The Adelaide International Guitar Festival is celebrating the world’s most played instrument with performances at iconic venues. It fosters cultural exchange through the sharing of musical traditions and styles.
This year’s line-up includes classical guitar virtuoso Slava Grigoryan, indie folk sister duo Charm of Finches, cosmic country queen Freya Josephine Hollick, blues performers Jimmybay and Winston Robinson.
Gwyn Ashton
The Adelaide International Guitar Festival celebrated the world’s most versatile instrument from 1-16 July. Concerts were sold out with the Festival Theatre and its surrounds buzzing with acoustic energy. A series of master classes, forums and workshops also drew crowds.
Welsh-born Gwyn Ashton migrated to South Australia in the ‘60s, picked up the guitar at 12, and played every seedy bar and festival imaginable. Now one of the most unique contemporary one-man acts around, he takes his audience on a musical mesmerising story-telling journey that spans genres and instruments.
Nurtured in the cradle of French gypsy jazz, Antoine Boyer crosses classical, jazz and avant-garde with astounding ease. In his Australian debut, he is joined by dazzling Korean harmonica virtuosa Yeore Kim. Their collaboration traverses jazz to gypsy to rock and beyond with awe-inspiring creativity.
Alana Jagt
The festival’s program features a wide variety of genre-defying musical styles. The festival fosters cultural exchange by bringing together artists from different backgrounds and promoting collaboration. This results in unique and unforgettable performances that blend various musical traditions.
Nurtured in the cradle of French gypsy jazz, Antoine Boyer moves effortlessly across classical, jazz and avant-garde with absolute authority and profound musical understanding. He makes his Adelaide Guitar Festival debut, together with dazzling Korean harmonica virtuosa Yeore Kim, whose performance traverses jazz to gypsy, rock to classical and beyond with extraordinary creative interplay.
Cosmic Country Queen Freya Josephine Hollick and South Australia’s stormy folk-rock sensation Alana Jagt showcase their beautiful song writing and powerful vocals in an intimate club setting. Also joining the lineup is Kathleen Halloran, guitarist for Australian icon Kate Ceberano, whose broad array of skills makes her one of the country’s most in-demand musicians.
Freya Josephine Hollick
The Adelaide International Guitar Festival is a biennial event that highlights the diversity of the guitar. From rock and blues to classical, folk, flamenco and metal, this genre-defying instrument has the ability to convey emotions and inspire creativity in all its forms.
Cosmic Country queen Freya Josephine Hollick combines beautiful lyrics and vocals with intricate guitar playing to create a sound that is both haunting and powerful. She joins Andrew to talk about her upcoming performance at the festival and her experience recording at Rancho de la Luna in Joshua Tree.
For those looking to get in on the action, check out this article on how you can grab 2-for-1 tickets to select shows at the Adelaide International Guitar Festival! Just click the show links and you will be directed to each show’s special Ticketek offer.
Kelly Menhennet
The Adelaide International Guitar Festival is an annual event that showcases world-class guitarists. From intimate acoustic performances to energetic outdoor concerts, the festival celebrates the diversity of this extraordinary instrument. Whether you’re an amateur or an experienced guitarist, this festival is sure to inspire you.
Kelly Menhennet is a singer songwriter who performs at Adelaide’s world music festival WOMADelaide and supports iconic musicians like Anne McCue. She recently became the first musician in residence at Life Care aged care facilities and uses her music to boost residents’ wellbeing.
Joseph Tawadros is Australia’s leading oud virtuoso and presents a solo presentation. He’s renowned for his brilliant technique, deep musicianship and joyous style of performance. Joseph has performed with orchestras across Europe and Asia.
Jimmybay
With heart-pumping bass and head-banging drums, metal band Ekosa kickstarted AGF’s first official metal performance with a bang. This rock band has toured all around Australia and is a must-see.
COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the Melbourne Guitar Quartet and Andrew Blanch, but a collection of local musicians stepped up to deliver a concert that still had the flavour of an Adelaide International Guitar Festival. Titled “A Classical Celebration,” the show was an impressive showcasing of Adelaide-based talent.
Joseph Tawadros continued the promise of his 2004 debut album Storyteller, delivering an engaging, culturally relevant musical narrative. His performance was complemented by the incredible technical prowess of Connor Whyte, former Elder Conservatorium of Music student and winner of last year’s Adelaide Guitar Competition. Their performances represent a dichotomy of extremes that showcased the incredible versatility of the guitar.
AP D’Antonio
The Adelaide International Guitar Festival attracts renowned guitarists from around the world and showcases their skills in various genres of music. The event also provides an opportunity for aspiring guitarists to attend workshops and master classes. The festival has a strong community engagement and reaches out to those who cannot travel with its Resonance program that holds guitar performances in aged care homes and schools.
Adelaide metal band Freedom of Fear makes its festival debut with a fiery show of dual guitar shredding and astonishing musicianship. They are supported by multi-instrumentalist and singer Yeore Kim who has a career that traverses jazz, gypsy, rock and classical. Joseph Tawadros, who wowed audiences with his debut record Storyteller, opens the concert with a piece inspired by Japan’s Sakura Matsuri which celebrates the arrival of cherry blossom. With accomplished technical prowess, he drew forth timbres that were evocative of the iconic Japanese instrument, the koto.
Winston Robinson
Dedicated to supporting the guitar in its diverse range of styles, Adelaide International Guitar Festival promotes musical adventures that are unbounded by genre. The event showcases world-class performers along with renowned luthiers and guitar makers.
In an Australian exclusive, the festival welcomes Compania Flamenca Antonio Andrades with five dancers and four musicians direct from fellow UNESCO City of Music, Seville alongside classical guitarist Andrea Gonzalez Caballero. Their stunning program will fill the stage with passion, energy and spectacular flare.
From acoustic intimate performances to energetic outdoor concerts, Adelaide International Guitar Festival has it all. The festival also features workshops and masterclasses that foster the development of guitar talent from young to old. It’s an ideal event for both novice and expert guitar lovers. It’s also a great place to meet like-minded people.