One Sound. One Melody. One perfect Unity.

Susana Prieto and Alexis Muzurakis made their debut as the Guitar Duo Melis in 1999 at the International Guitar Festival of Volos (Greece). Since then they have performed in such prestigious halls as the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Megaron in Athens and the Merkin Concert Hall in New York. They have been invited to play concerts and give master classes in international guitar festivals in Europe and America. Since 2005 they teach at the Conservatoire National de Région de Strasbourg.

Susana and Alexis have won numerous prizes, both individually and together. In 1999 they won the first prize at the International Guitar Duo Competition of Frechen (Germany). The next year they won the prestigious Guitar Duo Competition of Montelimar (France) as well as the XXI International Guitar Duo Competition “Mauro Giuliani” (Italy). In 2001 the Duo/Ensemble prize at the Chamber Music Competition of Leipzig (Germany) and the same year they were the winners at the International Guitar Duo Competition of Paris (France). In 2003 they recorded their first CD after winning the recording prize “Citta di Verona” at the International Chamber Music Competition “Gaetano Zinetti” (Italy). In 2005 they successfully auditioned for the Yehudi Menuhin Society “Live Music Now”.

The Guitar Duo Melis has collaborated with international orchestras like the Berliner Symphoniker, the Neubrandenburger Philharmonie, the Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie, the Radio Orchestra of Bucharest and the National Orchestra of Thessaloniki conducted by Leo Brouwer. Their wide repertory spans from baroque music to the music of A. Piazzolla and A. Ginastera. As well as their modern concert guitars they use period instruments to perform the XIX century repertory and they devote themselves to historical researches on the performing praxis of that period.

Professor Milan Zelenka is a graduate of the Prague Conservatory and today belongs among the most important concert guitarists in the Czech Republic. Gold medal successes in competitions in Moscow (1957) and Vienna (1959) opened the door to the world stage, and he has since had tours not only in Europe and Asia but also Japan and the USA. Zelenka is professor at both the Academy of Performing Arts and the Prague Conservatory. He has educated a whole generation of young guitarists, some of who show promise as concert performers.

As well as local teaching work, he runs master classes abroad and is often invited to judge at important international guitar competitions. His unusually large repertoire includes all periods. A significant characteristic of Zelenka´s artistic profile is a deep and continuing interest in contemporary music; many works have been dedicated to him. In recent years he has given much time to his own composition. He is a frequent guest of recording studios both local and international. Zelenka´s virtuoso playing can not only be heard on stage but also on a number of Publisher CDs. He helped to introduce the guitar to the Czech stage. Today this tradition is continued by his excellent pupils; the world famous Pavel Steidl belongs among these. A number of those that graduated under him work in conservatory teaching positions: Václav Kučera, Ozren Mutak, Emanuel Kyml, Jan Hron, Karl Petersson, Jan Záruba and Jozef Haluza. Both Lenka Filipová and Rudolf Dašek are famous graduates from the class of Milan Zelenka.

After important achievements in international guitar competitions, Stefano Palamidessi has devoted himself to both solo and ensemble music, co-operating with great musicians and exploring a wide repertoire. As passionate teacher, he has thought of new ways of teaching, looking for a higher professional preparation for the students; with this goals he conceived the Three Years Concert Training Course at the Arts Academy of Rome, the publication of the treatise Study Methodology and Technical Exercises for Guitar and the publication of the Sor's Studies with analysis and score with phrasing, articulations and fingering. He is also an enthusiastic organizer. Founder and promoter from 1985 to 1991 of the Rome International Guitar Festival, now he is the Didactic Director of the Fondazione Arts Academy of Rome, Artistic Director of the same Chamber Music Season, General Manager and member of the Board of Directors of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma. He is also the organizer of some important musical events, like the Summer Festival "Tuscania Città della Musica" (musical courses, opera, ballet and over 40 symphonic and chamber music concerts) and the Classical Plucked Instruments International Exhibition: he is the President of the Italian Guitar Society.

