Home | Brussels International Guitar Festival & Competitions

11th Edition Brussels International Guitar Festival & Competitions

Viva la Vida!

25 > 29.11.2022

Dedicated to Peace, we welcome you to the 11th edition of the Brussels International Guitar Festival & Competitions, the not-to-be missed and eagerly awaited event in the capital of Europe for music fans and aficionados of the guitar.

The only one of its kind, « the Brussels guitar fiesta » attracts a large crowd and over the years has established itself as one of the major festivals in Europe.

The splendid Théâtre du Vaudeville, located right in the heart of Brussels in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, will host concerts, shows, master classes, a lecture, an exhibition as well as the public final rounds of the national competition, the international competition and the composition competition.

Classical, Latino, jazz, modern, contemporary music, as well as a Flamenco show... The many facets of the world's most played instrument will be showcased thanks to a rich and varied programme : solo, duo, trio, ensemble, guitar with cello, orchestra and dance...

Always seeking new experiences, the festival offers the public the chance to attend numerous world and Belgian premieres and listen to big names in guitar music from various countries (Belgium, Argentina, Austria, Spain, Taiwan, France...) as well as young artists on the verge of a promising career, for whom the festival serves as a launch pad.

The 2022 selection, via a new exhibition, pays tribute to the Masters Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso, who opened the first guitar classes in the Belgian Music Academies as well as the guitar class at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles in 1965, thereby becoming the founders of the Belgian Guitar School.

Finally, the ever popular « Luthiers & Exhibitors Salon » will welcome its visitors in the impressive Exhibition gallery located under the Théâtre du Vaudeville.

Open to everyone, whether just curious or confirmed music lovers, this exceptional edition will be more than ever full of joy, emotions, discoveries and conviviality...

Hugues Navez Founding President and Artistic Director Full Professor of the Guitar Class & Head of the Guitar Department at the Brussels Royal Conservatory

Concerts & Shows

Recital by the 1st Prize of the « Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso » 2021 Brussels International Guitar Competition Pasquale Vitale, guitar (Italy) « In the Limelight » Alfonso, Moreno-Torroba, Rodrigo...

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Pasquale Vitale

« La Chapelle Musicale de Tournai » Orchestra, conducted by Philippe Gérard (Belgium) « Overture » L’Italiana in Algeri (Overture) by Gioacchino Rossini

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Chapelle Musicale de Tournai

Three exceptional concertos « La Chapelle Musicale de Tournai » Orchestra, conducted by Philippe Gérard (Belgium)
Eerik Maurage & Thomas Montagne, guitars (Belgium / France)
Both graduates (Master’s degree) from the guitar class of the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles « Concierto Madrigal » for two guitars and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo

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Eerik Maurage & Thomas Montagne

« La Chapelle Musicale de Tournai » Orchestra, conducted by Philippe Gérard (Belgium)
Marco Tamayo, guitar (Austria / Cuba)
« Aeolian Suite » for guitar and orchestra by John Williams (Belgian premiere)

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Marco Tamayo

« La Chapelle Musicale de Tournai » Orchestra, conducted by Philippe Gérard (Belgium)
Máximo Diego Pujol, guitar (Argentina)
« Concierto de Mayo » for guitar and orchestra by Máximo Diego Pujol (Belgian premiere)

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Máximo Diego Pujol

A surprising trio
for the first time in Belgium
Sirocco Guitar Trio (Belgium / France) Jonathan Patte, Pierre Turc & Corentin Schlegel, guitars
All three graduates (Master’s degree) from the guitar class of the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles
« Crossroads » Lavrentiev (Belgian premiere), Healy (Belgian premiere), Mirto, Dyens...

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Sirocco Guitar Trio

A virtuoso of worldwide acclaim Marco Tamayo, guitar (Austria / Cuba) « All roads lead to Bach » Bach, Grieg, Barrios, Tchaïkovsky…

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Marco Tamayo

Brussels International Guitar Competition « Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso » « Public final round - Announcement of winners - Awards ceremony »

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Brussels International Guitar Competition « Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso »

Brussels International Guitar Composition Competition« Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso » « Announcement of winners - Awards ceremony »

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Brussels International Guitar Composition Competition « Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso »

Ensemble de Guitares « Beginners » de l’Académie d’Uccle (Belgium) conducted by Camille Plá De Narváez, Provencal melody

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Ensemble de Guitares de l’Académie d’Uccle

Ensemble de Guitares de l’Académie d’Uccle (Belgium) conducted by Camille Plá Vivaldi, Ramirez

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Ensemble de Guitares de l’Académie d’Uccle

Ensemble de Guitares de l’Académie de Musique de Braine-l’Alleud (Belgium) conducted by Thomas Vanin Morneau, Williams

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Ensemble de Guitares de l’Académie de Musique de Braine-l’Alleud

Guillaume Gazengel, guitar (France / Belgium) Graduate (Master’s degree) from the guitar class of the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles
1st Prize of the Brussels International Guitar Composition Competition « Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso » 2021
« Guitar Hits » Albéniz, Vinitsky, Dyens, Gazengel...

