XXIV Guitar Art Festival
10 – 14. May 2023. / Belgrade Serbia
The 24th edition of the Guitar Art Festival will be held from May 10 to 14 under the slogan "Creation" at several locations in Belgrade. During the five Festival days, 10 concerts will be held.
During the festival week, Belgrade becomes the guitar capital thanks to Guitar Art. The Festival has gained an international reputation and fame thanks to the quality of performers and has become a point of reference for all guitar lovers, professionals, and enthusiasts.
Guitar Art Festival has confirmed its place as one of the most important cultural events in Serbia and as an internationally recognized Festival that holds the title of one of the 5 most important festivals of guitar art music in the world. The greatest guitarists and musicians of the world have contributed to this status of the Festival, and among them are Paco de Lucia, Sting, Enno Morricone, Mariza, Tommy Emmanuel, Luz Casal, Rosenberg Trio, and many others.
The festival opens on May 10 in the MTS hall with a big concert held by two music stars from Portugal and Brazil - Antonio Zambujo and Yamandu Costa.
Antonio Zambujo is one of the greatest contemporary artists, authors, and performers of Portuguese music and language and one of its most prominent ambassadors in the world. Incorporating influences from Brazilian music, especially Bossa Nova, he knocked down borders, real and imaginary, bringing the two sides of the Atlantic closer together. His music, originally written in the tradition of the Canto Alentejano and Fado, contributed to the creation of a unique artistic personality, and it inspired a new cycle in Portuguese music.
Critically acclaimed, Yamandu Costa delights audiences wherever he brings his extraordinary skill and sound. His unforgettable performances - solo, accompanied by other musicians or orchestras - bear the stamp of music from the south of Brazil, but at the same time wonderfully incorporate different musical genres, creating a rare symbiosis with his seven-string guitar.
On the second day of the festival, May 11, the Belgrade audience will have the opportunity to hear The Stones.
The leading and most authentic tribute band of The Rolling Stones in the United Kingdom, for the first time, bringing all the hits and timeless songs of The Rolling Stones to the big stage. From Satisfaction and Jumping Jack Flash to Ruby Tuesday, Start Me Up, and Brown Sugar, the world's greatest tribute band is paying tribute to the world's greatest rock and roll band.
Classical music concerts will be held on the Big scene of the National Theater in Belgrade. The first concert evening, on May 12th, will feature three concerts: the first one will be held by the eminent guitarist Pablo Garibay from Mexico; the second concert will bring to the stage Italian guitarist Carlotta Dalia, who attracts worldwide attention with her passionate and deep interpretations. The grand finale of this concert evening is reserved for Maja Le Roux's Author's Evening when guitarists from Switzerland John Smith and Vojin Kocic will perform.
The second evening of classical music begins with a concert by two of Serbia's greatest young guitar talents - Vuk Vukajlović and Uroš Jaćević.
Guitar Art Festival has the privilege of presenting a big concert premiere at each edition of the Festival, a composition written especially for the Belgrade festival. This year, the greatest living guitar composer Leo Brouwer wrote a composition for 6 guitars that will be premiered on the Big scene of the National Theatre. It is a musical legacy that the Festival builds and collects.
The closing evening of the festival will be on May 14 on the Big Stage of the Kolarc Endowment, and it will feature world ethno concert. After a long time, Teodosij Spasov returns to Belgrade. This time, the famous kaval player will perform with the Greek Crossover trio.
His instrument is the kaval, a wooden flute with eight holes, one of the oldest traditional instruments in the Balkans and Europe, rich in sound and technical possibilities. In this project, he performs with three soloists of the music project The Crossover Trio.
Alkis Zopoglou, one of the renowned kanun soloists from Greece, Marina Liodou Mohamed who plays oud, and pianist Yiannis Kirimkiridis.
Since its inception, the Guitar Art Festival combined two different but complementary areas in its program. On the one hand, there is a concert program that brings the biggest stars of the classical, flamenco, fado, ethno, rock and jazz scene, and on the other hand, there is education and support for the greatest young guitar talents, a prestigious competition in solo and chamber music, and professional lectures.
This year's festival program is rounded off by a large expo and promotions, where the most famous brands in the classical guitar industry will be presented. In addition to the most famous classical guitar builders - Manuel Adalida, Juan Hernandez, Francisco Esteve, Zoran Kuvac and Sabmar Guitars, there will be publishers from Serbia and the surrounding area, as well as traditional friends of the Festival, the world companies D'Addario, Savarez and AccordCase.