Stefano Palamidessi was born in Rome in 1960; he got the guitar diploma at “S.Cecilia” Conservatory, studying at the same time composition and Musical Disciplines at the Bologna University. While winning a plenty national and international guitar contests (among them the "Mauro Giuliani", "Fernando Sor", "Emilio Pujol", "Nicola Fago", "Lagonegro" for contemporary music, "Città di Mondovì", "Città di Ancona" contests), at 20 he starts the concert career as soloist, with orchestra and in ensembles, playing through Europe, Africa and Asia. He collaborates with prestigious soloists, like Aldo Redditi, Renato Bruson, Camillo Grasso, Claudia Antonelli, Raffaele Mallozzi, Marco Fornaciari, Giuseppe Nova, Franco Mezzena, Massimiliano Pitocco and many others.

He regularly gives concerts in prestigious halls and Festivals: Como Music Autumn, Rendano Theatre of Cosenza, Auditorium Conciliazione and Ghione Theatre of Rome, Teatro delle Erbe of Milan, Piccinni Theatre of Bari, Fermo Festival, Wiener Festwochen, Lublijana Festival, Belgrado University, Zagabria Conservatory, Palais Wittgenstein of Dusseldorf, Cordoba Guitar Festival, Tychy Guitar Festival, Bath Festival, Santo Tirso Festival, Israel Guitar Festival, Tsavta Hall of Tel Aviv, Rebecca Crown Auditorium of Jerusalem, Guitar Festivals of Rome, Ascoli, Milan, Torino, Berlin, Stockholm, Siracusa, Parma and many others.

Recordings and live performances by him have been broadcast by the three TV and radio networks of the RAI, by TeleMontecarlo, Vatican Radio and the national radio and TV broadcasting stations in Yugoslavia, Germany, France, Poland, Holland and Israel. As a member of Concentus Guitar Trio, he has recorded six CD’s for Nuova Era, Ribot Classic, EdiPan and Rivo Alto. He also recorded a CD as soloist for Niccolò label, including a selection of the didactic works by Fernando Sor. Again as soloist he is working on the recording of the complete Fantasias by Sor in three new CD's for Brilliant Classic. The last two CD issues include the CD “Out of Classic” with the 360° Guitar Duo and the CD “Guitalian Live” with the Guitalian Quartet.

Member of the jury in national and international competitions, he teaches in master classes in Italy and Europe and he is full professor of guitar at Conservatory in Perugia. He is actually the Didactic Director of the Fondazione Arts Academy in Rome, where he is also teacher of the Three Years Concert Training Course. He also take part in the Artistic Direction of the Fondazione Arts Academy, working on Symphonic and Chamber Music Seasons, Summer Festivals and other events.

He has written “Study Methodology and Technical Exercises for Guitar”, published in 1999 by Santabarbara Musical Edition. In January 2000 he has opened the guitar didactic collection for "Guitart" review, with the publication of the Studies by Fernando Sor, including analysis and scores with phrasing, articulations and fingering. He is completing a second book devoted to the tecnique: “Guitar Investigations” published by Les Production d’Oz (Canada).

Trio Chitarristico Ravel started from the desire three guitar players had to work together. The three of them have all studied in the prestigious context of Rome’s prestigious Arts Academy.

Though recently formed, the Trio already gives frequent concerts all along Italy, warmly welcomed by different audiences. Apart from performing, the three members – Andrea Pace, Cristiano Poli Cappelli and Matteo de Rossi – also carry out a constant and renowned didactic activity.

The three members of the Trio have had different formative background, but they find a common ground in the love for Twentieth Century music. The Trio’s will is that of divulging the original repertoire for this ensemble, though they do not disdain including into their set-lists new transcriptions, which sound renewed as a threeguitar performance.

Their engagement in re-discovering and giving new life to Twentieth Century repertoire eventually brought to the recording of a CD which is dedicated to important Italian composer Franco Margola. In this CD the Trio has played Margola’s complete works for three guitars, including the first ever recording of Sonata II, and Fantasia – Omaggio a Franco Margola, written by composer Michele Sganga and dedicated to the Trio.

