This concert is in two halves of 40 minutes each, with an interval in between. The first half is played by Lovro Peretić and the second half is played by Tom Kerstens’ G Plus Ensemble.

Lovro Peretić was born in Zagreb in 1995 and started studying guitar with Xhevdet Sahatxhija. Later, he graduated from the Academy of Music in Zagreb, where he studied with Darko Petrinjak and spent one year in a student exchange programme at L’École Supérieure Musique et Danse Hauts-de-France, Lille with Judicaël Perroy. He has been successful in many national and international competitions. He has represented Croatia in many important festivals such as the Vladimir Spivakov International Foundation’s festival in Moscow and the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth’s Young Hearts for Music in Austria and Germany. He also regularly performs in his duo with violinist Katarina Kutnar and in the guitar trio Evocación. He has performed as a soloist with the Croatian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, and Zagreb Soloists, among others. Lovro was awarded the Dean’s and Rector’s prizes of the University of Zagreb.

Tom Kerstens is a major figure in the guitar world. He is highly regarded as a versatile performer on modern and period instruments and is an influential champion of the guitar in his roles as player, recording artist and artistic director. He was chosen in Classic FM’s list of the ‘100 best classical artists’ and ‘Five best guitarists world-wide’ whilst hailed as a ‘refreshing musical explorer’. He has commissioned 108 works for IGF in the past 20 years.

His G Plus Ensemble consists of one or two guitars, string quartet and percussion and is exclusively dedicated to new music.

‘Tom Kerstens is in a rather different league…he manages to make the guitar sound like a harp, a human voice or even a whole orchestra…his interpretations continue to amaze… Vivid, colourful guitar playing.’
BBC Radio 3