Here’s a reminder of some of the important guitar festivals, seminars and (in some cases) competitions happening around the globe over the next few weeks:
JULY 24–27
4th Le Temps des Guitares
Puy L’Évêque, France
The annual international guitar event in this gorgeous medieval town (in the heart of a wine region in the south of France) features artistic directors Duo Bensa-Cardinot, Roberto Aussel, the young French sensation Cassie Martin, an evening of Argentine music with Nora Buschmann and Agustín Luna, the guitar-cello duo of Pedro Soler & Gaspar Claus, and a flamenco finale featuring Sandie Santiago and her group. letempsdesguitares.com
JULY 26–30
8th Changsha International Guitar Festival
Changsha, China
Open, Youth, Children, and Composition competitions; $10,000 plus China concert tour for Open competition winner. Commemorating the 20th anniversary of Joaquín Rodrigo’s death, his Sonata Giocosa is the Open competition set piece. Master classes, workshops, presentations plus concerts with artistic director Xuefei Yang (with violinist Jiafeng Chen), Alvaro Pierri, Marco Pereira, Grisha Goryachev, Raphaël Feuillâtre, Alexandr Misko, and last year’s competition winner, Ji Hyung Park. (Incidentally, Park recently completed recording an album for Naxos produced by Gerald Garcia!) guitar.org.cn
JULY 27–AUGUST 4
Rotenburg Guitar Week
Rotenburg and Ahausen, Germany
Individual lessons, chamber groups, guitar orchestra, and concerts with teachers including Antigoni Goni, József Eötvös, Lorenzo Micheli, Hans Wilhelm Kaufmann, and Dirk Lemmermann. rotenburger-gitarrenwoche.de
JULY 29–AUGUST 4
47th Hermann Hauser International Guitar Seminar
Reisbach, Germany
Concerts, master classes, lectures, and more featuring with Virginia Luque and Aliosha De Santis. Luque will perform pieces written for her by Leo Brouwer, Jorge Morel, Ernesto Cordero, and Sérgio Assad. guitarseminarreisbach.com
JULY 31–AUGUST 5
Lanciano International Guitar Seminar
Lanciano, Italy
The medieval town of Lanciano is about two hours by car east of Rome, close to Italy’s Adriatic coast. The mission of the Guitar Seminar is “to promote high-level solo and chamber music training for young guitarists.” Teachers this year include the American duo of Michael Newman and Laura Oltman, João Luiz (of the Brasil Guitar Duo), as well as Italian guitarists Isabella Abbonizio and Frédéric Zigante. In addition to concerts and mentoring, there are also side trips to the Museum of Musical Instrument Strings in Salle and a hiking trip. lancianoguitar.com
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AUGUST 2–10
Guitar en France Course/Festival
Solignac-le Vigen, France
Guitar lessons, masterclasses, orchestral and ensemble practice, workshops, lectures, and more in the historic Chateau de Ligoure. Teachers/artists include Eleftheria Kotzia, Raphaël Feuillâtre, and Patrick Kearney. Concerts by those three, plus Duo Gerard and Agnes Abiton, and a Young Artists concert. guitarenfrance.org
AUGUST 4–11
28th International Guitar-Festival Iserlohn
Haus Villigst, Schwerte, Germany
As always, a star-studded affair! Concerts with Łukasz Kuropaczewski, Augustin Wiedemann, Thibaut Garcia, Alegrias Guitar Trio, Minnesota Guitar Quartet, Stephen Robinson, Katona Twins, Jorge Caballero, Duo Montes-Kircher, and many more. Also, two youth competitions (12–16, 17–21), individual lessons, group classes, and workshops, lectures, guitar orchestra, luthier/product fair, etc. guitarsymposium.de
AUGUST 20–23
Sauble Beach Guitar Festival
Sauble Beach, Ontario, Canada
In a luscious setting on picturesque Lake Huron: classes, lessons, seminars, and concerts featuring Kevin Manderville, Alejandro Valencia, Rob MacDonald, Michael Kolk, Isaac Bustos, Jeffrey McFadden, Emma Rush, Sara Traficante, and more. saubleguitarfest.com
AUGUST 23–28
29th Forum Guitar Wien
Vienna, Austria
Courses, concerts, lectures, masterclasses, competitions, and luthier exhibitions. Most concerts at historic Grosser Ehrbar Saal. Performers include Alvaro Pierri, Duo Melis, Jorgos Panetsos, Carlo Curatolo, Mak Grgic, Bratislava Guitar Quartet, Roberto Aussel, You Wu, many more. forum-gitarre.at
AUGUST 24–29
27th West Dean International Classical Guitar and Summer School
West Dean, West Sussex, England
At West Dean College: concerts, technique classes, lectures, masterclasses, workshops, and lessons. Concert artists and tutors include festival director Andrew Gough, Fabio Zanon, Crazy Nails (Gaëlle Solal and Boris Gaquere), Raphaella Smits, Eden-Stell Duo, Manus Noble, Rory Russell and Vincent Lindsey-Clark. westdean.org.uk/study/short-courses/courses/scg08985-west-dean-international-classical-guitar-festival-2019