We are the leading organisation for new music for guitar in Europe having commissioned 127 new works for guitar from leading composers and promoted 287 premières of new music for guitar. We have promoted festivals and concert series devoted to new music for guitar since 1994.

Our new music programme has commissioned both established and emerging composers including Laila Arafah, Kristina Arakelian, Sérgio Assad, Andrea Balency-Béarn, Paolo Bellinati, Charlotte Bray, Léo Brouwer, Philip Cashian, Laurence Crane, Joe Cutler, Effy Efthymiou, Litha Efthymiou, Atefeh Einali, Graham Fitkin, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Bobbie-Jane Gardner, Tim Garland, Stephen Goss, Deirdre Gribbin, Gabriel Jackson, Sun Keting, Ashkan Layegh, Sarah Lianne Lewis, Graham Lynch, Edward McGuire, Florence Anna Maunders, Anna Meredith, John Metcalfe, Bethan Morgan-Williams, Michael Parsons, Electra Perivolaris, Alwynne Pritchard, Max Richter, Terry Riley, David John Roche, Sasha Scott, Howard Skempton, Laura Snowden, Giles Swayne, Joby Talbot, Kevin Volans, and Errollyn Wallen.

IGF’s programme for new music in 2025-26 includes the following elements:

• – New music commissions.
• – Performances at IGF festivals around the UK, particularly in London, the South West and North East, Wales and Scotland.
• – Workshops and lectures supporting this new work.
• – Young Artist Platform (YAP).

Project Background, Need & Aims

Although the guitar is firmly embedded in the UK’s musical culture and the most popular instrument in schools, new quality work for the instrument is almost completely lacking.

The UK musical establishment has neglected the guitar almost completely and organisations such as festivals, concert series, orchestras and the BBC have failed to commission much if any new work for guitar.

IGF has been filling this void for 30 years with commissions, performances, workshops and recordings.

To sustain the programme, younger generations of first-rank guitarists and composers must also take up the mantle and continue to create and perform new works into the future. To that end, we have set up young artist programmes for both performers and composers. For the same reason, we also promote a comprehensive schedule of workshops, lectures, discussion panels and mentoring.

For more information on our work with new music, please have a look at the following links.