Matthew McAllister

Scotland

Widely regarded as one of the most exciting and talented Guitarists in Europe Matthew has been delighting audiences worldwide with his insightful performances and effortless presentation in a concert career spanning well over a decade.

Matthew has performed at major venues across the world such as The Concertgebouw Amsterdam, The Purcell Room & St Martin in the Fields, London, Teatro Britanico, Lima, The Sage, Gateshead, Cenart, Mexico City, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Eugene O’Neil Theater, San Jose and Dom Armije, Sarajevo to name a few. Matthew has toured extensively throughout North & South America, Canada, Europe and Asia both as a soloist and chamber musician, and has also produced an extensive discography with Baros Records. As an educator Matthew holds the posts of Classical Guitar Lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and is the Director of the Classical Guitar Retreat. Matthew enjoys keeping in touch with fans and guitarists worldwide and has a very wide reaching internet presence, you can follow him easily on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

Svanur Vilbergsson

Iceland

Svanur Vilbergsson ranks among the most prominent classical guitar players of his generation. Past performances include recitals in Boston, Seattle, and Majorca. The Spanish composer Mateau Malondra Flaquer has dedicated works to him and in 2014 he premiered alongside the Reykjaví Chamber Orchestra a new guitar concerto written by the composer Oliver Kentish and dedicated to him. In addition to his concerts throughout Europe and the USA, Svanur Vilbergsson continues to perform on the most visible stages in his native country. He is a member of Stirni Ensemble and The Icelandic Guitar Trio, both groups specializing in the performance of contemporary music. His cd Four Works was published in 2011 to great acclaim and includes works by Antonio José, Mauro Giuliani, J. S. Bach and Giulio Regondi.

Vilbergsson holds a Bachelors degree from the Maastricht Conservatory (Holland), where he studied guitar with Carlo Marchione and chamber music with cellist Alexander Petrasch and violist Henk Guittart. His other teachers have included Arnaldur Arnarsson (Escola Luthier, Spain) Sonja Prunnbauer (Hochschule für musik Freiburg) and Enno Voorhorst, with whom he attained his Masters degree from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (Holland). He currently teaches classical guitar at The Icelandic Academy of Arts.

Matthew Cochran

America

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.

Roberto Hernan Kuhn Versluys

Chile

Roberto Hernan Kuhn Versluys is a Classical Guitarist from Chile who graduated with a Master’s degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. During his studies, he was awarded a full scholarship and the Outstanding performer prize by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in 2013, and subsequently awarded a scholarship by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Ibanez-Atkinson foundation in 2015 for his Master of Music degree. He also holds bachelor’s degrees in Composition, Musical Education and Classical Guitar from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

Roberto currently lectures for the Junior department of the RCS and the High School of Glasgow Junior and Senior schools. His career as a soloist and as a chamber musician has taken him all over the world including Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Spain, France, Germany, Ireland, England, and
Scotland. As well as teaching and performing, Roberto directs the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Guitar Orchestra, working with many aspiring Classical Guitar students in Scotland. He also works as assistant editor for the Virtual Guitar Orchestra; creating projects that involve classical guitarists from all over the world.

Marco Ramelli

Italy

Born in Milan, Italy, Marco Ramelli is an artist of diverse interests, encompassing roles as a guitarist, composer, researcher, lecturer, and artistic director.

Marco has performed worldwide as a guitarist, appearing in important venues as a soloist and chamber musician. His artistic path has been marked by several achievements, including the first prizes in international competitions in Italy, Spain, the UK, France, and Serbia and the recording several albums for Brilliant Classics, Nimbus, and Naxos. 

Expanding his horizons into composition, Marco gained international recognition with the “World Guitar Composition Competition” award in Serbia for his piece “Im Nebel, homage to Kengiro Azuma.” His compositions are played globally, interpreted by celebrated soloists such as Sean Shibe, Andrea Dieci, Lorenzo Micheli, and Andrea De Vitis. Collaboration stands as a cornerstone of Marco’s artistic journey. He has nurtured enduring associations with other contemporary composers, resulting in premieres of several compositions dedicated to him.

Marco’s academic pursuit led to a doctorate in performing arts from the University of St Andrews and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (UK). As a dedicated researcher, he shares his insights through conferences and lectures at distinguished universities worldwide, and he is a keen promoter of artistic research through the organization of conferences.