The repertoire of the Michal Hromek Consort is centered around the interpretation of instrumental adaptations and variations on folk melodies and Early Music themes from Ireland, Scotland and Continental Europe, including among others themes by Turlough O`Carolan (1670 – 1738), lute tunes from the Balcarres MS or Prague Renaissance lute tabulatures; apart from that, the ensemble performs its own original compositions featuring elements of medieval and pre-classical music, as well as intonations of folk, jazz and rock idioms. The substantial part of the repertoire is formed by the adaptations of folk ballads from the British Isles and Bohemia as well. Most of its concert platform programme derives from contents of several Michal Hromek`s CDs released so far (Celtic Guitar album was awarded a golden disc in Canada, in 1997). While the quintet (or its branches) has to its credit a good deal of experience with performing across Bohemia, it has also performed in Algeria or Costa Rica.

Two members of the ensemble, René Vácha (viola, violin, viola d`amour), and multiinstrumentalist Daniel Mikolášek, are members of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; flautist Jakub Klár is a member of several formations spanning a broad spectrum of styles, from traditional Irish music, through Baroque, to jazz and rock. Harpist and soprano Kateřina Doležalová who started her co-operation with the ensemble in 2004, plays a replica of Bohemian folk harp from Nechanice and currently is studying baroque harp in Verona, Italy. Guitarist Michal Hromek, the composer of the ensemble`s own material and arranger of its traditional repertoire divides his time between music making (composing, publishing and recording) and teaching. He also performs and records in duo format with Kateřina Doležalová and singer and actress Hana Frejková.

is a regular guest at many of the world’s leading musical events and has worked with many influential musicians including Nikita Koshkin, Edwards McGuire, Hans Werner Henze, Gordon McPherson and Stephen Dodgson.

Allan has performed internationally for over 20 years from Peru to Saudi Arabia. Highlights have included a tour of Australia with virtuoso flautist Alison Mitchell, performances of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the RSNO and recording a soundtrack to the acclaimed documentary on the life of the great Scottish painter, John Bellany. Allan’s latest CD ‘Guitarra Internacional’ has received rave reviews.

Allan has been Artistic Director of the Dundee International Guitar Festival since its inception and in 2000 he received the Scotland on Sunday Glenfiddich ® Spirit of Scotland Award for Music, awards set up to recognize individuals who lead the way in Scottish culture.

Narodil se v roce 1977 v Lignanu Sabbiadoro (Itálie). Na kytaru začal hrát ve 12 letech pod vedením Stefana Violy na konzervatoři „Jacopo Tomadini“ v Udine, kterou absolvoval s vyznamenáním ve třídě Guido Fichtnera. V současnosti studuje na Kytarové akademii Francisca Tárregy v Pordenone pod vedením Stefana Violy a Paola Pegorara. Zúčastnil se rovněž mistrovských tříd u řady významných interpretů a pedagogů, např. Davida Russella, Manuela Barrueca, Stefana Grondona, Angela Gilardina, Alberta Ponceho a Carla Marchioneho.

Adriano získal 12 prvních cen ve významných národních i mezinárodních soutěžích (Benvenuto Terzi v Bergamu, Nicola Fago v Tarantu, Castelnuovo Tedesco v Parmě, Ragusa, Isernia a další). Vítězství v soutěži Juliana Arcase ve španělské Almeríi mu umožnilo nahrání jeho prvního sólového CD pro Radio Nacional de España. V roce 2003 obdržel v Alessandrii prestižní uznání "La chitarra d’oro" jako nejlepší mladý koncertní umělec roku na mezinárodní úrovni. V roce 2004 zvítězil v prestižní soutěži Michele Pittaluga v Alessandrii. 2. cenu získal v uznávané soutěži Francisco Tárregy v Benicassimu.

V posledních letech intenzivně koncertuje a je zván na nejdůležitější mezinárodní festivaly (Gitarrenfestspiele Nürtingen, Festival Internacional de Guitarra Morelia, San Luis Potosi, Jalapa, Culiacan, Monterrey, Festival Internazionale della chitarra di Parma, Pordenone e Siracusa, Muisic oliympus festival San Pietroburgo). Reprezentoval region Friuli Venezia-Giulia na Ukrajině, kde hrál ve slavném sále Kyjevské filharmonie.

