the “Best Young Singer of the year” at the prestigious International Opera Awards in London. She also won the 3rd prize at the “Concours de Genève” in 2016, and the International Belcanto Prize at the Rossini Festival in Wildbad in 2015.

After studying flute, Marina Viotti first experimented with jazz, gospel and heavy metal. She got a master’s degree in philosophy and literature, before she began her vocal training with Heidi Brunner in Vienna and continued at the Lausanne University of Music in the class of Brigitte Balleys. She completed her studies with a diploma as a soloist and studied Belcanto with Raul Gimenez and Alessandra Rossi.

Marina Viotti’s first steps on the operatic stage after her studies took her to the Lausanne Opera, the Lucerne Theatre and, as part of the young ensemble, to the Grand Théâtre de Genève. She made her debut as Isabella (L’italiana in Algeri) at the Rossini Festival in Bad Wildbad in 2015.

Since then, she sang roles like Olga (Onegin) and Bradamante (Alcina) in Opera du Rhin, Elisabetta (Maria Stuarda) and Isabella in Lucerne, Rosina (Barbiere) at the Bolshoi and in Dresden, Melibea (Viaggio a Reims) in Valencia and at the Liceu, where she also debuted Nicklausse/Muse (Hoffman Tales) last season. In 2021-22, she made her debut as Dorabella (Cosi) in a new production at the State opera Berlin under the direction of Barenboim, and will sing her first Cherubino (Nozze) there later this season. Marina will also come back to la Scala, this time singing Maddalena (Rigoletto), a role she sang already in Zürich and Munich State opera. Further debuts include Orlovsky (Fledermaus) in Firenze Maggio Musicale, Arsace (Semiramide) in Lausanne, and Alceste (title role) in Roma.

Marina Viotti is a sought-after concert singer. Her concert repertoire includes among others: Mozart C Messe, The Seven last Words of our Saviour (Haydn), Beethoven’s Mass in D Major and Symphony No. 9, Kindertotenlieder (Mahler), Der Rose Pilgerfahrt (Schumann), La petite messe solennelle (Rossini), Verdi’s Requiem, El amor Brujo (De Falla), Le Poème de l’amour et de la mer (Chausson), under the baton of maestro Corboz, maestro Dudamel, or maestro De Billy, to name but a few.

Moreover, Marina Viotti is regularly invited to festivals all over the world, to present her very unique recital/shows such as “Love has no borders” (voice, piano, sax and double bass), “Porque existe otro querer” (duo voice/guitar) or “About last night” (cabaret).

Coming from a family almost entirely made up of teachers for several generations, Lucia has been intensively teaching guitar and ensemble music for almost 40 years. Many of her students, followed from their first steps to graduation, have gone on to become professional musicians and have made a name for themselves in important national and international competitions, as soloists and in chamber music ensembles.

For these achievements, she has received several certificates of recognition, including the 2014 'Golden Guitar for Didactics' ("Chitarra d'oro per la didattica"), awarded at the 19th International Guitar Conference in Alessandria.

Lucia is the author of the guitar method called “Crescendo a più corde”, published in 2021 by the Ut Orpheus publishing house, built on a long and consolidated teaching practice and presented at the International Guitar Conference in Milan (October 2021).

A brilliant graduate from the Conservatorio 'B. Marcello' in Venice, in guitar with Tommaso De Nardis and in Music Didactics, she subsequently obtained a Level II Advanced Academic Diploma – Guitar Didactics at the Conservatorio 'G. Tartini' in Trieste with top marks and honours with Frédéric Zigante. Numerous studies in musicological subjects, didactics, human sciences, motor sciences and psychomotor sciences.

At the same time, she has performed in concerts as a soloist, in various chamber ensembles and as a solo guitarist with various Italian and European orchestras.

Lucia receives frequent invitations as a teacher for courses, masterclasses, guitar ensemble music workshops and seminars in Italy and abroad, as well as invitations as a jury member in national and international competitions.

• physiotherapist, TCM practitioner, craniosacral therapy

• practice since 2009 (“Chinese Mission” - Malostranské náměstí 14, 118 00 Prague 1)

Education:

• 2nd Faculty of Medicine – General Medicine; Physiotherapy and Balneology

• 1st School of Traditional Chinese Medicine

• 2014 Internship in China (Taiyuan)

• Upledger Institute of Craniosacral Therapy

Offer of therapy:

Physiotherapy, acupuncture, phytotherapy, Qigong, dietetics, ear and abdominal acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, somato-emotional release

Prof. Thomas Offermann counts today as one of the most internationally regarded guitar pedagogues in Europe and further afield. As soloist, with orchestra and as member of the internationally acclaimed Duo Sonare, one of the outstanding guitar duos of recent times, he has toured in over forty countries worldwide and participated at the most prestigious Guitar Festivals. Numerous Radio and Television broadcasts, together with 8 internationally appraised CD recordings provide a worthy documentation of the quality of his work.

Through his work with Duo Sonare, Thomas Offermann opened new ground for the classical guitar repertoire with the adaption of music by such figures as Chick Corea, Frank Zappa and Mike Oldfield. Chick Corea himself praised these interpretations for „so much feeling and beauty“.

As Professor he currently teaches an International Master class at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Rostock; he is Artistic Director of the International Guitar Academy Berlin. His experienced and sensitive manner of teaching the guitar have won him great renown both at home and abroad. He is at present engaged in the publication of the „Integrative Guitar Technique“ which has already been featured at prestigious institutions, guitar festivals and universities across the world, winning acclaim from both participants and peers alike.

