London Guitar Festival in the Fall

London Guitar Festival in the Fall at Kings Place presents
the unique diversity of the guitar

London Guitar Festival in the Fall in the vibrant new setting of Kings Place in the heart of London, presents the complete range of guitar styles, including rock, blues, classical, flamenco, jazz, acoustic and fingerstyle. Organised by IGF, which has a long tradition of bringing the world's most distinguished guitar players to its festivals in London, Bath, Cheltenham and Newcastle. The workshop programme in collaboration with the Guitar Institute includes masterclasses for classical players and workshops for intermediate and advanced rock guitarists.

The programme this year features internationally famous performers such as the flamenco guitarist Juan Martín, Californian singer Corinne West performing with the singer, songwriter and guitarist Kelly Joe Phelps and the Spanish guitarists Ricardo Gallén and Margarita Escarpa, who are both making their professional debuts in the UK. The programme also includes a trio of trio including The Antonio Forcione, Seckou Keita and Adriano Adewale Trio, the North American trio Groanbox and Latin jazz with the Stefan Grasse Trio. The young British guitarists Manus Noble and Adam Brown are featured in the Young Artist Platform.

The flamenco guitarist Juan Martín has been touring the world for over forty years. His solo flamenco recital will be based upon traditional flamenco ‘palos' (styles) and rhythms, which will however, mainly contain material composed by Juan Martín. In the more improvisational forms such as bulerias and soleá, Juan Martín will quote some of his favourite falsetas by Niño Ricardo and Ramón Montoya to link with the great tradition as it spirals off into the ‘state of the art' 21st century. He will perform on his 1972 peg-head, cypress wood guitar by Sobrinos de Esteso - still his preferred guitar. It is a rare opportunity to hear this artist performing solo and appreciate his "terrifyingly good technique and absolute dominance of the guitar" El Mundo. (Kings Place, Hall One, Wednesday 26 October, 7.30pm).

In their Spanish Night programme - ‘La Nueva Guitarra Española en Inlgaterra' -Spanish guitarists Ricardo Gallén and Margarita Escarpa, two outstanding guitarists of the younger generation, will perform works by Isaac Albéniz, Joaquín Turina and will give the UK Première of a work by Eduardo Sainz de la Maza (Kings Place, Hall One, Thursday 27 October, 7.30pm). This concert is supported by the Office for Cultural and Scientific Affairs of the Embassy of Spain.

The combined forces of three incredible musicians: the guitarist Antonio Forcione, the Senegalese kora (21-string bridge harp) player and singer Seckou Keita and the Brazilian composer and percussionist Adriano Adewale in this newly-established Trio promises to be an evening of unrivalled musical virtuosity and excellence. (Kings Place, Hall One, Friday 28 October, 7.30pm)

After years of touring as artists Corinne West and Kelly Joe Phelps gave their first live performance together on 25 February 2010 and they haven't stopped performing together ever since. Californian Corinne West is part of the fourth generation in her musical family. Her most recent recording, The Promise, has been described as ‘elegant new sexy acoustic jazz-rock-folk', and ‘west coast acoustic soul music'. Kelly Joe Phelps has a long list of recordings to his name as well, where he combines his influences from folk, blues and jazz music. Their programme, Magnetic Skyline EP, features music from their 26-minute EP of six songs, which Corinne West and Kelly Joe Phelps released together; their shared love of acoustic guitar shines through. (Kings Place, Hall One, Saturday 29 October, 7.30pm)

Groanbox, the North American trio of drummer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Clifford, Cory Seznec on guitar and banjo, and the accordionist and composer Michael Ward-Bergeman, draw their inspiration from traditional music around the globe, to create music which has a sound world of its own. ‘This is Americana with a twist, from the clash of bluegrass banjo with moody, experimental accordion to the throat singing and folk systems music of Tuvan Voodoo, to the atmospheric, fife-backed blues ... Groanbox are true originals.' The Guardian (Kings Place, Hall Two, Friday 28 October, 8pm)

The Stefan Grasse Trio presents their Brisas de mar (sea breezes), a programme of Latin jazz with Stefan Grasse on guitar, Tobias Kalisch on double bass and Radek Szarek on vibraphone and percussion performing music by Argentinian tango hero Astor Piazzolla, Brazilian master guitarist and composer Baden Powell and the flamenco guitar virtuoso Gerardo Núñez. (Kings Place, Hall Two, Saturday 29 October, 8pm)

