Classical Guitar Retreat

Edith Pageaud’s story is one of extraordinary talent and dedication. Beginning her musical journey at just seven, she rose rapidly to prominence—winning numerous national competitions and earning her Diplôme d’Études Musicales in classical guitar from the Paris CRR by age fourteen under the tutelage of Gérard Abiton.

Renowned for her dazzling technique and deeply expressive artistry, Pageaud has captivated audiences around the world. Her recent first prizes at the Drome de Guitares (2022), Roland Dyens International (2023), and Florence International Guitar Competition Alvaro Company (Italy) affirm her status as one of today’s most exciting young guitarists.

With clarity, precision and emotional depth, she represents a new wave of classical guitarists who combine technical mastery with artistic curiosity. 

Alongside her teaching and concert work, she is active as an arranger, transcribing piano works by composers such as Rachmaninov, Scriabin and Brahms for guitar. Her transcriptions are noted for their sensitivity and understanding of both instruments’ expressive potential.

The classical guitar is a magical treasure for the Norwegian guitarist Kristina Vårlid. Fascinated by the big variety of sound you can produce with the guitar, she likes to explore and go beyond its boundaries. As a musician, she looks at music thinking everything is possible, she loves discovering new ideas with her creative approach to the repertoire and make it her own.

​​In 2023, Vårlid released a very personal album, 5 Stages of Grief,  in memory of Sabrina Vlaskalic (1989-2019) with Simax Classics. 

"I am often moved by music, but here I am shaken in a much deeper sense than usual. It's a powerful experience."
Ange Turell, Gitarr och Luta Magazine 

Kristina is passionate about performing, in close contact with the audience. She has given solo recitals in several major halls and festivals, among others The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Universitetets Aula in Oslo and Koblenz International Guitar Festival. She has also appeared as a soloist with Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra among others. In 2022, Kristina fulfilled her dream of meeting and performing at the same concert as her idol, Kazuhito Yamashita, at Shirakawa Hall in Nagoya, Japan.

​Kristina teaches at the Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen where she became a professor of guitar at the age of 24. Since August 2025, she is also teaching at the University of Agder in Norway where she is also a PhD fellow in artistic research. She has been the artistic director of the Dutch Guitar Foundation since 2019. In 2021, 2022 & 2025 Kristina received the Norwegian State Artist Work Grant for Young and Emerging Artists.
More Info: https://www.kristinavarlid.com

Nina Fourie-Gouws was born in Pretoria, South Africa. She completed both her Bachelor and Masters in Music Performance degrees at the University of Pretoria and also received a Licentiate in Classical Guitar Teaching from the University of South Africa. In 2012 Fourie-Gouws obtained her Postgraduate in Music Performance with distinction from the South African College of Music, University of Cape Town. She is the first guitarist to receive these honours cum laude.

Fourie-Gouws has received masterclasses from a large number of international concert guitarists and pedagogues, including Carlos Bonell (Royal College of Music in London), Nikita Koshkin (Russia), Marco Tamayo (Cuba), Štěpán Rak (Czech Republic), Victor Villadangos (Argentina), Goran Krivokapic (Montenegro), Antigoni Goni (Greece) and Carlos Barbosa-Lima (Brazil), to name a few.

Hailed as “one of South Africa’s top performing artists” (Art of Guitar Festival), Nina Fourie-Gouws maintains an active concert schedule throughout Southern Africa with 2019 performances including multiple sold out performances and standing ovations at SU Woordfees, Classical for All festival and Klein Karoo Klassique. She has performed as a guest artist on the South African television show, Kyknet’s Draadloos as well as a featured artist at the Volterra Guitar Project, in Italy.

Since 2013 Nina Fourie-Gouws has been guitar lecturer at Stellenbosch Konservatorium where she teaches pre-undergraduate and undergraduate practical music studies, accompaniment, repertoire studies and teaching methodology.

More Info: https://www.ninaguitar.co.za

Guitarist/Composer Matthew Cochran is establishing a bold new repertoire for the guitar in the 21st century. Combining elements of romanticism, minimalism, and popular music, Cochran’s compositions are performed by a growing list of leading concert artists and ensembles. No Depression raves, “The pure emotive quality of Cochran’s music pulls you into its embrace and empties your heart with every note.” Cochran’s original works are published by Les Editions d’Oz.

As a performer, Cochran is praised for his “commanding stage presence, intimate expression and inventive interpretation” (Soundboard). Cochran’s many recordings, performances, and interviews have been featured on NPR, BBC, CBC, and Radio Poland; podcasts and web series including Gallery of Guitar, One-Track Podcast, This is Classical Guitar, and Classical Guitar Insider; and syndicated radio programs such as Latino USA and Classical Guitar Alive. He is a frequent guest on Interlochen Public Radio’s In Studio A and Kids Commute. Cochran is often sought out by recording artists for his work as an audio and video producer.

From 2014-2016, Cochran wrote, produced, and hosted Goes2Eleven, a podcast about the world of the guitar which reached over 10,000 weekly listeners. Cochran currently co-hosts the YouTube series Duo Talk, a lively, informative, and at times irreverent exploration of the world of the guitar with his partner, Scottish virtuoso Matthew McAllister. Cochran and McAllister premiered their duo project in 2023 with tours in Scotland and the U.S. The pair quickly established themselves as a major new voice in the guitar world through a combination of unique, accessible programming and their easygoing onstage rapport.

Winner of the 2026 Gallery of Guitar Competition Elsa Canesse returns to the Classical Guitar Retreat to perform her Winners Concert and join the Faculty of Staff for the 2027 Retreat!

Born in 2004, Elsa Canesse is a French classical guitarist who trained at the Lille Conservatoire and subsequently at the École Supérieure de Musique et de Danse des Hauts-de-France in the class of Judicaël Perroy and Carlo Marchione. 

Winner of the ‘France de la Chaise-Mutin’ prize from the Zonta Clubs of France in 2024 and second prize at the José Tomás International Competition (Spain) in 2023, she performs in recitals in France and abroad. 

Elsa is developing an artistic project focused on lesser-known repertoire, particularly that of female composers. She also performs chamber music and teaches guitar at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Douai and the municipal music school in Hazebrouck.