V rozhovoru pro významný odborný časopis jej David Russell jmenoval jako jednoho z nejlepších současných mladých kytaristů. Hraje na kytaru německého stavitele Matthiase Dammanna.

Born in Málaga (Spain) into a family of pianists, Marco Socías received his musical education in this city, and afterwards in many masterclasses and at the Musikhochschule Cologne (Germany). The most significant personalities for his development are Carmen Gallardo, Antonio Company, José Tomás, José Miguel Moreno and David Russell.

At the age of 21 he became the youngest guitar professor in Spain, and has been awarded in some of the most prestigious international competitions, as the “Infanta Cristina” (Fundación Guerrero, Madrid) where he got the first prize, “Le Printemps de la Guitare” (Belgium) and Concorso Internazionale di Gargnano (Italy).

Marco Socías is regularly invited to renown international guitar festivals and, besides his intense activity as a soloist around practically whole Europe, Near East and USA, performs very frequently in chamber groups and as soloist with orchestra. He has performed in important concert halls as Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Konzerthaus (Vienna), Auditorio Nacional (Madrid), Konzerthaus (Berlin), Philharmonie (Berlin) and Alte Oper (Frankfurt), and has played as a soloist with orchestras as the Radio Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orquesta de Cadaqués and Orquesta Nacional de Cuba. Among the conductors he has performed with are to be mentioned Sir Neville Marriner, Josep Pons, Víctor Pablo Pérez, Odón Alonso and Leo Brouwer. Aside this, he collaborates in several projects together with Laurentius Dinca, first violin of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Until now he has recorded eight CDs: Giuliani’s guitar concerto Op. 30, “Concerto Meditarraneo” for two guitars and orchestra by Carlo Domeniconi (together with the composer), CD with Catalan music (Pujol, Llobet, Mompou), a selection of pieces by Joaquín Rodrigo, the “Álbum de Colien” (contemporary Spanish and Portuguese music), and Spanish songs (Falla, Lorca and Gerhard) with soprano Juanita Lascarro. The most recent ones are solo guitar works by Joaquín Rodrigo for the label EMI, and the “Concierto de Aranjuez” and “Fantasía para un Gentilhombre” for Harmonia Mundi, with the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada conducted by Josep Pons.

Italian composer Carlo Domeniconi has written for him the works “Incontro”, “Sonata, quasi una sinfonia”, and his Guitar Concerto n.13.

Nowadays Marco Socías lives in Málaga, and is professor at the Centro Superior de Música “Musikene” in the Basque Country (San Sebastián, Spain).

Guitar4mation is an international guitar quartet based in Vienna, Austria. The four guitarists of the ensemble, Petr Saidl (Czech Republic), Martin Wesely (Austria), Martin Schwarz and Michal Nagy (Poland), perform the music of our time in an unusual form. The repertoire ranges from impressionism and Spanish music to modern styles, from latin folk and jazz to pop.

Contemporary compositions especially written for the group as well as their surprising and imaginative own arrangements and transcriptions create a unique, distinctive sound.

Since ist founding year in 1993, Guitar4mation has been performing in many European countries. Highlights were concerts at the Wiener Konzerthaus, various guitar festivals such as Lockenhaus, Mikulov, Wroclaw, Tychy, Vienna, Bratislava and Prague as well as appearances in concert series such as Allegro Vivo Festival, Jeunesse Austria, Siegel Concerts Munich. Live recordings of their concerts were made by the ORF and Polskie Radio.

In 1996, Guitar4mation released their first CD called “From a Hidden Street“ (Polskie Nagrania Edition Warschau). This was followed by compilation recording of the works of Stefan Soewandi called “Dewa“ (1999 - Kreuzberg Records Berlin) together with Zoran Dukić, Laura Young, Enno Voorhorst and others. In 2002, the group went through major changes. Founding members Alexander Swete and Francis Montocchio left the ensemble to be replaced by Petr Saidl and Martin Wesely. Enthused reactions of concert audiences show the quality of this new line-up.

