Things are hotting up for this year’s WYGF in Cheltenham and we are thrilled to be able to announce our fantastic line up of guest artists and tutors: there will be some familiar names for our past students and some new faces too.

First of all, we welcome back our Artistic Directors Mark Eden and Chris Stell or the Eden Stell Guitar Duo, and also Mark Ashford, Frank Gerstmeier (GER), Peter Nuttall, Helen Sanderson and Gary Ryan. Joining them, for the first time are Nick Powlesland and the winner of last year’s prestigious Guitar Foundation of America competition, Johannes Moller from Sweden.

Nick Powlesland will be known to many students as a composer featured in several exam board syllabuses: with pieces such as ‘Swing Thing’, ‘Cloud Nine’ and ‘Freestyling’  being firm favourites with students everywhere.

Johannes Moller has firmly estabilshed himself as a major ‘tour de force’ both as a guitarist and also as a composer. His new commission for GUITAR CIRCUS will be premiered by them at the WYGF opening night concert on 23 August in the Bacon Theatre, Cheltenham. Johannes will also be giving a solo recital in the second half of the evening concert: it’s a fabulous opportunity to hear one of the world’s most exciting young talents live in action.

Back to the WYGF concert series, by popular demand is Gary Ryan. His recital in 2007 was one of the absolute highlights of the entire festival and we have been longing to have him back ever since. He will be performing on 24 August on the same evening as WYGF’s very own artistic directors, the Eden Stell Guitar Duo.

If you are thinking of booking to come on this year’s WYGF then visit our online booking pages and fill in an application form. Don’t miss out!

WYGF is back!

We’re thrilled to announce the dates for WYGF11 which will take place in Cheltenham from Tuesday 23 – Friday 26 August 2011.

Here at WYGF HQ we are busy planning our guest artists, tutors and concert series so watch this space for further details, or even better, sign up for our free email newsletter and get all our announcements straight into your inbox.

So, if you’re interested in coming along to WYGF but haven’t been before, what is it all about?

Well, simply put, it is a chance to meet with young guitarists aged 8-18 years from all over the world and join together to make music.  All students play in one of the WYGF guitar orchestras which receive daily coaching sessions from our guest artists, and then the rest of the timetable is packed full of workshops, masterclasses, concerts and coaching. Evenings at WYGF are not spent in front of the TV with a mug of cocoa – far from it. We have the hugely popular YouTube competition, Guitar ’Oscars’ night (with more fabulous guitar related goodies to award than you can shake a music stand at), the WYGF open-mic session and the infamous tutors’ pantomime!

WYGF2011 will be our third festival and it’s something that is proving to be hugely popular with young guitarists. So much so that we were a complete sell-out in 2009 with 240 participants from 7 different countries. You can come along on your own, or as part of a group of friends, or an ensemble who play together regularly. Just be sure to get in early to reserve your place because it’s strictly first-come first-served!

There’s lots more information on this website about what a typical day at WYGF might be like or what sort of things we have got up to in previous years, so do have a look around and if you would like to ask any other questions then do get in touch.

Hope to see you there!

Two years can seem an awfully long time to wait ….  and although WYGF is definitely worth waiting for, we are really excited to announce the launch of WYGF-extra: a one-day festival which will take place on Monday 26 July 2010  -  what better way to kick off the first day of the summer holidays!

WYGF-extra will be taking place in Southampton and provisional times are 10am – 5pm. Under the expert eyes of a team of top tutors there will be loads of ensemble playing, workshops and a student concert to round it all off. Our very special guests will also include GUITAR CIRCUS who will be giving their debut concert for us.

We have limited places available so you’ll have to get your skates on to secure a place. The whole day, including the concert is £25. All music will be provided and you’ll need to bring a packed lunch and all your guitar kit.

So if you want to come along, either on your own, or with a group of friends or perhaps your guitar ensemble then fill in an online form for INDIVIDUAL or GROUP applicants here.

If one day is simply not enough, you may be interested to know that our sister festival, Winchester Guitar Festival (WGF) will be taking place from Friday 23 – Sunday 25 July. This year’s guest artists include Laura Young (Canada) and Mark Ashford (UK) and the weekend will be full of ensemble coaching, workshops, masterclasses, the WGF concert series and of course the WGF student concert to round off the event. To find out more please visit the WGF website.

If you haven’t done so already, sign up for our FREE newsletter (look for the SUBSCRIBE section on the right hand side of this page!) so that you don’t miss out on all our latest news.

