Bath Guitar Festival – Classical Guitar Concerts

Wed 16 August 2023 – 19:30

Michael Tippett Centre, Bath, BA2 9BN

Two-time Grammy Award winner Berta Rojas is one of the world’s foremost classical guitarists. Berta’s widely admired warmth and musicality have earned her the admiration of audiences at major venues worldwide such as the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Frederick P. Rose Hall of Jazz at Lincoln Center NY, London’s South Bank Centre, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the National Concert Hall in Dublin, where she performed as a soloist with the Irish Radio and Television Orchestra, and the Flagey Studio 4 in Brussels, where she performed with the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra for Belgian National Television. Originally from Paraguay she now teaches at Berklee College in the US and at guitar events around the globe.

This is her first visit to Bath, an occasion not to be missed!

Programme includes work by Ida Maria Luisa Anido, Sergio Assad, Augustin Barrios, Ida Presti and Federico Moreno Torroba.

Thu 17 August 2023 – 19:00

Michael Tippett Centre, Bath, BA2 9BN

Francisco Correa, guitar; Tom Kerstens, guitar
Each performer will play one half of this concert.

With a short introduction by composer Stephen Goss at 7pm

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. He is the Course Leader of the classical summer school at IGF’s Bath Guitar Festival and Summer School.

Tonight, Francisco will perform the world premiere of Stephen Goss’ Winterbourne Preludes, which were especially commissioned and recorded by Francisco, they are:
Xanadu, Reverie moto perpetuo 1, The Somerset Wyvern, Chitter-Chatter, Serenity moto perpetuo 2 , The Blackpool Lights, The Fox and the Magpie, Infinity Mirror moto perpetuo 3, Despite the falling snow 22, Perritos, Scorhill Stone Circle moto perpetuo 4, Bambuco.

IGF’s Artistic Director Tom Kerstens 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”. He has commissioned 118 new works for IGF and created major festivals and young artists development programmes around the UK.

Programme includes work by Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Gabriel Jackson (IGF commission).

Fri 18 August 2023 – 19:30

Michael Tippett Centre, Bath, BA2 9BN

Cuban-Austrian guitarist Marco Tamayo is acclaimed as the “Il Re della Chitarra” (The king of the guitar). He is a prize winner in no fewer than 25 major international competitions.

He is regarded as one of the foremost classical guitarists in the world.

Marco Tamayo started playing guitar at the age of three, was hailed as a prodigy at the age of six and his first European tour took place in Europe at age 10!

As a teacher he has taught at the most prestigious educational institutions including the Mozarteum in Salzburg; he recently was selected from 400 competing guitarists to be appointed Professor at Universität der Künste Berlin. Guitarist from all around the globe have joined his class there.
Tamayo’s book “Essential Principles for the interpretation on the Classical Guitar” changed the approach to classical guitar teaching around the world. He is the Artistic Director of the Michele Pittaluga International Guitar Competition

This is a unique opportunity to hear this amazing player making his debut in Bath!

An event not to be missed!

Thu 17 August 2023 – 13:15

Michael Tippett Centre, Bath, BA2 9BN

IGF’s Platform is a unique training programme for young professional guitarists. It offers young guitarists everything they need to embark on a professional concert career, it includes concert opportunity in IGF’s guitar festivals around the UK, lectures, masterclasses, workshops and mentoring. The most interesting elements is a new work being commissioned especially for them to prepare, work with the composer and give the premiere.

Samrat Majumder, guitar

Programme includes John Dowland, Marco Ramelli and Giulio Regondi

Gus McQuade, guitar and Eleanor Grant, double bass and voice

Programme includes Robert Johnson, Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell

Each act plays half of this concert

Friday 18 August 2023 – 13:15 

Michael Tippett Centre, Bath, BA2 9BN

IGF’s Platform is a unique training programme for young professional guitarists. It offers young guitarists everything they need to embark on a professional concert career, it includes concert opportunity in IGF’s guitar festivals around the UK, lectures, masterclasses, workshops and mentoring. The most interesting elements is a new work being commissioned especially for them to prepare, work with the composer and give the premiere.

Zoe Barnett, guitar

Programme includes Federico Mompou, Zhenyan Li (IGF Commission) and Leo Brouwer

Michael Matthews, guitar

Programme includes John Dowland, Manuel de Falla and Benjamin Britten

Each performer plays half of this concert

Saturday 19 August 

Michael Tippett Centre, Bath

FREE ENTRY – NO TICKET REQUIRED

Saturday 19 August, 5.15-6.30, Michael Tippett Centre, Bath Spa University
Student Concert of the IGF Bath Guitar Festival classical summer school.

7.30-8.30, Student Union, Bath Spa University
Student Concert of the the Bath Guitar Festival popular styles summer school.

The students on the revived classical summer school perform music they have worked on this past week. The students have come from all over the world and include some of the most talented young guitarists around.

The popular summer school features the students on the courses in acoustic songs, blues songs, jump blues, jazz, Top 40 & funk, classic rock, modern rock and gypsy jazz & swing.

An amazing night of the guitar, don’t miss it!