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In autumn 2006, Guitar4mation presented their new CD “pulse.sound.joy.heart.“ (Gramola - Wien) with works by Debussy, Albeniz, Assad, Piazzolla and others. The current repertoire combines music from this CD with new arrangements such as 4 Preludes by Karol Szymanowski as well as music by Martinů, Ginastera, Piazzolla, Metheny, Gubitsch, Falla and Rodrigo.

MAURO ZANATTA was born in Treviso in 1977 and began to study guitar at the musical Liceo "Manzato". After having received a lot of scholarships and recognitions he got the Diploma at the conservatory "A. Dall’Abaco" in Verona with full marks. In 1990, at the early age of thirteen, he took part in the International Guitar Competition “Luigi Legnani“ in Latina receiving a special recognition by David Russell who was among the jury. In the following years he took part in many national and international competitions and got important prizes like:
First prize at the prestigious "Juliàn Arcas International Guitar Competion" and "Prize for the best Spanish music interpreter" in Almerìa
First prize at the "Benvenuto Terzi International Guitar Competition"
First prize at the "Gorizia European Guitar Competition"
First prize at the "Fernando Sor International Guitar Competition"
First prize at the "Ancona National Guitar Competition"
First prize at the "Niccolò Paganini young concert players selection in Parma"
Second prize at "National Guitar Competition in Parma".

He attended many masterclasses of the most important guitar players and musicians of the world like David Russell, Alvaro Pierri, Tilman Hoppstock, Carlo Marchione, Angelo Gilardino, Oscar Ghiglia, Stefano Grondona and others.

Actually he is studying at the Guitar Academy "Francìsco Tàrrega" with Paolo Pegoraro and Stefano Viola. He carries on an intense concert activity in Italy and abroad, at the important international guitar festivals and in prestigeous halls; during the last two years he represented Friuli Venezia Giulia province by playing in the gorgeous "Columns Hall" in the Kiév Philharmonic. Recently he performed at the VI International Guitar Festival "Homenage to Joaquìn Rodrigo", at the "International Guitar Festival, Homenage to Andrés Segòvia" in Pordenone, at the XXII International Guitar Festival in Udine, at the X Friuli Venezia Giulia International Guitar Festival with the symphonic orchestra of the above-mentioned region, at the International Guitar Festival In Lipica (Slovenia).

He is interested in ancient music, specially in Johann Sebastian Bach, transcribing and studying his production with great and deep passion for the great German master. He plays on a Gernot Wagner guitar.

Petra Poláčková started to play the guitar at the age of six at music school in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm under the leadership of Bohuslav Faltus and Miroslava Pavelková and music school „Lounských“ in Prague under the leadership of Prof. Zdeněk Dvořák. She studied from 1996 to 2004 at the grammar school in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. Nowadays, she studies in the fifth class with Prof. Petr Saidl at the Conservatory in Pardubice. She is playing also chamber music with Jan Zemen (violoncello) or Pavla Klepeštová (soprano) and is a member of the Bohemian guitar orchestra. In years 2004 – 2007 she was teaching at the music school Habrmanova in Hradec Králové and from 2005 she is teaching at music school Choceň. At the guitar festivals she attended masterclasses for example by G. Bandini, L. Brouwer, Z. Dukic, M. Felici, N. North, T. Offermann, S. Palamidessi, E. Papandreou, P. Pegoraro, T.Müller-Pering, J. Perroy, P. Steidl, A. Swete, J. Wagner, B. Zaczek, P. Zaleski and others.

