9 April @ 8:10 am – 9:00 pm BST

Gonçalo Maia Caetano is a classical guitarist from Pinhel, Portugal, currently completing a Master of Arts degree at the Royal Academy of Music.

He has won over ten international competitions, including the prestigious Prince’s Prize awarded by the The Worshipful Company of Musicians.

In 2020, Gonçalo joined the Phemo Quartet as a bass player. The ensemble has performed at leading venues including Vortex Jazz Club and Kings Place. Their debut album, Anti-Revelation, is scheduled for release later this year.

This concert is presented in collaboration with the International Guitar Foundation (IGF).

Programme

Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687–1750)
Overture in B-flat major

Toru Takemitsu (1930–1996)
All in Twilight
I. —
II. Dark
III. —
IV. Slightly Fast

Miguel Llobet (1878–1938)
Scherzo-Vals

Agustín Barrios Mangoré (1885–1944)
Mazurka Appassionata

Ashkan Layegh (b. 1997)
For Solo Guitar 2 (IGF Commission, 2025)

Sérgio Assad (b. 1952)
Aquarelle
I. Divertimento
II. Valseana
III. Prelúdio e Toccatina

The term Fika comes from the Swedish tradition of enjoying a break during the day to eat or drink something sweet to recharge one‘s energy. The duo aims to build a unique concert repertoire through new arrangements and collaborations with composers, including Zoë‘s own
compositions and live improvisations. I think, based upon their performance, they certainly achieved their goals.

The duo produced a thoughtful programme, showcasing excellent technique and musical synergy, which resonated well with the audience.

The flute can often dominate the sound of a classical guitar in such pairings, but Zoë and Emma were perfectly matched, creating a harmonious interplay which felt both natural and deliberate. This balance set the stage for a high quality performance throughout.

A highlight of the evening was the performance of Swarming, a commissioned piece by Effy Efthymiou which through the duo‘s interplay with rapid, intricate passages, evoked the frenetic buzz of swarming insects.

The duo‘s rendition of Histoire du Tango (Astor Piazzolla) transported the audience through the gritty bordellos of the 1900s, to the more romantic setting of Parisian cafes in the 1930s , Nightclub 1960, infused with bossa nova vibes and the Concert of Today (1985).

Other standouts were Cable to the Sun by fellow student Franklin Onyeso and Zoë‘s improvised composition Low Earth Orbit. Equally impressive was Stephen Goss‘s composition La Catedral Sumergida, a piece originally commissioned for BCGS‘s own Francisco and Emily Correa. The evening concluded with a playful encore, Philip Houghton‘s Gary the Gecko.

I’m sure I can say on behalf of the audience that it was an excellent recital and we look forward to further
performances by this talented duo.

Programme

ASTOR PIAZZOLLA (1921–1992)
Histoire du Tango
i. Bordel 1900

EFFY EFTHYMIOU (1980-)

Swarming (IGF Commission)

ASTOR PIAZZOLLA
Histoire du Tango (ctd.)
ii. Café 1930

FRANKLIN ONYESO (2005–)
Cable to the Sun

ZOË MEADOWCROFT (2005–)
Low Earth Orbit

ASTOR PIAZZOLLA
Histoire du Tango (ctd.)
iii. Nightclub 1960

STEPHEN GOSS (1964–)
La Catedral Sumergida

ASTOR PIAZZOLLA
Histoire du Tango (ctd.)
iv. Concert d’Aujourd’hui

For Micaela, this tour was a chance to perform internationally, but also immerse herself in the UK’s vibrant guitar community, to learn, to teach, and to build friendships through music. For everyone who heard her play, it was an unforgettable reminder of the power of cultural exchange.

About Mica

Micaela (“Mica”) trained at the National Conservatory of Music of Paraguay and the Institute of Fine Arts, before pursuing further studies at the National University of Rosario in Argentina. Along the way, she has studied with leading guitarists including Eduardo Isaac, Eduardo Fernández, and Juan Almada, and taken masterclasses with an impressive list of international stars such as Berta Rojas, William Kanengiser, Edelton Gloeden, and Víctor Villadangos.

Her artistry reflects this wide-ranging background: deeply rooted in Latin American traditions but refined through the discipline of the classical canon. Mica was a member of the “Ensamble Pu Rory” project, directed by Maestra Berta Rojas, and was a recipient of the Instrumentoteca Toyota prize, which gave her not only a fine concert guitar but also the opportunity to travel and develop her career abroad.

A Summer of Music

Mica’s whirlwind UK adventure in August 2025  took her to some of the country’s most important guitar gatherings, as both student and performer.

She first joined the Ammerdown Guitar Summer School, where she quickly impressed both tutors and fellow participants with her sensitive playing and warmth of character. She performed as a guest artist with co-sponsor WAGO at Ammerdown, in the premiere performance of a new 7 mov composition written for WAGO called Wessex Wyverns by Stephen Goss (solists Mark Eden and Nicola Russell).

