3 masterclasses per participant. Please give your desired masterclasses on the registration form. For the masterclasses 1 (Manuel Barrueco) and 2 (David Russell) participants must qualify for these either through the first round of the competition or separate audition. This will be an extra masterclass free of charge.
31 Junior Guitar Academy
Campus Landesmusikakademie Rheinland-Pfalz Schloss Engers | Heinrich-Haus | Sayner Hütte
Under the direction of Russell Poyner
The development, encouragement, and advancement of young guitarists has always been an integral part of the Koblenz International Guitar Festival & Academy.
These young guitarists have the opportunity to take part in the festival. Along with other like-minded young people, they can experience the unique atmosphere of the festival, at the same time developing their skills and abilities.
This year we will offer:
- Early Bird Hour - a daily group warm-up & technical exercise session
- Ensemble / Chamber music
- Individual or Group Lessons
- Masterclasses (depending on the current playing ability)
- Performance Training - in-house performance class
- Furthermore, Junior Academy participants will attend concerts by the many world-class performers at the festival.
The starting age for the Junior Academy is around 12 years old. Participants may be younger depending on their current playing ability.
The Junior Academy takes place from Friday 22 may until Pentecost Monday 25 May 2025.
At the end of the festival, all participants will receive a certificate of participation.
The course fee for the Junior Academy 130 Euros and includes a concert pass for the participant and an accompanying person for all concerts and events at the festival.
The Junior Academy can also be attended by guitar teachers as an advanced training course. Interested teachers can register as a passive participant (190 Euros), which also includes entrance to all concerts and events, and a certificate.
32 Practice of Interpretation
Tuesday 19 May, Schloss Engers Gartensaal
13.30 Manuel Barrueco
Public Masterclass mit unserem Lifetime Achievement Award Preisträger 2024
Wednesday 20 May, Schloss Engers Gartensaal
Seminar Contemporary Music for Guitar(s), Kurz-Konzerte, Erläuterungen und Diskussion, Leitung Prof. Dr. Immanuel Ott
09.00 Klara Tomljanovic:
„Wieviel Emotion verträgt die zeitgenössische Musik?“, Einführungsvortrag
09.45 Immanuel Ott (Hochschule für Musik Mainz)
Aus der Welt gefallen. Zu Hans Werner Henzes zweiter „Royal Winter Music“, Vortrag.
Igor Klokov (University of Southern California):
Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012)
Royal Winter Music II
Zweite Sonate über Gestalten von Shakespeare
I Sir Andrew Aguecheek
II Bottom’s Dream
III Mad Lady Macbeth
10.30 Robert Martin (Hochschule für Musik Mainz)
Lukas Janata, Antiphōna (2022), Vortrag
Bluven Duo (Sebastian Robles & Zhanxiang Shi, Conservatoire de musique de Genève)
Lukáš Janata (1995)
XII-Antiphōna
11.30 Hye Min Lee (Hochschule für Musik Mainz)
Lutz-Werner Hesse, Drei Charakterstücke op. 90 (2022), Vortrag
GolzDanilov Guitar Duo (Sören Golz & Ivan Danilov)
Lutz-Werner Hesse (1955)
Drei Charakterstücke op. 90
II Allegro commodo
III Introduction und Presto
12.15 Raphael Brandstäter (Hochschule für Musik Mainz)
Alexandros Darna, Slant Rhymes, Vortrag
Oberlin Guitar Duo (Suvan Agarwal & Nik Divall, The Juilliard School New York)
Alexandros Darna (1998)
Slant Rhymes
I Allegro giocoso
II Expansive, freely
III Animated
15.00 Oberlin Guitar Duo, Igor Klokov, GolzDanilov Guitar Duo, Bluven Guitar Duo
Seminar-Konzert mit Musik von Alexandros Darna (Slant Rhymes), Hans Werner Henze (Royal Winter Music II), Lutz-Werner Hesse (Drei Charakterstücke 2. und 3. Satz) und Lukáš Janata (XII-Antiphōna)
Thursday 21 May, Schloss Engers Gartensaal
15.30 Marcelo Kayath (GuitarCoop São Paulo)
Agustín Barrios – His Life, Works and Records, Lecture
Friday 22 May, Meisterhaus Felix Mendelsohn Studio
13.30 David Russell
Public Masterclass mit unserem Lifetime Achievement Award Preisträger 2025
Saturday 23 May, Schloss Engers Gartensaal
Workshop, Lecture, Masterclass
09.00 Campbell Diamond
Technik-Workshop
10.00 Alexander S. Ramirez
The Way to Barrios, Lecture
10.30 Alvaro Pierri
Public Masterclass mit unserem Lifetime Achievement Award Preisträger 2026
12.00 Alexander S. Ramirez
The Way to Barrios, three centuries of original Guitar Music from Latinamérica, Gesprächskonzert
Sunday 24 May, Schloss Engers Gartensaal
Workshop, Lecture, Masterclass
09.00 Marko Topchii
Technik-Workshop
10.00 Fabio Zanon
Guitar Music from the Black Americas, Lecture
10.30 Hubert Käppel
Public Masterclass mit unserem Lifetime Achievement Award Preisträger 2022
12.00 Fabio Zanon
Guitar Music from the Black Americas, Gesprächskonzert
14.00 Matei Rusu (D’Addario)
D’Addario – A History of String Manufacturing
33 Fingernails Workshop with Günter Schillings
Sound production on the guitar is largely a matter of the shape and structure of the fingernails.
This workshop will help provide answers for the optimal shaping and maintenance of both natural and artificial fingernails. It will also offer assistance with problem nails and fingernail repairs.
34 Susanne Dewald: Perform with Confidence and Joy
Experience a hands-on coaching program specifically designed for musicians. With a holistic approach, you will strengthen your stage presence, learn to overcome disruptive stage fright, and harness adrenaline for a powerful and expressive performance.
Through group and individual exercises, we use the proven Vocates® Method to enhance your charisma and stage expression. Complemented by individual performance coaching with PEP®, you’ll resolve emotional blocks, build self-confidence, and develop mental strategies to support you on stage.
This course offers the perfect combination of practice, mental training, and personalized guidance to help you perform confidently and with joy on stage.
35 Guitar Clinic Guido Huber & Richard Kronig
Guitar makers Guido Huber and Richard Kronig from St. Gallen (Switzerland) have been successfully repairing instruments at international guitar festivals for years.
Consulting is at the heart of our work. From Monday to Saturday, we treat damage to the finish, cracks, and intonation, among other things. We often improve the string height, an area in which Richard is particularly skilled as a concert guitarist: we align frets, correct or replace the bridge/nut, and clean and oil the fingerboard.
Certain jobs take several days, especially refinishing the lacquer, which requires drying breaks. So, if you are interested, please visit us as early as possible in the festival week.
We look forward to interesting conversations and to seeing your instruments!
With warm regards, Guido and Richard