Prizes:

2002 – First prize and the title of absolute winner at the National Competition of Music schools in Opava (6th category, under 17 years)
2003 – First prize and the title of absolute winner at the International Music Festival of Ivan Ballú in Dolný Kubín (3rd category)
2004 – Third prize at the XII. International Biennial Guitar Competition in Kutná Hora (2nd category, under 19 years)
2004 – First prize in the 1st category (1st – 2nd class of conservatory) at the II. Competition of Czech Conservatories in České Budějovice
2007 – First prize and the title of absolute winner at the International Music Festival of Ivan Ballú in Dolný Kubín (5th category)
2007 - First prize and the title of absolute winner at the XIV. International Biennial Guitar Competition in Kutná Hora (2nd category)
2007 - First prize in the 3rd category (5th – 6th class of conservatory) at the XXXI. Competition of Czech Conservatories in Pardubice
2008 – First place at VI. International Guitar Competition J.K. Mertz, Bratislava
2008 – First place at II. International Guitar Competition Krzyżowa (Poland)
2008 – Third place at XIII. International Guitar Competition Forum Gitarre Wien
2009 – First place at XIV. International Guitar Competition Krynica (Poland) (2nd category)

Nicola Jappelli was born in Milan in 1975. He studied Classical Guitar with Paolo Paolini at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, where received his diploma in 1996.

He took several European master classes (from 1991 to 1997) with Cuban composer and conductor Leo Brouwer, which allowed him to perfect his performance and composing skills.

His interest in antique guitars led him to study with the great Bohemian guitarist Pavel Steidl and specialize in music from the Romantic Period performed on antique instruments. Between 1999 and 2006, he attended master classes held by the Bohemian guitarist in Innsbruck, Weikersheim, Zwolle, and Florence. He received a scholarship for a special course held by L. Alvini and P. Steidl at the Cini Foundation of Venice in 2004.

Early on, he participated in and won several national and international competitions (most recently, he won First Prize at the Paganini Competition of Parma). His professional career began in 1992, with concerts in Italy, England, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland.

He has performed in many concerts and musical events as a soloist and with various chamber ensembles (from duos to quintets), including "Società dei concerti" in Milan, Salone Estense in Varese, "Lyceum pro Musica" in Florence, "Festival Pucciniano" in Forte dei Marmi, Festival Chitarristico in Pordenone, Festival Paganini in Parma, Face International Guitar Series in Falmouth (England), Fondazione Cini in Venice, Mendelssohn-Stiftung in Leipzig (Germany), Musica nelle dimore storiche della Toscana in Florence, Teatro Dal Verme in Milan, University of Valencia (Spain), Conservatory of Florence, and the “Musica Rara” concert series held in the Sacristy of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Instituto Cervantes in Manila (Philipines).

From 2005 he is the guitarist for Ensemble Sentieri Selvaggi, important performers of contemporary music. He was invited to perform works of his own and of other composers on live broadcasts by RAI RADIO 3 in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

In 2002 he recorded a CD of music by 19th century composer Fernando Sor for the Frame Record Company of Florence, which specializes in editions of great stylistic and technical quality. His second CD for the same company, which was recorded in 2004 with Spanish soprano Pilar Moral, featured early 19th century Spanish music by Sor, Castro, and Moretti. Glowing reviews appeared in the "Amadeus", "American record guide", "Suonare news" magazines, in E. Siciliano’s music column in the “Repubblica” newspaper, and on the website www.earlyromanticguitar.com . For both recordings, he played a guitar from the Romantic Period, a copy of the "Legnani model" Stauffer of 1830, built by German luthier B. Kresse.

As a composer, he has sought to develop a new and original style that is a fusion of various influences, from expressionism to minimalism, and focuses on form and on the clarity and emphasis of the material. The J. MacMillan master class that he took in 2005 in Milan allowed him to further develop his compositional style. He won the “Opera Prima” competition sponsored by Casa Ricordi in 2002, and his composition was performed at Piccolo Teatro in Milan by Ensemble Sentieri Selvaggi. In 2005 he also began composing music for the theater for stage director Beppe Arena.

His works published by Italian music publishers Rugginenti and Sinfonica and German music publisher Daminus have been well received by international critics. He has written works for various instruments and groups (solo guitar, two guitars, guitar and flute, guitar and clarinet, guitar and string orchestra, piano, organ, harp, orchestra, chorus, string quartet, and other chamber ensembles).

