Classical Guitar News & Updates

Join us live in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
June 2-5, 2022 for the twenty-second annual
Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival
and third annual
James Stroud National Youth Competition
at the
Cleveland Institute of Music
CONGRATULATIONS to the 2022 James Stroud Classical Guitar Competition Semi-Finalists.

Read about these dedicated young guitarists HERE.
RECENTLY ACQUIRED: A rare vintage 1966 spruce/CSA Ignacio Fleta e hijos (Spain) classical guitar from this great Spanish master's golden period. The magnificent deep sound of this iconic instrument recalls the musical attributes of a miniature organ... 
RECENTLY ACQUIRED: 1926 Domingo Esteso (Spain) classical guitar. This remarkable vintage classical guitar has an unusually pure, powerful, deep, woody concert sound with excellent sustain... 
JUST ARRIVED: A new 2022 ACHIM PETER GROPIUS double top classical guitar, Elegantly proportioned, lovely to look at, great fun to play - Gropius' powerful double top classical guitars possess a particularly lyrical traditional musical sound capable of pin point projection and a wide palette of color and attack...
JUST ARRIVED: A new 2022 MICHAEL CADIZ (Austria) Torres/Romanillos Model concert guitar: Lovely, deep, rich, focused, traditional sound; quick responsive dynamic range; unusually wide pallet of color and attack; strong fundamental tones throughout all registers; excellent balance; eye popping materials, visual aesthetics, and workmanship. In short, a musical jewel...
THE FOURTEEN 2022 JAMES STROUD NATIONAL CLASSICAL YOUTH COMPETITION SEMI-FINALISTS have been announced..

Learn more ...

JUST ARRIVED: A pre-owned, one owner Joshia de Jonge double top concert guitar - cedar/Nomex/cedear/pale moon ebony - magnificent sound, stunning materials and workmanship...
JUST ARRIVED: A new Jeffrey R. Elliott classical guitar. The concert guitars of Jeffrey R. Elliott are exceptional works of art - magnificent concert guitars possessing unsurpassed musical refinement, purity and beauty of sound: quick powerful warm singing trebles, firm deep resonant basses, a particularly broad palette of colors and evenness of sound...
JUST ARRIVED: A magnificent new 2021 Gary Southwell (England) reproduction of the 1940 spruce/Ind. Hauser I (Augustine/Bream) classical guitar. Performed upon by Julian Bream in his "Great Estates Tour" of England, these magnificent concert guitars have been designed, built and refined - starting in 1995 and extending over fourteen years - in close collaboration with the late master guitarist Julian Bream...
Just arrived: A wonderful new 2021 Daniele Chiesa (Spain) spruce/ziricote classical guitar. (Learn more)
Just arrived: A wonderful new 2021 Daniele Chiesa (Spain) cedar/Indian classical guitar. (Learn more)
The Finalists in the 2021 James Stroud Classical Guitar Competition are:

Ethan Boyers,
Jack Davisson,
Patricia Hernandez,
Eric Wang.


Click photo to view the Final Round and Awards' Announcement.

FREE: Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival virtual concert.

COLIN DAVIN (USA), classical guitar

DUO MELIS (Spain & Greece), classical guitar

Click photo to view this archive concert.
FREE: Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival virtual concerts.

DREW HENDERSON (Canada), classical guitar

PETRA POLACKOVA (Czech Republic), 19th century style nine string guitar and 1923 Domingo Esteso six string classical guitar

Click photo to access these archived concerts.
FREE: Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival virtual concert.

JI YEONG (JIJI) KIM (Republic of Korea), classical guitar

DANIEL LIPPEL (USA), well tempered classical guitar

Click photo to view this archived concert.
FREE: Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival virtual concert

NIGEL NORTH (England), lute

ROBERT GRUCA (USA), guitar

Click photo to view this archived concert.
NEW: German Vazquez Rubio (USA) - Custom Elite Model, spruce soundboard, African blackwood sides and back. The spectacular concert guitar offered here represents the pinnacle of this renowned master's experience, research, knowledge, hard work, talent, and love for and dedication to his art: Gorgeous, powerful musical sound; even note to note up, down, and across the fingerboard; quick, flexible dynamic and color palettes...
NEW: Petra Polácková (Czech Republic) releases two new videos performing on our new Michael Cadiz (Austria) Torres Romanillos Model classical guitar:

1. El testament d'Amèlia
2. El Noi de la Mare

View these videos and other Guitars International performance videos HERE.


NEW: Michael Cadiz (Austria) - Torres/Romanillos Model, spruce soundboard, Madagascar sides and back. This is a jewel of a concert guitar: Charming, deep, rich, clear, focused, traditional, musical sound; quick responsive dynamic range; unusually wide pallet of color and attack; strong fundamental tones throughout all registers; excellent balance across the strings; very even note to note up and down the strings; eye popping materials, visual aesthetics, and workmanship; in all ways a tremendous value in an easy to play, world class classical guitar...


 
..
Just Arrived: A new 2021 Achim Peter Gropius double top classical guitar. German master guitar maker Achim Gropius is one of Europe's premiere makers of fine individually handmade classical guitars. His signature sound is warm, very focused, powerful, and round - smooth dense trebles, mid range, and bass with impressive depth of sound. This concert guitar responds particularly fast to both subtle and large changes in color and attack...
Second Annual
JAMES STROUD CLASSICAL GUITAR COMPETITION:
FIRST PRIZE $10,000.00
Open to ages 14-18, US residents only.

The 2021 Stroud Youth Competition Semi-Finalists have been announced. Good luck to you all! (Learn more).

The James Stroud Classical Guitar Competition is presented as part of the 2021 Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival.
Join Us: Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival May 21 - June 18.

Colin Davin (USA), guitar
[He is a] player with a virtuoso's technique, a deeply expressive musicianship, and a probing imagination. (American Record Guide)

Robert Gruca (USA), guitar
Robert Gruca is a brilliant player with gorgeous tone and a flawless sense of rhythm. (Audaud.com)

Drew Henderson (Canada), guitar
Drew is an amazing guitarist, recording engineer, and video producer. (This is Classical Guitar)

Ji Yeon Kim (Republic of Korea), guitar
Talented, sensitive...brilliant... (Calgary Herald)

Daniel Lippel (USA), guitar
Guitarist Dan Lippel was simply brilliant, knowing exactly when to thrust above the string quartet and when to melt into its textures. (Boston Musical Intelligencer)

Duo Melis (Spain and Greece), guitars
Duo Melis' playing was technically superb, musically convincing, and demonstrated fantastic ensemble. (Soundboard)

Nigel North (England), lute - Gramophone Award Winner
Perhaps he is the greatest performer on his instrument of all time.... (Birmingham Post)

Petra Polácková (Czech Republic), guitar
[Her] playing was so technically secure and musically insightful, it was unimaginable that anything she played could possibly be difficult. (Cleveland Classical)

James Stroud Classical Guitar Competition (USA), guitars
Four Finalists will perform and awards will be announced.

Farewell sweet prince: John Holmquist - wonderful human being, one of the world's truly great artist/musician/classical guitarists, teacher, husband, father, and cherished friend to many...
JUST ARRIVED: 2020 Joshia de Jonge Anniversary Model double top classical guitar. This exceptional concert instrument is a magnificent example of refined musicality, materials, and craft - simply put, a singular masterpiece. The concert guitars of master guitar maker Joshia de Jonge combine northern European traditional tonal beauty with the quick response and laser-like projection of the most successful, innovative contemporary guitars...