The Course
The Academy has established itself as a foremost international centre for the study of the classical guitar, with a comprehensive curriculum and unique musicological resources which encourage students to reach the highest standards as soloists, ensemble players and teachers. The expertise of the department embraces all aspects of guitar performance, from the concert platform to the theatre, ballet, opera house and recording studio, as well as specialisms in the main historical periods.
Each year there is a prestigious series of masterclasses, lectures and concerts. Among the distinguished visiting artists have been the Assad Duo, Manuel Barrueco, Edoardo Catemario, Eduardo Fernandez, Eliot Fisk, Sharon Isbin, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, David Russell, David Starobin, David Tanenbaum, John Williams and Julian Bream (who adjudicates his prize each year). Eminent luthiers, such as David Rubio, Paul Fischer and José Romanillos, have also been invited to discuss developments in guitar construction.
Other special events have featured the composers Leo Brouwer, Stephen Dodgson, Hans Werner Henze, Nicholas Maw, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and an International Guitar Duo Festival. The promotion of student compositions for the guitar also forms an integral part of the department’s work.
In competitions around the world, from the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Prince’s Prize and Mairants Award in the UK to the Tarrega Competition in Spain and the GFA , Parkening and Concert
Artists’ Guild competitions in the USA, Academy guitarists have regularly won top prizes. Many successfully pursue international careers.
2008–2009 Highlights
> Appointment as Visiting Professor of Fabio Zanon, who will give a performance class each term and help to co-ordinate special events at the Academy and abroad
> Duo masterclass and recital with Peter and Zoltan Katona
> Seminar with Thibault Cauvin Performances by student Milos Karadaglic, accompanied by an
Academy chamber orchestra, of the complete guitar works of Sir Malcolm Arnold — both at the Academy and, in association with Julian Bream, at the Malcolm Arnold festival in Northampton
> Masterclass and recital with David Leisner
> Masterclass with Edoardo Catemario
> Seminar with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and student composers
> Two successful concerts of chamber music with guitar, featuring collaborations with vocal, string, wind, keyboard and accordion students
> Special commission of a new solo work by jazz composer Paul Hart, for student Fabricio Mattos (winner of the Ivor Mairants Guitar Award)
Successes for students and recent alumni
> Performances by Milos Karadaglic with the London Philharmonic Orchestra of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez
> Acclaimed recordings by recent alumni Carl Herring (graduated 2003) and Xuefei Yang (2003)
> Première recording of works by Stephen Dodgson by Roberto Morón Perez (2007)
> Top prizes in international competitions in the UK, won by Stewart French (2006), and Romania, awarded to Dimitrios Dekavallas (2007)
> Other outstanding alumni include David Russell, Antigoni Goni, Fabio Zanon, Mark Ashford, Stephen Goss, Xuefei Yang,Gary Ryan, the Eden/Stell and Katona duos and both Tetra and the English Guitar quartets.