His works have been performed by internationally acclaimed soloists and ensembles in Japan, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, England, Slovakia, Greece, Tanzania, Poland, Bulgaria and also in Italy: Milan, Treviso, Arona, Novara, Bologna, Rome, Frosinone, Latina and Foggia.

graduated from the Conservatory of Pardubice where he studied classical guitar under the tutelage of Stanislav Juřica and František Zima. Currently he is teaching classical guitar at the Basic Musical School Na Střezině in Hradec Králové. Since 1997 he has worked with several guitar orchestras, he is a founder, a chief conductor and the Artistic Director of Bohemian Guitar Orchestra which has made a number of concert and contest performances all over the Czech republic. Apart from the classical music he is interested in other musical genres (folk, rock, grunge, country, southern rock).

See Duo Melis.

See Duo Melis.

studied classical guitar with Karl Scheit at the Hochschule für Künste in Vienna. He finished his studies with a master's degree in guitar performance, which he was later awarded also in the lute performance. He has toured around the world with the well-known Duo Sonare, as a soloist, with orchestras and various chamber ensembles. His rich repertoire affords him an unusually wide range of expertise. In his actual solo programmes Jens Wagner combines 19th century music (performed on period instruments) with contemporary music. He has given performances at many festivals, e.g. in Cordoba, Esztergom, Los Angeles, Mettmann, Moscow, Vienna, Nižnyj Novgorod, Ljubljana, Gdaňsk, Viña del Mar, San Juan, Tychy, Bath, Birkenhead, St. Paul Trois Châteaux, Gran Canaria, Ourense, Santo Tirso, Gargnano, Kutná Hora, Mikulov. He has also lectured at the festivals and has taught at a number of schools (Manhattan School of Music New York, Yale University New Heaven, Eastman School of Music Rochester, University of Hanoi, University of Saigon). His 11 released CD recordings have received exceptional acclaim. He has published music by Haydn and Telemann for Heinrichhofen and Trekel publishers and has written articles for several guitar magazines. At present he is the head of the international guitar masterclass in Hochschule für Künste in Bremen.

One of the most respected international guitar pedagogues today. He has performed as a soloist, with orchestras, as a chamber musician and together with the DUO SONARE, one of the world’s outstanding guitar ensembles, in more than 40 countries world-wide. His 8 CD productions with the DUO SONARE have won great acclaim from both critics and public alike. Together with the Duo Sonare Thomas was the first to open the repertoire of the classical guitar to music by composers such as Ch. Corea, F. Zappa or M. Oldflield. As Professor and Chairman or the Guitar Dept. he teaches an International masterclass at the HMT Rostock. His sensitive and meticulous approach, together with an extraordinary capacity for motivation, have made him a much appreciated guitar trainer. His researches on the Integrative Guitar Technique made him a highly respected advisor in the guitar world. As a conductor he has realised projects with music by Steve Reich, Roland Dyens, Benjamin Verdery, Leo Brouwer and others.

Student of T. de Nardis' class in Venice, where he graduated with the first class honours degree. He frequented master classes of highly recognized performers such as M. Barrueco and D. Russell; received the Merit Diploma at the Chigiana Academy of Siena in Maestro O. Ghiglia's class. He received 1st prize in many guitar contests (Rome, Viareggio, Stresa, Sanremo, Bari, Paris, Taranto). He is regularly invited as soloist to the most important festivals in Europe, USA, South America, Africa and Asia. Paolo Pegoraro is also a teacher at the prestigious Guitar Academy “Francisco Tárrega” in Pordenone. He has published for the Sinfonica Musical Editions and Farandola Editrice his own transcriptions series and he has revised with S. Viola two collections of studies by Sor and Giuliani. He recorded three CDs. He is currently art director of the Friuli Venezia Giulia International Guitar Festival in Pordenone. In 2003, the Italian magazine Guitart has elected him as the best Italian guitarist of the year.