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Guillaume Gazengel

« Discoveries »
The three compositions awarded at the Brussels International Guitar Composition Competition 2021
Corentin Schlegel, guitar (France / Belgium) Graduate (Master’s degree) from the guitar class of the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles « Ombres nocturnes - Trois impromptus pour guitare » by Renaud Lécuyer (world premiere)

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Corentin Schlegel

Fu Ping Ryu, guitar (Taiwan / Belgium) Graduate (Master’s degree) from the guitar class of the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles
Winner of the « Concours International Roland Dyens - Révélation Guitare Classique 2019 » (France)
1st Prize of the Brussels International Guitar Composition Competition « Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso » 2021
« Toccata » by Fu Ping Ryu (Belgian premiere)

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Fu Ping Ryu

Guillaume Gazengel, guitar (France / Belgium) Graduate (Master’s degree) from the guitar class of the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles
1st Prize of the Brussels International Guitar Composition Competition « Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso » 2021
« Suite America » by Guillaume Gazengel

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Guillaume Gazengel

The internationally acclaimed twins Duo Katona Twins (Hungary / United Kingdom) Peter & Zoltan Katona, guitars « From the Alhambra Gardens to the Paris Jazz Clubs » Albéniz, Reinhardt, Katona (belgian premiere)…

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Duo Katona Twins

Colourful sounds from the South
for the first time in Belgium
Norten Duo (Spain) Miguel Díez Gutierrez (cello) & Alejandro Ceballos (guitar) « Rhythms & songs from Spain and South América » Villa-Lobos, de Falla, Piazzolla…

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Norten Duo

19 young virtuosos playing together Ensemble de guitares du Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles conducted by Hugues Navez « Peace » Homage to Carel Harms Gazengel (world premiere), Pujol (Belgian premiere), Haendel, Williams, Jenkins…

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Ensemble de guitares du Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles

Flamenco Show Oleo (Spain / Belgium / Canada) Antonio Segura (flamenco guitar), Serge Dacosse (electric bass), François Taillefer (percussion)
Guests : Sara Sanchez Rico (dance), Alaa Zouiten (oud) & Marwan Fakir (violin)
« Alma de Oriente » world premiere compositions by Antonio Segura

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Oleo

Lecture - in French and English

Sunday 27 November 2022 - 17:30

Marco Tamayo

« Essential principles for performances on the classical guitar (technique and styles) »

by Marco Tamayo (Austria / Cuba)
Professor at the Universität der Künste in Berlin (UDK) and the Mozarteum in Salzburg

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Exhibition « Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso »

From Friday 25 November 2022 to Tuesday 29 November 2022 - from 10:00 to 20:00

The legendary couple Ilse and Nicolas Alfonso

Supported by documents and exceptional archives, this exhibition traces the life and work of the legendary couple Ilse and Nicolas Alfonso, both on stage and in real life. Virtuoso guitarists, they performed to great acclaim in the top international venues and recorded numerous solo and duo albums. Both professors with renowned reputations, they opened the first guitar classes in the Belgian Music Academies and in 1965, supported by H.M. Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, inaugurated the guitar class at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, thus becoming the de facto founders of the Belgian Guitar School.

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Master Classes

Many performers and professors at the Brussels International Guitar Festival & Competitions will share their musical expertise and provide personal advice on performance playing to students, future professional musicians, from the guitar class at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, in the form of master classes open to the public...

Venue : Théâtre du Vaudeville - Galerie de la Reine, 13 - 1000 Brussels

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date time artists
Friday 25 November 2022 09:30 - 12:30 Antonio Segura
Friday 25 November 2022 14:00 - 17:00 Alejandro Ceballos
Saturday 26 November 2022 09:30 - 12:30 Alejandro Ceballos
Saturday 26 November 2022 14:00 - 17:00 Máximo Diego Pujol
Sunday 27 November 2022 14:00 - 17:00 Marco Tamayo
Monday 28 November 2022 09:30 - 12:30 Peter Katona
Monday 28 November 2022 13:30 - 16:30 Marco Tamayo
Tuesday 29 November 2022 09:30 - 12:30 Gaëlle Solal

Luthiers & Exhibitors Salon

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Opening hours


Luthiers

Suplyer

Exhibitors