The Manchester Guitar Festival is back: three days of the world's finest guitar stars

Aquerelles Guitar Quartet

The Manchester Guitar Festival is back at Stoller Hall from 19 21 May 2023. The three-day festival features some of the world’s finest guitar stars from the world's of acoustic,  jazz, flamenco  and blues, plus workshops and master-classes, and there will be an opportunity for budding young guitarists to try out the world of Chetham’s as part of events with Chetham’s Guitar Choir and Chetham’s Guitar Academy.

The festival opens with Eric Bibb whom The Guardian described as 'one of the finest American exponents of acoustic Blues'. Bibb and his band will play a mix of classics and new material from his forthcoming album, Ridin'. Saturday moves towards Flamenco with Flamenco guitarist Miguel Pérez from Seville. He will be joined for the evening by Spanish Flamenco artists - dancer and choreographer Andrés Peña and cantaor (singer) Miguel Rosendo. Together they will present Espiritu Flamenco. The weekends ends with Manchester’s Aquarelle Guitar Quartet, one of the world’s leading guitar quartets, known for their extraordinary ensemble in performance and expansive repertoire.  

Running alongside the festival’s live performance schedule, are a series of talks and workshops led by musicians, Chetham’s School of Music guitar tutors and graduates. For little ones, the Stoller Hall’s monthly Stoller Story Sounds will run an interactive storytelling session for 3- 5 year olds, and their grown-ups. For older children, aged 8-16,there is the Guitar Choir, the place for young and budding guitar players to meet other young players and learn and play alongside them with hands on tuition and guidance led by professional guitarists and teachers. 

Full details from the Stoller Hall website.