lecturers
The best lecturers, renowned artists, outstanding guitarists and pedagoguesTHE LECTURERS WE PLAN TO INVITE in 2021
As every year, some of the finest guitarists and pedagogues from different countries are planned to run the group workshops and individual master classes. Among them there will be:
Yorgos Bechlivanoglou (GR)
classical guitar
Yorgos Bechlivanoglou is a versatile musician. As a classical guitar soloist he has won four national and international awards and has performed many recitals and concerts with orchestras in Europe and abroad. He has recorded for radio and made a lot of appearances on television. His performances have received exceptional notices and composers have dedicated their works to him. In 2003 released his first album as a soloist by EMI, titled “All That Guitar”. Yorgos has also performed and recorded with a wide variety of acclaimed composers, songwriters, and singers of all genres and styles of music.
Alongside his soloist career, from 2002 to 2008 Yorgos was a member of the group “Quinteto TANGartO” which had delved into the Argentinean Tango, collaborating and performing in concerts with some of the finest and renowned singers and dancers of the international tango music scene.
His composing inquietude found a way through the guitar duo “AnimaCorda”. As a member of the creative duo, he composed music for theatre and performed alongside many famous artists of the Greek music scene, contributing as well with their own personal music style to their recordings. In 2008, they released their personal album titled “Lost & Found” by EMI.
As a soloist and AnimaCorda duo as well, he world premiered and recorded for the album titled “Symbioza” (2015), two Concertos for one guitar and two guitars and orchestra, composed by the Greek- Polish composer Odysseas Konstantinopoulos.
Since 2015 he is the founder and Artistic Director of the annual “All That Guitar” festival held in Corinth.
Finally Yorgos Bechlivanoglou is the inventor, designer and luthier of the Moov – travel guitar, the smallest travel guitar in the world, with unique, pioneering features.
Piotr “Restek” Restecki is an example of great passion, combined with talent and diligence. As an artist, he tries to evoke emotions in his audience and never leaves them indifferent. At the same time, he is an individualist who cleverly combines exquisite craftsmanship with artistry, complex passages with lyrical ballads and effects. Hellishly gifted, divinely sensitive, human-orchestra, superman – such terms are sometimes heard on the percussion. He mainly performs his own compositions, among which “The Crank”, “One Question” and “New Song” deserve special attention. Piotr Restecki began his adventure with the instrument at the age of 6 with the classical guitar under the supervision of excellent professors. But when he (by accident) ran his guitar over, he decided to play differently. In this way, he “switched” to acoustics and soon became a master of fingerstyle. Restek plays on Polish and international stages, including with artists such as Tommy Emmanuel, Preston Reed and Jon Gomm, he conducts fingerstyle workshops and records for radio and television. Restek’s music oscillates between blues, funk, jazz, rock and folk, and its style is distinguished by melodic melody, rich harmony, spacious sound, interesting rhythm, and above all, a composition of songs in which the musician builds tension and draws the listener. Piotr’s energy, virtuosity and sense of humor make each performance an original performance by one actor, met with great recognition and enthusiasm by the audience.
Paco Seco is one of the most interesting Spanish guitarists at present. Versatile & creative, he possesses a unique technique. A fusion between the clear, crisp notes of the classical guitar yet the instinctive passion and agility of the flamenco guitar. His manner of interpretation differentiates him from the rest, with his captivating stage presence, virtuosity and passion for what he does. His music breaks through the boundaries between the classical and flamenco, a declaration of musical freedom.
His music has taken him to the London Guitar Festival, Genoa Mediterranean Music Festival, Sarajevo Sevdah Festival, Buitengewoon Festival Doetinchem in the Netherlands, Sarajevo Guitar Festival, San Remo Guitar Fetival, Belem Cultural Centre in Lisbon, Tangier’s Music Fête, The Circle of Fine Arts in Madrid, Brno Guitar Festival, International Festival of Music & Dance in Granada, Elk Music Festival in Poland, the Royal Alcazar in Sevilla…. He has played in Croatia, Poland, Czech Republic, Bosnia, India, Morocco, Netherlands, England, Italy, France, Portugal and his native Spain.
Paco Seco plays a Stephen Hill guitar and is a sponsored RC artist who works as an ambassador of RC Strings on a global scale. He is the artistic director of the International Ronda Guitar Festival.
Dimitris Kotronakis is a classical guitarist and musicologist based in Athens, Greece. He was born in Heraklion, Creta (Greece) in 1973. He begun studies in classical guitar at the age of seven, and graduated from the International Conservatory of Athens with a guitar diploma in 1992, under the guidance of Vassilis Kanaras. He attended postgraduate studies in classical guitar at the Athens Conservatory, with Costas Cotsiolis, graduating again in 1996.
He also undertook advanced theoretical and musicological studies that led to a degree in Musicology from the University of Athens in 1996. He holds a doctorate from the same University, while the particular focus of his doctoral studies was on the world of guitar in Greece.