Although the nights are now drawing in and there are only 50 days until Christmas, here at WYGF HQ we are still basking in the post-festival glow of WYGF09. More importantly, it’s wonderful to hear how much fun was had by everyone involved, both from the perspective of our own WYGF students and tutors but also from some of our visitors.

We were thrilled to have Steve Gordon from ACOUSTIC – the UK’s only dedicated acoustic guitar magazine -  spend a day with us during WYGF09 to see what our festival is all about: he was able to soak up the whole atmosphere first hand and judging by the fantastic write-up he has given us in the November issue of the magazine he had a fabulous time. He describes WYGF as “a unique event in the guitar world” which is something we are very proud of, but more importantly he recognises that “the importance of the biennial World Youth Guitar Festival can not be overstated, because it is aimed at the grass roots and most important musical and educational level: children!”

Whilst we’re on the subject, our own students and ensemble leaders have also given us some blush-worthy feedback and here are just a few of the lovely comments we’ve received:

“As a residential course the WYGF is everything you would want for young guitar players and then some. What did we do before WYGF? WYGF is a credit to the musical life of the community and in relying on the imagination, initiative and very hard work of a few, thoroughly deserves sustained support.” G. Cleaver

“World Youth Guitar Festival – The guitar world can’t live without it!“ K. Zobel

“[My daughter] has not stopped talking about the festival, she had the most amazing time and in her words is so inspired.  She is most upset that she has to wait 2 years for the next one and can’t understand why there can’t be another festival next month!!!!!” L.G.

For us, giving our students an unforgettable experience is what it is all about, but let’s not forget our hugely fabulous tutors without whom it wouldn’t be possible, so just to round off, here’s what two of our inspirational WYGF09 guest artists said …

“My favorite guitar related experience ever – seriously.” BRAD RICHTER – WYGF09 guest artist & tutor

“WYGF was definitely the coolest festival I’ve been to, from every angle. I’ve never seen a festival with such energy, thanks to both the nature of the event, and the incredible positive energy and organizational skills of the presenters.  Bravo, WYGF!!!” MARTHA MASTERS – WYGF09 guest artist & tutor

We have been getting some fantastic feedback from this year’s WYGF. We’re busy doing a festival overview which we will feature here on the site shortly, but here’s a little bit about the WYGF09 experience from Michael Oram (see above: far left) who came to WYGF for the first time this year. Michael writes ….

“My experience of the WYGF was absolutely fantastic; however it got off to a shaky start, as a few days before I became ill. It was very upsetting for me as I remember thinking I wouldn’t make it, and I had been looking forward to the festival for absolutely ages. I finally got better the day before the festival and only missed the first day, to make sure I was 100%.

Although I arrived a day late I was made to feel extremely welcome by the team and had great fun in orchestra 5, with Helen Sanderson and Frank Gerstmeier. Even though I hadn’t had much time to practice my parts because I had been on holiday, I soon picked them up and really enjoyed playing the two contrasting ensemble pieces.

I really loved the atmosphere around Dean Close School. Having hundreds of people in the same building who share the same passion was really good fun, as well as interesting. The facilities were brilliant and we all had a great time in the swimming pool with the diving boards.

I thought the YouTube competition was a great idea and I uploaded Cycles in the Avenue by Vincent Lindsey Clarke (grade 6). I was lucky enough to win a master class with Vincent, which was extremely helpful. It was also interesting to be told the inspiration behind his composition 5 Pictures of Sark and learn why he chose to do certain things within them. For example the Harmonics at the end of Cycles in the Avenue represent a bicycle bell.

The evening concerts were phenomenal! I heard Martha Masters and Brad Richter play: Brad’s concert was unusual because of the way he incorporated a clothes pen and match sticks into his compositions. This really brought out how versatile the sounds the guitar can make are. Other evening events were also exciting and the staff panto was great fun to watch. I particularly enjoyed Frank’s performance, and the song… ‘On the first day of World Youth…’ I performed myself during WYGF as part of the Junior Guildhall Guitar Ensemble in one of the showcase concerts, and I thoroughly enjoyed Gitarrenstadt Bad Nauheim’s performance in the same concert.

I would recommend the festival to everyone who has interest in playing the classical guitar. Believe me, you will have the time of your life! Even if you are a classical guitar superstar or an absolute beginner it doesn’t matter, you will love every second of it. I extremely enjoyed this year’s festival and can not wait until WYGF 2011!”

