Widely acclaimed for the rare beauty of her sound and her enchanting presence on stage, Irina Kulikova has established herself as one of today’s leading guitarists. She tours far afield, with appearances at major festivals in Europe, North America and Asia and in concert halls such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, the Musashino Hall in Tokyo and the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai.

Judicaël Perroy began playing the guitar at the age of 7 and at 11 he started giving concerts. He continued his studies with Robert Aussel and at the École Normale de Musique de Paris in Alberto Ponce’s class in 1994; in 1996, he won the 1st prize at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance of Paris (CNSMDP).

Laura Snowden is one of the most sought after guitarists, teachers and composers of the younger generation. She was described by Classical Guitar Magazine as ‘linking guitar’s past, present and future’, her eclectic musical output has ranged from playing on Lorne Balfe’s soundtrack for Marvel film Black Widow to recording Lisa Streich’s guitar concerto Augenlider with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin. She studied Royal College of Music and privately with Julian Bream. 

Neil Baker studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he was the recipient of all the major song prizes. He continued his studies in London at the Royal College of Music and subsequently with Margreet Honig in Amsterdam.

Mezzo-soprano Wendy Dawn Thompson has performed principal roles with many of the world’s leading opera companies, including the Royal Opera House, Opera Australia and Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. She made her theatre debut as Teresa Salieri in Amadeus at London’s National Theatre.

Leyla Cemiloglu is a concert pianist based in London, with a particular interest in exploring intersectionality in the arts, through collaboration with living composers, championing minority composers and seeking inspiration from other art forms.

“The Eric Clapton of the lute”, Sam Brown is one of the UK’s most versatile chordophonists, known for his sensitive style. A graduate of the Royal College of Music and student of Jakob Lindberg and Lorenzo Micheli, Sam has performed for major venues across three continents, including at Wigmore Hall and Konzerthaus Wien.

Described by Guitarist Magazine as “one of the most exciting players on the acoustic guitar scene” and by BBC Radio 3’s Max Reinhardt as “virtuosic and committed, with stunning sonic awareness”, Declan Zapala is a British classical/percussive fingerstyle guitarist specialising in composition, arranging, audio production, and education.

A multiple prize winner in many guitar competitions, Colombian guitarist Francisco Correa has performed concertos with orchestra on both sides of the Atlantic, and has appeared on Colombian, British and French radio & television. His debut CD Música de la Tierrita received high acclaim in renowned guitar publications Guitare Classique, Soundboard and Classical Guitar Magazine.

Tom Kerstens, IGF Artistic Director, is a major figure in the world of the guitar, highly regarded as a versatile performer on both modern and period instruments and an influential champion of the guitar in his roles as player, recording artist and artistic director. He was recently chosen in Classic FM’s list of the ‘100 best classical artists’ and ‘Five best guitarists’ whilst hailed as a “refreshing musical explorer”.

Stephen Goss’s music receives hundreds of performances worldwide each year. It has been recorded on over 80 CDs by more than a dozen record labels, including EMI, Decca, Telarc, Virgin Classics, Naxos, and Deutsche Grammophon. His output embraces multiple genres: orchestral and choral works, chamber music, and solo pieces.