The Adelaide Guitar Festival returns in 2016, bringing with it a first for the event: a week-long Summer School programme in January offering an intensive and immersive workshop for classical guitar players to develop their skills.
Artistic Director for the festival is internationally-renowned Australian classical guitar virtuoso, Slava Grigoryan. “I was brought on about four years ago,” he explains. “I come back because it is such a fun event to be a part of. This first Summer School is exciting because we are able to directly influence the new generation of artists.”
A brand new element for the festival, the Summer School features tutorials on a range of topics from world-class musicians including: Slava, Dr Paul Svoboda, Richard Charlton, Oliver Fartach-Naini and Andras Tuske.
“We did an unofficial Summer School last year but this is the first official one,” says Slava. “It’s a natural extension of our Adelaide Guitar Festival Orchestra, which gathered 80 young guitarists from all over the country for the Festival in 2014. We’d love to see the Summer School continue and become a feature of the guitar music calendar in Adelaide, so we hope it will keep growing.
“We’ll be working on a range of skills, mostly to do with playing in ensembles. Until relatively recently, playing guitar was mostly a solo experience, but guitar orchestras have become a wonderful format for guitarists to participate in an ensemble; and it’s such a rewarding musical experience. We’ll also be working on technique and musicianship in smaller groups according to levels of skill and experience, so there’ll be programs tailored for everyone.”
Although there is no audition process and applications for the inaugural Adelaide Guitar Festival Summer School are taken on a first-come-first-served basis, it is expected that potential students have acquired a minimum level of competency in order to make the most of the programme.
“We want to be as inclusive as possible, within our capacity, so as long as the players are comfortable with the minimum level we’ve set which is AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board) Grade 3 or equivalent, they’re all welcome. An intensive week like this is a great opportunity for players at any level to really develop their individual playing, as well as their ensemble skills.”
Slava is one of Australia’s premier classical guitarists. Born in Kazakhstan in 1976, his parents were both professional violinists and at 7 years old Slava took up guitar under his father’s tutelage making his debut at age 12.
As an award-winning guitarist, Artistic Director for the Adelaide Guitar Festival and a tutor in the Summer School, Slava brings an enormous wealth of knowledge, experience, professionalism and craftsmanship to both the workshops and the event as a whole.
Started in 2007, the Adelaide Guitar Festival is a highly-recognised event in the international guitar community, celebrating all facets of the instrument and offering vital exposure to local musicians. “The Adelaide Guitar Festival is now a very focused and immersive festival,” says Slava.
“We cover all kinds of genres, it’s really about great playing, great players and exploring the ways that the guitar - and its relatives like the lute or mandolin or banjo – is central to so many musical cultures.
“It is a carefully curated festival, and we’re lucky to be able to bring in some of the most amazing players in the world, but one of the things that is hugely important is participation by local artists.”
The Adelaide Guitar Festival Summer School runs 18-22 January. Registrations close 8 January. The Adelaide Guitar Festival is on at the Adelaide Festival Centre 11-14 August.
