The festival kicks off on Friday 17th July with the return of the spectacular Pedro Navarro Duo, with support from Manuel Alonso.
Hailing from Castellón, Valencia, Pedro Navarro is one of the brightest young stars on the flamenco firmament. Described as one of the strongest voices of modern flamenco, he mixes traditional flamenco with a wide variety of other styles creating a style that is distinctive, exciting, and very much his own.
Manuel Alonso, who will play a 30-minute set preceding the duo concert, is a brilliant Flamenco guitarist from Mexico now based in Barcelona, Spain. Internationally recognized for his distinctive artistic voice and refined musicianship, this marks his IGF debut.
On Saturday 18th July we present an all-day event, La Leona, women and the guitar. Vick Bain, founder of The F-List for Women will present a free talk on Women’s Careers in Music: Research and Representation in which she will explore the structural, cultural and socio-economic factors shaping women guitarists’ career pathways. The session will examine how inequality operates across individual careers, sector practices and wider society.
In the evening we present a shared concert featuring two outstanding artists: Welsh-Ghanaian singer-songwriter-guitarist and producer Adjua Mensah and Rihab Azar, Syrian oud player, composer and finalist of the Aga Khan Music Award 2025.
On Sunday 19th July our Young Artist Platform presents 2025-2026 awardee guitarist Maryna Vosmirova who will be joined by fellow guitarist Kacper Dworniczak. Maryna hails from Ukraine and Kacper from Poland; both are students at the Royal Academy of Music in London and have performed across the UK and Europe. Their concert will include two world premieres of brand new solo IGF guitar commissions, including Night Sky in a Stone, commissioned for the Young Artist Platform by Freya Waley-Cohen, plus a new work from Martha-Maria Mitu. Maryna and Kacper will perform both as soloists and as a duo.
Tom Kerstens, Artistic Director
Recent tours have taken him to five continents, passing through cities as diverse as New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Sydney, Canberra, Rome, Paris, Stockholm, Dar es Salaam, Yaoundé, Guayaquil, Madrid, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ile de Ré, Vendome, Sofia, Sozopol (Bulgaria) and many others.
Pedro Navarro Duo returns to Kings Place following their very successful UK debut in 2024. An event not to be missed!
Blending research insight with practical strategies, this talk will consider what emerging artists can do to build sustainable careers, and what organisations, networks and funders must do differently to move beyond visibility towards genuine transformation.
This special split bill concert, part of IGF Guitar Summit celebrates La Leona, women and the guitar, features star Syrian oud player, Rihab Azar, and singer/songwriter of Welsh-Ghanaian heritage, Adjua Mensah.
Maryna Vosmirova and Kacper Dworniczak are both students of the Royal Academy of Music and active performers across the UK and Europe.
Maryna, a classical guitarist, composer and arranger from Sumy, has appeared as a soloist at international festivals and is recognised for her work in chamber music and creative programming.
Kacper Dworniczak is a Polish classical guitarist who has performed in Europe, the United States and Japan. In 2018, he was selected as a finalist of Young Musician of the Year in Poland, where he performed famous Concierto de Aranjuez with the Polish Radio Orchestra.
Programme includes the world premiere of new IGF solo guitar commission Night Sky in a Stone by Freya Waley-Cohen and a new work by Martha-Maria Mitu, as well as works by Alexandre Tansman, Rogers and Hammerstein and Leo Brouwer.