Media Release: Guitar heroes head for Scotland

Guitar heroes flock to the Glasgow for the Big Guitar Weekend

Friday 4 November – Sunday 6 November 2011

GUITARISTS from all over the world will gather in Glasgow in November for an annual festival dedicated to the guitar.

The Big Guitar Weekend, sponsored by Yamaha Guitars, is one of the most prestigious events in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s calendar.

And this year, for the first time, the Big Guitar Weekend will host the inaugural Scottish International Guitar Competition.

Qualifying rounds for the competition were held on YouTube in July when guitarists from around the globe performed for the selection jury.

Finalists will be announced on September 21 and the final will be held in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on November 6 2011.

Allan Neave, artistic director of BGW 2011, said “This year is our most ambitious yet. We have competitors from Norway, Estonia, India and Japan, as well as from all over the UK, hoping for a place in the final.

“I am also delighted that a group of young musicians from the Yehudi Menuhin School will be making their first visit to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – they will have a great time working with our teaching team and playing to the enthusiastic Glasgow audience. ”

Yamaha’s Martin Adam said: “It’s a real privilege to be involved in this year’s festival, we are enormously impressed by the ambitions of the organisers, and the world-class line of guitarists.

“The event promises to be a celebration of outstanding guitar talent. We are sure the Big Guitar Weekend will inspire more people to play and is perfectly in tune with Yamaha’s commitment to creating new music makers.”

Now in its fifth year, the Big Guitar Weekend returns with a stellar line-up of celebrity guests, including the return to Scotland of Paul Galbraith, Pavel Steidl from the Czech Republic, David Tannenbaum from the USA and the Agnew and the McAllister Duo, who will be celebrating ten years as one of the world’s most sought-after guitar duos.

Held between November 4th and November 6th, the weekend is a superb festival of classical and jazz guitar concerts, masterclasses and workshops. Plus this year the BGW is offering a new zazz course hosted by Kevin MacKenzie and Malcolm MacFarlane, both hugely respected artists from the Scottish jazz scene.

Full details and tickets can be obtained from www.bigguitarweekend.com or by calling the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Box Office on 0141 332 5057
http://www.bigguitarweekend.com/

Ends – September 13 2011

Notes to editors – For more information please contact Katie Bell on 0141 270 8387 or email k.bell@rcs.ac.uk.

MEDIA RELEASE posted by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. You too can post media releases (aka press releases) on allmediascotland.com. For more information, email here.

Contact: Katie Bell
Phone: 0141 270 8387
Email: k.bell@rcs.ac.uk
Website: http://www.rcs.ac.uk