He is a multiple prize winner in many guitar competitions in Greece, Spain and Romania. He also won the major honorary mention award at the 12th Web Concert Hall competition (USA – March 2011), among 39 competitors of all classical instruments. He has recorded eight albums of solo and concerto repertoire, mainly for Soundset Recordings, EMI Classics and Clear Note Records.
He has performed in numerous guitar recitals throughout Europe and North and South America; he has also co-operated as a soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Kielce (Poland), the Orchestra Artave (Portugal), the Philharmonic Orchestra of Craiova (Romania), the “Camerata” Orchestra (Greece), the “Orchestra of Colors” (Greece) and the “Philarmonia” symphonic orchestra (Greece). In the upcoming season performances are planned for Greece, Spain, Denmark, Canada and the USA.
Dimitris teaches guitar in three music institutions in Athens, the Music School of Athens, the International Athens Conservatory, and the Panarmonio Conservatory.
Marek Pasieczny has three Masters Degrees: from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, Great Britain (composition, performance with distinction) and the Academy of Music. K. Lipiński, Wroclaw (performance with distinction). In 2010, Pasieczny began his PhD in Australia at Central Queensland University and The Sydney University Conservatorium of Music in the field of performance. In 2012 he returned to Europe, opening a PhD in composition at The University of Surrey, London / Guildford, United Kingdom. In December 2015, he defended his doctoral dissertation, where he also lectured in composition and orchestration.
As a composer, guitarist, lecturer, juror he regularly appears at festivals in Europe (Poland, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Greece, Turkey, Switzerland, Austria, Great Britain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy), Asia (China, Japan), Russia , Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the USA.
He was a lecturer, and gave guest master classes: 2012-2015 University of Surrey (United Kingdom), 2020: Leeds College of Music, Leeds, United Kingdom, Zürich University of The Arts, Switzerland 2018: University of Alaska, UAA Anchorage, Alaska, USA, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada, RNCM – Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (Birmingham City University), Birmingham (United Kingdom). 2017: California State University, Fullerton / LA, USA 2016: The Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, (China), Hochschule fur Musik, Freiburg, (Germany), New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. 2015: Conservatory: Koninklijk Conservatorium – Brussels (Belgium) 2013: Auckland University, Auckland (New Zealand).
As a composer and performer, Pasieczny appeared on a total of 36 albums. As the composer and performer he recorded: 14 albums, singles, solo EPs, 5 albums with chamber music, 3 albums with chamber and symphony orchestra, As a composer he had published 4 albums dedicated entirely to the work of Pasieczny and 10 more albums on which he appears among other composers.
Krzysztof Pełech gave concerts in such prestigious halls as: the Berlin Philharmonic, NOSPR, National Philharmonic, National Forum of Music in Wrocław, CKK Jordanki in Toruń, Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, Bolivar Concert Hall in London.
Outstanding composers and guitarists (Tommy Emmanuel, Joscho Stephan, Jorge Morel, Leszek Możdżer) invite him to cooperate. He recorded 17 albums for many institutions, among them for Polish Radio and BBC. He regularly participates in international music festivals.
He participated in twenty-one competitions, of which he was a laureate of sixteen. In the “Guitar Top” survey announced by the professional music magazine “Guitar and Bass” Krzysztof Pełech was chosen three times to be the best Polish classical guitarist.
Annually, he performs about 60 concerts, both solo and accompanied by chamber and symphony orchestras. He is the originator and artistic director of the Gitary + / Guitar Masters – Wroclaw Guitar Festival and Competition which has been taking place since 1998, as well as the initiator and artistic director of the Summer Guitar Festival in Krzyżowa.
Since 2005, he has been leading the guitar class at the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz, where he obtained the title of doctor of art.
Petra Poláčkova (CZ)
classical guitar
A musician’s musician, Petra Poláčková began her guitar studies at the age of six at the Elementary Art School in Roznov pod Radhostem where she worked with Mr. Bohuslav Faltus and Mrs. Miroslava Pavelkova. She also studied with Zdenek Dvorak at the Elementary Art School Lounskych in Prague. In 2004 she graduated from an 8 year high school in Roznov pod Radhostem. In 2010 she completed her studies at the School of Music in Pardubice (Czech Republic) with Prof. Petr Saidl. She obtained her Bachelor and Master Degrees with Prof. Paolo Pegoraro at Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz, Austria.
In addition to her degree studies, Petra Poláčková has participated in an impressive number of master classes throughout Europe presented by internationally acclaimed classical guitarists and musicians: Giampaolo Bandini, Leo Brouwer, Zoran Dukic, Massimo Felici, Hubert Käppel, Rolf Lislevand, Pablo Márquez, Lorenzo Micheli, Nigel North, Thomas Offermann, Stefano Palamidessi, Elena Papandreou, Paolo Pegoraro, Thomas Müller-Pering, Judicael Perroy, Pavel Steidl, Alexander Swete, Jens Wagner, Brigitte Zaczek, Piotr Zaleski and others. In 2011 she received the Merit Diploma at the Chigiana Academy of Siena in Maestro Oscar Ghiglia´s Class.
