This summer, the world’s greatest guitarists will gather in the heart of London. Join these guitar legends for four-day festival and summer school offering concerts, masterclasses and lectures.

Take advantage of this unique chance to study for four days with these legends of the guitar. You’ll get the chance to hear them play, spend time with them and other guitar enthusiasts, and perform in the final student concert, be part of the ultimate guitar experience!

The course is run in a masterclass format where one student plays for the tutors listed below. Full course players will receive three 30 min lessons and can submit three choices of tutors of which we guarantee one. Participants on the full course can also participate in the guitar orchestra and the student concert and attend the evening concerts for a saver ticket. Booking is run on a first come, first served basis.

To view the daily schedule and see available tutors, please click here.

Prices

£425 Player (full course 4 days),  Early Bird (up to end of May): £395
£325 Observer (full course 4 days), Early Bird: £295
£150 Player (one day), Early Bird: £125
£90 Observer (one day), Early Bird: £80

Tutors

Léo Brouwer is the most significant musician associated with the guitar of our time. His work as a composer, performer and conductor have earned him not only legendary status in the world of the guitar but also in the mainstream. As a composer of some 350 works he has written for musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Andreas Scholl and Julian Bream and as a conductor, he has worked with the world’s greatest orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic. This is a unique chance to study with the 79-year-old maestro in the UK.

David Russell is one of the greatest guitarists of our time and one of the most sought-after tutors of the instrument. His performances are justly famous for his exceptional technical mastery and artistic intelligence. As a tutor, David is renowned for his patience, understanding and ability to give each student bespoke and helpful instruction.

Tom Kerstens (course leader and guitar orchestra conductor) is one of the foremost figures in the world of the guitar in his role as performer, recording artist and artistic director of IGF. He specialises in new music and has commissioned 85 new works by leading mainstream composers.

Michael Lewin is Head of Guitar at the Royal Academy of Music where he has taught a large number of outstanding guitarists including Rafael Aguirre, Miloš Karadaglić, Xuefei Yang, Fabio Zanon and many others. He is Chairman of the Ivor Mairants and New Elizabethan Awards administered by the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and a Freeman of the City of London.

Chris Stell is professor of guitar at the Royal College of Music. He has performed at some of the most prestigious festivals & concert series the world over including Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Southbank Centre, 92nd Street New York, Omni Foundation San Francisco, Sage Gateshead, Uppsala Congress Hall, Beethoven Halle Bonn and Stuttgart Liederhalle.

Daniela Rossi is one of the brightest young talents of the guitar. After studies in her native Argentina and Europe, she has won a number of prestigious international competitions including First Prize in London International Guitar Competition held at Kings Place in 2015.

Kevin Cahill (assistant course leader) studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating with a BMus (Hons) in Classical and Contemporary Guitar. He has since then formed the Glasgow Guitar Quartet and has performed throughout the UK and Europe.

Mark Eden is professor of guitar at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, one half of the Eden Stell Guitar Duo, and founding member of the Vida Guitar Quartet. He has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, festivals and series including the Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre London, 92nd Street Y New York, Omni Foundation San Francisco, Sage Gateshead, Uppsala Congress Hall Sweden, Beethoven Halle Bonn, and Stuttgart Liederhalle Germany.