Adam Brown and Manus Noble's shared concert is part of the Young Artist Platform, which presents exceptional young talent. Adam Brown studied at the Royal College of Music in London, The Juilliard School in New York and then at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Manus Noble is one of the UK's most talented young guitarists. Born in London, his exceptional talent was noticed from an early age. He studied at the Royal College of Music, did his masters at the Royal Academy of Music and was accepted onto the Park Lane Group Young Artist's Concert Series at the South Bank in London. Both young guitarists will perform at least one new work chosen from the IGF (International Guitar Foundation) List of New Commissioned Works for Guitar. (Kings Place, Hall One, Saturday 29 October, 2.30pm)

The G Plus programme for new music & new players, aims to build audiences for the future by presenting emerging talent, the artists featured in this series, Manus Noble and Adam Brown, are young players both with very promising futures. The Tomorrow People concert, presenting young and talented performers from the UK conservatoires, will feature performances by the stars of the classical guitar of tomorrow, solos, duos and ensembles. (Kings Place, Hall One, Saturday 29 October, 12.30pm)

The Tomorrow People and the Young Artist Platform concert series is supported by: The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation, The D'Oyle Carte Charitable Trust and The Golsoncott Foundation.

On Saturday 29 October the workshop programme includes masterclasses for classical players with Ricardo Gallén and workshops for rock guitar, organised in in collaboration with the Guitar Institute, for intermediate and advanced rock guitarists focusing on hard-core techniques. (Kings Place, Wenlock Room)

*Over the past 17 years the International Guitar Foundation's commissioning programme has become Europe's largest, with a list of 70 commissions of new works to date.

The guitar is the most popular instrument in the world and is celebrated in its mesmerising variety at this festival: from living folk traditions to thrilling notated compositions; from acoustic historical instruments to the cigarbox guitar. This London Guitar Festival in the Fall seeks to promote the range of guitar culture for everyone through its concerts and public masterclasses.

 

Juan Martín
26 October / Hall One / 7.30pm
Tickets: £9.50 - £34.50

Voted into the top three guitarists in the world by US magazine Guitar Player, Juan is one of the big names of the Flamenco guitar. His original Flamenco guitar method ‘El Arte Flamenco de la Guitarra' is considered to be the ‘bible' of flamenco guitar and has seen ten reprints. He has performed at international festivals around the world from Hong Kong to Montreux Jazz and his tours have taken him everywhere from Australia, America and Canada to the Middle and Far East

 ‘He has a terrifyingly good technique and absolute dominance of the guitar'
El Mundo

 

Spanish Night with Magarita Escarpa and Ricardo Gállen
'La Nueva Gitarra Española en Inglaterra'
27 October / Hall One / 7.30pm
Tickets: £9.50 - £29.50

These are two of the greatest Spanish guitarists of the younger generation, each will play one half of tonight's concert. Both are making their professional debut in the UK on a major platform.

Magarita Escarpa is a brilliant young performer; after graduating from the Conservatory of Madrid with the highest distinction she went on to win two national and eight international prizes including 1st Prize at the Guitar Foundation of America Competition. She has recorded for RTVE, Ópera Tres, GHA and Naxos to universal high acclaim.

Ricardo Gállen from Linares, Segovia's birthplace, is one of the outstanding young guitarists of our time. He has won no less than 20 international competitions and his five CDs on Naxos have gained sensational reviews. Programme includes music by Isaac Albéniz, Joaquín Turina, Joaquín Rodrigo and a UK premiere by Eduardo Sáinz de la Maza.

The Antonio Forcione, Seckou Keita and Adriano Adewale Trio
28th October / Hall One / 7.30pm
Tickets: £9.50 - £29.50

Multi-award winning guitarist Antonio Forcione shares the stage with two phenomenal musicians at this launch of a dynamic, new TRIO. Antonio Forcione is not only acknowledged as a great acoustic guitarist but is also globally respected for his compositions. He has recently released his new album 'Sketches of Africa'. The TRIO is a high-octane collaboration between three world-renowned virtuosos: Antonio Forcione, Adriano Adewale (composer/percussion) from Brazil whose natural charisma equals his originality and Seckou Keita (kora/vocals) from Senegal who is simply spell-binding. Audiences are guaranteed a powerful and dynamic show of wit, personality and musical virtuosity. 