At the fantastic final student concert at WYGF09, Director Helen Sanderson announced the launch of GUITAR CIRCUS, a new guitar ensemble scheme for young players aged 12-18 years old.

The first three GUITAR CIRCUS ensembles will begin in January 2010 under the musical direction of Gary Ryan (London), Mark Ashford (Birmingham) and Craig Ogden (Manchester). It will be an unmissable opportunity to train throughout the year with these inspirational artists.

We think that GUITAR CIRCUS is going to be something very special and we’re looking for young guitarists with bags of potential who are Grade 5 or above. You’ll need to be committed as each GUITAR CIRCUS will meet once a month during term-time, and rehearsals will last much of the day – it will be something to really get your teeth into!

So, why join? Well, we think that playing as part of an ensemble is one of the most important ways you can develop your core skills as a guitarist. It’s not just the ‘dreaded’ sight-reading that will benefit – your general musicianship and technique will be given a huge boost and you’ll be a part of something that is really creating a musical impact. Some of you are lucky enough to have access to a local ensemble that meets regularly, but GUITAR CIRCUS is designed to supplement everything else you are involved in and give you an opportunity to experience the expertise of these top UK guitarists.

If you think you are just the player we’re looking for then you’ll need to sign up for an audition. Don’t fret! We try very hard to make this as relaxed and informal a process as possible. You’ll need to prepare a short solo piece of Grade 5 standard or higher to play to our panel, and then you’ll have a 2 hour ensemble trial with all the other applicants so we can evaluate how you react and integrate musically under the expert guidance of one of our musical directors. (This is where the sight-reading bit comes in!)

You can apply on-line so visit our website at www.guitarcircus.org Deadlines for applications are 25 October and auditions will take place in November. There’s plenty of further information on the website about the scheme, but if you have questions that aren’t answered there then please contact GUITAR CIRCUS direct on info@theartscircus.com or call 01962 860192.

If GUITAR CIRCUS sounds just right for you, but you can’t travel to one of our first 3 venues, don’t despair. Plans are underway to widen this scheme to other areas of the UK and Ireland in the future. Be the first to know where we are going next by signing up to our free Guitar Circus newsletter. You can register your email address on our website and get the news as it happens.

GUITAR CIRCUS is organised and supported by The Arts Circus (UK registered charity 1116396)

The Trinity Guildhall YouTube competition evolved from the idea of having a guitar competition at WYGF without the pressure of a live performance in front of an audience. Competitors were able to submit their best ‘live’ video recording and up-load it to their own YouTube account and each entry was then linked into our own WYGF09 YouTube channel’s Trinity Guildhall competition playlist for all to see and hear.

The final of the competition took place on Wednesday evening at the Bacon Theatre and each set piece was taken from the Trinity Guildhall guitar grade exam syllabus for 2001-2009 and judged by the composers themselves: Peter Nuttall, Helen Sanderson, Vincent Linsey Clark, and Gary Ryan.

The results are as follows:

Trinity Guildhall GRADE ONE – LEGEND by Peter Nuttall
1st. Oscar from Hampshire

Trinity Guildhall GRADE THREE – RUSSIAN BEAR by Gary Ryan

1st. Maja from Germany (Konstantin accepts on her behalf as it was past Maja’s bedtime!)
2nd. Hayley from London
3rd. Johnathan from Wiltshire

Trinity Guildhall GRADE FOUR – WEST COAST by Helen Sanderson

1st. Finn from Wiltshire
2nd. Helen from Gloucestershire
3rd. Ella from Gloucestershire

Trinity Guildhall GRADE SIX – CYCLES IN THE AVENUE by Vincent Lindsey Clark

1st. Michael from Surrey
2nd. Harry from Hampshire
3rd. Simon from Gloucestershire

Trinity Guildhall GRADE EIGHT – RONDO RODEO by Gary Ryan (Top photo)
1st. Ollie from Oxfordshire
2nd. Kristian from Hampshire
3rd. Joshua from Gloucestershire
4th. Zak from Hampshire

This was a fantastically fun part of WYGF09’s events, and a huge thanks goes to our competition sponsors Trinity Guildhall and Savarez for their support, and to all those who took part in the competition. If you would like to hear all our competition entries, please visit the WYGF09 YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/wygf09 and go to Trinity Guildhall Competition.

Trinity Guildhall have launched the new guitar syllabus which begins from 2010. Details of the new graded repertoire and exam format can be found on the Trinity Guildhall website.

