2014 Adelaide International Guitar Festival Line-up

World-class international acts, an exciting collaboration with a Spanish sister event and the unveiling of the Adelaide Guitar Festival Orchestra are just some of the thrilling announcements of the 2014 Adelaide International Guitar Festival (AIGF) program launch.

Artistic Director Slava Grigoryan announced the line-up for the fifth Guitar Festival today, which runs from Thursday, July 17 to Sunday, July 20. Headliners include Spain’s flamenco kings the José Antonio Rodríguez Trio. The trio will perform on AIGF’s opening night (Thursday, July 17) and is the result of a collaboration with The Cordoba Guitar Festival, the sister event of the AIGF. Grigoryan says this collaboration is an “exciting new development”. “The Cordoba Guitar Festival has always been a huge inspiration to all of us,” Grigoryan tells The Adelaide Review. “It’s been around for well over 30 years and also celebrates the guitar in all of its many shapes and colours. Their expression of interest in collaborating with us was a massive thrill! Looking to the future, I’m particularly excited about the possibility of commissioning new work together, continuing the introduction and exchange of artists and expanding on the cultural connection between our two countries.” Gypsy guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg and his trio will close the festival with their Gypsy jazz stylings. The trio will be supported by the inaugural Adelaide Guitar Festival Orchestra, a handpicked crop of 50 of the best South Australian young guitar players who will join Grigoryan and Brisbane’s Paul Svoboda, as well as 25 players from Svoboda’s Aurora Guitar Ensemble. “The Adelaide Guitar Festival Orchestra is also another new development that will be introduced at this year’s festival,” Grigoryan explains. “The concept of a guitar orchestra has been around for quite a long time now. There are some great groups around Australia now and a great tradition is being built in other parts of the world. Being the home of such a unique guitar festival I felt that Adelaide was in desperate need of an orchestra like this. It’s a brilliant opportunity for young students, from the city and from regional areas, to play together, learn from each other, inspire each other and hopefully take this passion for the instrument with them through life. The ultimate goal would be for this orchestra to exist and thrive outside of the guitar festival.” Other acts part of this year’s eclectic festival include Judicaël Perroy and the Máximo Pujol Trio, Pepe Romero and Yamandú Costa, as well as Guthrie Govan. Grigoryan says there is no overriding theme to this year’s festival. “The program is very much ‘artist’ driven and usually this collective sets the tone for each festival. This year for example, there’s a strong gypsy thread – Stochelo Rosenberg Trio, the various flamenco inspired performances, Indian master Debashish Bhattacharya and the Maximo Diego Pujol Trio from Buenos Aires. Musically they are all very different – inspired by their own cultures yet always looking outward. They all share a unifying musical language – warmth, deep emotion, and of course extraordinary virtuosity.” To view the line-up, head to adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/guitar-festival Adelaide International Guitar Festival Adelaide Festival Centre Thursday, July 17 to Sunday, July 20 adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/guitar-festival