Was born in 1960; his parents were musicians too and his father has been his first teacher initiating him to the study of guitar when Stefano was just twelve years old. Previously Stefano had already had experiences with accordion and piano. The encounter with the “six strings” is shining and takes him, at the age of nineteen, to the diploma at the Academy of Music with full marks and honours. After the diploma he has studied for four years in Milan with Ruggero Chiesa and takes part, as an active student, to the specialization courses held by Oscar Ghiglia in Gargnano (Italy) and at the Chigiana Academy of Music in Siena.

He has a very busy concert activity in Italy and abroad as a soloist and in chamber groups among which the “Italian Guitar Consort”; with this group Stefano Viola has recorded CD with the participation of the soprano Lorna Windsor. Afterwards he was forced to retire from giving concerts as a result of a neurophysiological disease called focal dystonia.

He has been the prize winner in famous national and international competitions (Trieste, “Nicola Fago” in Taranto, “Fernando Sor” in Rome, “Città di Alessandria”, “Mauro Giuliani” in Bari); moreover he was a finalist in the international competition “Andres Segovia” in Palma de Majorca.

Even his didactic activity was very strenuous and precocious and brought him to teach in the Guitar Academy ”Francisco Tarrega” in Pordenone and in the Conservatory of Music in Venice, Trieste, Rovigo, Perugia, Modena, Bologna, Bari, Castelfranco Veneto.

From 2006 he is the holder of a chair for guitar in the Conservatory of music in Udine.

Many his students, who come from Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Poland, Ukrainia, Mexico, Hungary, have given and passed the exams for the diploma in the State Academies of Music. They have won more than 100 prices in the most important national and international guitar competitions like “Fernando Sor”in Rome (Italy), “Pittaluga” in Alessandria (Italy), “Julian Arcas” in Almeria (Spain), “Francisco Tàrrega” in Benicassim (Spain), ”Castelnuovo-Tedesco” in Parma (Italy), “Niccolò Paganini” in Parma (Italy), Sernancelhe (Portugal), “Johann Kaspar Mertz” in Bratislava (Slovakia), etc.

For years he has been busy in a continuous widening of all the technical and mechanical aspects dealing with the relation with the instrument; thanks to these researches Stefano Viola has been invited to deliver lectures and master classes in several guitar festivals; some of this research works has been published in the important guitar review “il Fronimo” in Milano.

He has published for the Sinfonica Musical Editions (Carish distribution) two volumes dealing with the guitar techniques (Scales and Ligatures). Besides this Stefano has revised two collections of studies by Sor and Giuliani published by the same publishing house.

See Guitar4mation.

See Guitar4mation.

See Guitar4mation.

See Guitar4mation.

Zdeněk Dvořák (1947) graduated at Prague Conservatory. He is not only successful soloist but he is known for his pedagogic achievements his students won number of first prizes and awards. His pedagogic approach has been inspired by Rudolf Steiner´s anthroposophy. He is member of jury of guitar competitions and gives masterclasses at international guitar festivals in the Czech Republic. Dvorak owns recording studio Principium, where he has published recordings of top Czech and international guitarists. He is currently occupied at the Music School Lounskych and International Conservatory in Prague as a head of music department.

was born in England in 1952. He began learning to play the bassoon when he was 12 years old, and at 16 he was selected to play with 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 also had first lessons it the Alexander Technique (AT). After completing his music diploma in 1973 he joined the Orchestra of the English National Ballet with whom he played for 12 years. During this time he continued to have AT lessons, and eventually decided to enrol in a 3-year training program in London to become a teacher of the AT. He received his certification in 1979 and taught the AT alongside his work as an orchestral musician. In 1985 he was invited to teach the AT at Dramatisches Zentrum Wien. He has lived and taught in Vienna since then. In 1987 he participated in an ORF TV documentary film about the AT. From 1991 – 1996 he was a guest professor for Alexander Technique at the University of Music in Graz. In 1996 he established and is director of the AT Teacher Training Centre in Vienna. He now also teaches the AT for the United Nations Health Club. In recent years he has led numerous workshops and given private AT lessons in the Czech Republic, mostly in Prague, but also in Brno, Kroměříž, Jeseník and Olomouc. In July 2004 he taught the AT for the first time at the Guitar Festival Mikulov.