WYGF 2009 has just finished! The CD recording of Corinium Players and Gitarenstadt is in-the-can and the school feels ghostly quiet after four days of hearing the sound of over 200 participants! We now have a chance to get back to reporting on the festival, so we thought we’d kick-off with a bit of an overview and then get round to the specifics later on once we’ve looked through all the photos, comments, and video footage which has been accumulated during WYGF.

WYGF 2009 had an increase of 25% more students since our last festival in 2007. All our WYGF tutors and guest artists were kept extremely busy while they worked with their guitar orchestras on a vast variety of pieces, mixed in with workshops on topics such as warm-up routine and stretches before a punishing practice session with Mark Ashford, an introduction to the new Trinity Guildhall syllabus with Gary Ryan assisted by Mark Eden, guitar percussion with Gordon Dunn, and a technical work-out with Martha Masters. More on these session coming soon.

Between the workshops and orchestra coaching sessions the WYGF students had an opportunity to take part in swimming, football, basketball, or creating some artwork. These sessions allowed students a moment to do something completely different.

There was also the all important chance for everyone to take their seats in the Bacon Theatre for the showcase concerts which featured Holme Valley Guitar Quartet, Dorchester Guitar Ensemble, Guitar Project, Chichester Guitar Ensemble, Haringey Guitar Ensemble, Junior Guildhall Guitar Ensemble, Corinium Players Guitar Ensemble, Gitarenstadt, and NYGE. A full report will be posted soon on these amazing ensembles.

The WYGF09 concert series was also one of the main festival features with performances by Graham Devine, VIDA Guitar Quartet, Martha Masters, and Brad Richter. Students were given the opportunity to get up and also perform in our open-mic sessions which included some guitar playing, singing, poetry reading and even a monologue.

The Trinity Guildhall YouTube Competition had its final on Wednesday night with a huge screening of the chosen finalists with by the composers awarding prizes – full report to follow.

Other entertainment included the WYGF panto where out guest artists and tutors dressed-up and got into character to perform a specially written version of Cinderella renamed Strumerella! The Panto also included our wonderful WYGF mentors Matthew, Gareth, Graham, Aimee, Tom Anderson, Tom (Picasso) Abela, Gordon, Rachel, Paul, and Adam. This was followed by the WYGF Guitar Oscars for the student with the most … well there were too many categories to mention here!

This year vendors Kent Guitar Classics and the London Guitar Studio were here at WYGF showing their wares and allowing students that all important chance to get strings, tuners, music, and even a top-notch guitar if they were prepared to dig into their pockets a little deeper, all with a warm friendly advice and service from Miles Roberts (KGC) and Stef (pic-LGS) who were on-hand to help!

The final student concert was a monster performance of all our seven WYGF student orchestras. This was the moment where all the hard work which had been put into the orchestral sessions came together, and family and friends attending the final concert got a chance to hear the results – and what fantastic results! The high standard of all the performances was an inspiring moment and a testament to the hard work everyone had put in to all the rehearsals.

This leaves me an opportunity to thank everyone who helped during the festival, and our WYGF Sponsors, without whom we would not be able to make this event so special.

Chris Stell, one quarter of the VIDA Guitar Quartet, but a full half of the Eden Stell Guitar Duo, talks to WYGF in 20 seconds!

WYGF: How old were you when you started the guitar?

Chris: 7 years old.

WYGF: Who inspired you?

Chris: John Williams.

WYGF: What was the last concert you attended?

Chris: Andrew York at the GFA.

WYGF: What can’t you live without?

Chris: VIDA GQ!

WYGF: Get out of town! Any burning ambitions?

Chris: To learn to sail!

WYGF: Ahoy there! If you had one piece of advice to a young guitarist what would it be?

Chris: Listen to a broad range of music and instruments.

Martha Masters - Guitarist, International prize winner and teacher, takes the WYGF 20 second interview.

WYGF: How old were you when you started the guitar?

Martha: I was 6 years old.

WYGF: Who inspired you?

Martha: My dad has always been an amazing role model for me in many ways. Musically, I have many heros!

WYGF: What was the last concert you attended?

Martha: Jason Vieaux- brilliant!

WYGF: We’ve heard of him! What can’t you live without?

Martha: The smiling faces of my 3 kids!

WYGF: Lovely! Any burning ambitions?

Martha: mmm….I pretty much do what I love, so what more could I want?!

WYGF: If you had one piece of advice to a young guitarist what would it be?

Martha: Practice smart….quality counts for much more than quantity in the practice room!