In recent years Thomas Offermann has also been active as a conductor of guitar orchestras presenting works by Steve Reich, Roland Dyens, Carlo Domeniconi, Benjamin Verdery, Leo Brouwer and others; Carlo Domeniconi and Benjamin Verdery wrote works for larger Guitar Ensembles for him.

Danielle Ribouillault wrote on his teaching in Les Cahiers de la Guitare:
“As I entered the class, he was explaining how to use the notes to revive a phrase, and then you can hear how the phrase flourishes and starts to live. He guides the student towards a generous Rubato that lets the melody vibrate. He, who had played with such a musicality and mastery, knows how to transmit his live-giving esprit… A lot of students attended his class: clearly because something special happens with him during his passionate transmission of music, something essential and more intense than otherwise.”

Since 2010 Thomas Offermann is the D’Addario’s European Classical Guitar Representative.

http://www.thomasoffermann.com

Martin Schwarz studied guitar at the Academy of Music in Vienna with Walter Würdinger and Luciano Contini. He took part in masterclasses with Hubert Käppel, Oscar Ghiglia, Alvaro Pierri and many others. His most influential teacher was David Russell.

As a soloist and chamber musician, he has been performing in Austria, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Italy and Greece.

CD releases with works by Stefan Soewandi were published in 1997 and 1999 „Echoing Silence“ and „Dewa“ (Kreuzberg Records Berlin).

He is a founding member of the guitar quartet „Guitar4mation“. With this ensemble, Martin Schwarz has been touring since 1993. CD releases: 1996 „From a Hidden Street“ (Polski Nagrania Edition), 2006 „pulse.sound.joy.heart.“, 2010 „Sonada del Alma“, 2014 „Trans4mation“ (all with Gramola, Vienna).

An important part of his artistic work is arranging and composing music for guitar (from solo pieces to orchestra arrangements).

He has been teaching for many years in various music schools in Austria. In 2012, he started to teach the guitar ensemble at the University of Music in Vienna. In 2015, he was appointed professor for guitar at the Anton Bruckner University in Linz, Austria.

Petr Saidl studied at the Conservatory of Pardubice with Stanislav Juřica and at the Hochschule Franz Liszt in Weimar with prof. Roland Zimmer, prof. Jürgen Rost and prof. Monika Rost. He undertook master classes with e.g. Gordon Crosskey, John W. Duarte, Hubert Käppel, Costas Cotsiolis, Wolfgang Lendle a.o.

He was awarded prizes in numerous national and international guitar competitions. In 1990 he was placed on the premium document of the Czech Musical Fund. Since 1993 he has taught at the Conservatory of Pardubice, since 2007 he has been the head of the guitar department there. Since 2016 he has taught also at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. His students are prizewinners of prestigious national and international competitions (208 prizes, among them 78 first prizes). He cooperates with music publishing houses, he is regularly invited to take the chair of various guitar competition juries and he lectures at guitar festival courses, conservatories and music universities. In 2010 he became part of the D’Addario family.

He has given concerts across Europe, both as a soloist and as a player in various chamber ensembles, often with violist Milan Řehák, violinist Bohuslav Matoušek or as a member of guitar quartet „Guitar4mation“. He has made various TV and radio recordings for ORF, ARD, BR1, Czech Television and Czech Radio. He has released two solo CDs, then one CD with violist Milan Řehák and three with guitar quartet “Guitar4mation”.

He has been the director of the project „Guitar Kutná Hora“, which organizes “The International Guitar Biennial in Kutná Hora”, the festival “Guitar Night” and awards a prize “The Young Guitarist of the Year”.

Prof. Jens Wagner completed his studies with Karl Scheit, one of the great pedagogues of modern guitar playing. Important impulses and high sensitivity he received through intensive study of the old music. As a soloist and together with the Duo Sonare he has toured in more than 40 countries and played on major festivals.

As an arranger he has enriched the guitar repertoire with works also from rock and pop music e.g. Mike Oldfield’s „Tubular Bells“, a milestone in the history of music, or guitar virtuoso John McLaughlin's compositions. You can find in his programs contrasting connections of different music styles performed on the 19th century guitar and the modern Spanish guitar.

As an experienced guitarist and lutenist Jens Wagner has a profound knowledge he passes on to his students. He is professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg and at the University of the Arts Bremen.

His professional articles about „posture and movement theory“ and „filing technique for guitarists“ have been published in several magazines. Jens Wagner guitar arrangements of works by Telemann and Haydn have been published by Heinrichshofen and Trekel.

12 highly acclaimed CD recordings document his artistic work.

https://jenswagner.com

Michael Parkinson was born in Yorkshire, England in 1952. He began learning to play the bassoon at the age of 12, and at 16 was selected for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He went on to study the bassoon at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he had his first Alexander Technique lessons. On completing his musical studies in 1973 he joined the Orchestra of the English National Ballet, with whom he played for 12 years. During this time he enrolled in a 3-year training program to become an Alexander Technique Teacher. He qualified in 1979 and taught the AT in London alongside his musical career.

In 1985 Michael moved to Vienna to teach the AT at Dramatisches Zentrum Wien. From 1991-1996 he was a guest professor for the Alexander Technique at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Graz. In 1996 he established the Alexander Technique Teacher Training Centre in Vienna. In recent years he has given many AT workshops throughout the Czech Republic: in Prague, Brno, Olomouc, Kromeriz and Jesenik. He has been teaching at the GFM since 2004.

Michael is still actively engaged in the music world; giving AT lessons to many musicians, and also playing the bassoon with a variety of orchestras and chamber ensembles in Vienna.

ttps://www.alexandertechniquecentrevienna.com/