As a result of her extraordinary musicianship, consummate virtuosity, and numerous first place prizes, she has been invited to perform and lead masterclasses at many prestigious European and also non-European guitar festivals, such as Bonn, Hamburg, Vienna, Rust, Mikulov, Kutna Hora, Tychy, Wroclaw, Poznan, Bratislava, Pordenone, Budapest, Balaton, Bar, Braga, Madrid, Luzern, Genéve, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Cleveland (US Debut in May 2014), Portland, Paracho, Culiacan and others.
Since 2010 she has been a co-organizer of the Guitar Festival Mikulov (Czech Republic).
Petra Poláčková performs on a historical guitar by Domingo Esteso (1923; a courtesy of M°Gabriele and a 9-string romantic guitar made by Jan Tuláček.
Robert Horna is a valued and recognized soloist and chamber musician, he is one of the leading Polish classical guitarists. He is a graduate of the Music Academy in Wroclaw in the guitar class of prof. Piotr Zaleski and the Music Conservatory in Enschede in the Netherlands. He also studied jazz with the outstanding Polish guitarist Artur Lesicki.
He traveled with his concert throughout all of Europe and South America. He regularly conducts master classes and sits on the jury of international festivals and guitar competitions.
Robert Horna gives concerts as a soloist, chamber musician and performs concerts accompanied by symphony orchestras. His rich repertoire includes works of early music, works of classics, contemporary compositions and musical interests reach various styles.
Has completed four albums: “Milonga del Angel” (CD Accord 2000), “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas” (CD Accord 2005), “Baroque Suites” (2009), “Sambalanco” (2017 Wroclaw Guitar Society) recorded together with Krzysztof Pełech. He is the author of arrangements and transcriptions for guitar, appreciated by both the guitar community and music critics.
He has been leading the guitar class at the Music Academy S. Moniuszki in Gdańsk Since 2013.
Magdalena Czwojda (PL)
pop, blues, jazz
Magda Czwojda, as the only guitarist in Poland performing a varied repertoire on an acoustic and electric guitar.
When the well-known jazz trumpeter Zbigniew Czwojda sent his 4-year-old daughter to the piano, he did not suspect that she would become the champion of the “oar” associated mainly with men. Ambitious, talented and beautiful girl has proved, however, that the guitar in her hands can evoke great emotions. Both in the early years of education as a classical guitarist and later a student of Jazz and Popular Music at the Music Academy in Katowice, she won numerous awards and scholarships. In 2006 she received the title of Master of Arts at this university as the first woman – guitarist in the history of the Faculty!
She quickly began working as a professional musician in Zbigniew’s dad’s band. She performed with him on many stages of the world, recorded TV programs. She is the founder and leader of the band “Nomen”, which under the name “Bikini” in 2007 appeared in the final ten of Polish Eurovision Preselection presenting a song of her composition entitled “Don’t Judge Me”, and in 2009 released the debut album entitled “Omen”.
She permanently cooperates with the band “Tercet or Kwartet” in the CAPITOL Music Theater in Wrocław. She creates a jazz duo with bassist Tomasz Grabowy. She also focuses on the family band “Past & Future”, which is preparing to record fresh material. Magdalena is often invited by the National Forum of Music in Wrocław where she performs guitar parts for the repertoire needs. She has also released a CD of the band “Soundz Good” with original music written together with Marta Zalewska. Recorded songs could be heard in the concert version during many of the band’s performances, among others at the “Blues nad Beaver” Festival, the opening of 70 Tour de Pologne 2013 in Trento in Italy, or during the EXPO fair in Milan. In 2017, she recorded her debut album with a guitar in the lead role entitled “Dependence …”, the album’s premiere took place on November 24, 2017, and is released by the Luna Music label. The pre-premiere concert Magdalena played as part of the prestigious “Ethno Jazz Festival” in Wrocław. The year 2018 is the time to promote a solo album and a concert tour with your own band. In 2019, she was invited to record the album of popular singer Doda. The album contains well-known compositions in orchestral arrangements. A concert tour promoting this material began this spring.
Magdalena also conducts educational activities teaching at the Wroclaw School of Jazz and Popular Music and as part of the Guitar Masters Camp workshop in Krzyżowa.
IMPORTANT
Note, the Organizer can change programme at any time of the project.
MASTER CLASSES
Individual master classes with various lecturers are a great way to broaden your guitar horizons. Participants select lecturers themselves, of course within the limits and in the order of applications.
REPERTOIRE
Each participant can choose which program he wants to work on with teachers during individual master classes. Participant can also come with specific technical and interpretation problems.
Contact
guitarfestival@okis.pl
Phone
+(48) 71 344 28 64
Organizer
Ośrodek Kultury i Sztuki we Wrocławiu – Instytucja Kultury Samorządu Województwa Dolnośląskiego