Groanbox
Friday Folk
28 October / Hall Two / 8pm
Tickets: £9.50 - £12.50

The North American trio of Paul Clifford, Cory Seznec, and Michael Ward-Bergeman, are a musical hybrid of ideas and ideals. At first glance a roots band steeped in the traditions of American music, they play with all the guts of rock and roll and all the soul of the wandering troubadour. But somewhere along the way, that troubadour turned off the road and, setting sail from the melting pot of New Orleans, began a journey that would take their music to new, unchartered territories.

Corinne West and Kelly Joe Phelps - Magnetic Skyline EP
29 October / Hall One / 7.30pm
Tickets: £9.50 - £29.50

Corinne West is a fourth generation Californian singer and musician, her latest album The Promise confirms her place among the finest young singer-songwriters around. Her music is described as "elegant new sexy acoustic jazz-rock-folk" and she brings a special grace and fire to her stage performances. Corinne has toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, Europe and this is a rare chance to hear her over here

Kelly Joe Phelps has, over the course of eight CD's and fifteen years of touring the world, established himself as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter with a singular vision and fearless purpose. His mix of folk, blues, and jazz has won him praise from the likes of Bill Frisell, Steve Earl, and Cameron Crowe.

Corinne and Kelly Joe have only recently teamed up and when they do something magical happens, don't miss this extraordinary performance!

Latin Jazz with Stefan Grasse Trio
Brisas de Mar (sea breeze)
Saturday Jazz
29 October / Hall Two / 8pm
Tickets: £9.50 - £12.50

Join master guitarist Stefan Grasse for a thrilling evening of vivid music from the Americas: Brazil, Cuba and Argentina, as well as France and Spain. Be entertained by bossa nova from the sandy beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, passionate tangos from the bars and brothels of Buenos Aires, the valse musettes of Parisian cafés and red hot Flamenco sounds from Andalusia. Brisas de Mar, Stefan's highly acclaimed new album, is performed by his virtuoso ensemble: Stefan Grasse, guitar, Tobias Kalisch, double bass, Radek Szarek, vibraphone, percussion - one of the most exciting European acoustic groups to appear on the concert platform in recent years.
A blend of yearning, zest for life and pleasure!

G Plus programme for new music & new players

Tomorrow People
29 October / Hall One / 12.30pm
Tickets: £4.50

UK Conservatoires: we present young talented performers from the UK Conservatoires. This concert will feature performances by the stars of the classical guitar of tomorrow, solos, duos and ensembles

Young Artists Platform
29 October / Hall One / 3pm
£9.50

Featuring two of the best young talent of the classical guitar, each performing one half of this concert

Adam Brown is an exceptional young talent who has performed throughout Europe, the US and South America. Adam has studied at the Royal College of Music, Julliard School in New York and at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles with celebrated guitarists William Kanengiser and Pepe Romero.

Manus Noble is one of the UK's most talented young guitarists. Born in London in 1988, he studied the guitar from the age of seven and at an early age was noticed as an exceptional talent. He studied at the Royal College of Music, did his masters at the Royal Academy of Music and was recently accepted onto the Park Lane Group Young Artist's Concert Series.

Both young guitarists will perform at least one new work chosen from the IGF (International Guitar Foundation) List of New Commissioned Works for Guitar.

Workshop programme

Ricardo Gallén Masterclass
29 October / Limehouse Room / 9.30am
Tickets: Players £20 / Observers £10

Ricardo Gállen is one of the sensations of the classical guitar of today having won no less than 20 International Competitions. He has recorded five highly acclaimed CDs for Naxos and tours world wide. He is also a much sought after teacher and he holds posts in Spain and in Germany at the Conservatory of Weimar. This is Ricardo's debut appearance in the UK and an unique chance to study with one of the modern greats of the classical guitar. unique chance to study with one of the modern greats of the classical guitar.

Rock Guitar with the Guitar Institute- Intermediate
29 October / Wenlock Room / 11am
Tickets: £7

This workshop is for players of an intermediate level and features music from the instrument's historic evolution, including classic rock artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath and AC/DC, alternative rock artists such as Muse, Green Day, Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

Rock Guitar with the Guitar Institute- Advanced
29 October / Wenlock Room / 2pm
Tickets: £10

This workshop is for advanced players and focuses on hard-core techniques such as rapid fire rock licks, sweep picking arpeggios and legato tapping. 

The styles of the great virtuoso players will be explored including Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani as well as  ‘The Big Four' thrash legends Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.