From there, she travelled to Bath for the International Guitar Foundation (IGF) Summer School, immersing herself in workshops and performances alongside an international mix of players and world-class performers.

Her journey continued to the West Dean Classical Guitar Summer School, one of the UK’s most respected courses. Here, Mica found herself in the company of renowned teachers and fellow students passionate about pushing their playing to the next level. She relished the chance to learn and to share her own musical insights, especially around Latin American repertoire.

One of the standout moments of her trip came at Hawkwood College, where she took part in a masterclass with Craig Ogden, one of Britain’s best-loved guitarists. Not only did she learn from him, but she also had the thrill of sharing the stage with Craig in concert – an early career milestone that will surely stay with her forever.

The tour reached its peak with Mica’s solo full-length recital at St Mary’s Church, Yatton, presented by the Yatton Music Society in partnership with BCGS and the Wyvern Afinado Guitar Orchestra. In this beautiful village setting, she offered a programme that blended the Romantic elegance of Napoléon Coste, the rhythmic drive of Paulo Bellinati, the haunting lyricism of Leo Brouwer, and the unmistakable voice of Paraguay’s own Agustín Barrios Mangoré. It was a performance that left the audience spellbound – a perfect example of how a single guitar, in the hands of the right player, can fill a room with colour, emotion, and narrative.

The Repertoire

Across her various UK appearances, Mica’s repertoire showcased the breadth of her artistry. She moved seamlessly from demanding Romantic era pieces (e.g. Napoleon Coste – Fantasie Op.31 Le Depart) to Spanish classics such as Albéniz’s Sevilla, to Latin American gems including Barrios’s Julia Florida and La Catedral, to modern works like Solís’s Pasaje Abierto and Bellinati’s Jongo and Brouwer’s El Decameron Negro.

Her choices reflected not only her technical command but also her musical identity: a guitarist equally at home with the folk-infused rhythms of her homeland and the wider international guitar concert music. Listeners were treated to music that was both virtuosic and deeply personal – every phrase seemed to carry a story.

Building Bridges

What made this tour so special  was the way Mica connected with people – summer school students, teachers, audiences, and fellow performers. She brought with her a sense of curiosity and openness.

By the time she left, she had built friendships that stretched across continents. For those of us lucky enough to hear her, it was a reminder that music is more than sound: it’s a conversation, a bridge between cultures, and a celebration of our shared humanity.

Gratitude and Looking Forward

This visit wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the Bristol Classical Guitar Society, whose sponsorship ensured that Mica could travel and perform here. Special thanks also go to Helen and Vince Smith, who welcomed her into their home and supported her throughout her stay, with Vince also lending Mica a concert guitar for the duration of her trip. 

As Mica returns to Paraguay, she carries with her the experiences, connections, and memories of a truly remarkable summer. And for those of us in the UK, we carry the memory of her playing – sensitive, vibrant, and full of heart.

Her story is still being written, but one thing is certain: this is just the beginning. Next year, Mica will further her studies with a Masters programme in the US. We look forward to following Mica’s career and hearing her play again!

11 September, 2025 @ 8:10 pm – 9:00 pm BST (London)

This concert is promoted in partnership with the International Guitar Foundation (IGF).

Praised as “such an amazing talent“, Duo Cantelina are a dynamic vocal and guitar duo comprising of mezzo-soprano Sophie Clarke and classical guitarist Ravi Nathwani. They have just completed their Master’s at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and have now been selected as International Guitar Foundation (IGF) Young Artists for 2024-2025.

During their time at the RNCM they received First Place in the Bessie Cronshaw/Frost Brownson Song Cycle Competition. Duo Cantelina performs at a selection of concerts all over the UK, including an invitation from the Consul of Spain to perform at the National Day of Spain celebrations in Manchester.

One of their most recent recitals took place at King’s Place in London, where they gave a performance of IGF commissioned work Self-love, specifically composed for the duo by Bobbie-Jane Gardner. Other performances include a recital for Buxton Opera House & Pavilion Arts Centre and pre-concert and post-concert recitals for BBC Philharmonic and The Hallé, both at Bridgewater Hall.

Programme

JOSÉ SERRANO
arr. Ravi Nathwani
Marinela, Marinela

FRANZ SCHUBERT
arr. Craig Ogden
Ständchen, D 889

MANUEL DE FALLA
arr. Miguel Llobet & Emilio Pujol
Siete Canciones Populares Españolas
    i. El Paño Moruno
    ii. Seguidilla Murciana
    iii. Asturiana
    iv. Jota
    v. Nana
    vi. Canción
    vii. Polo

ROBERT BURNS
arr. Ravi Nathwani
Ae Fond Kiss

BOBBIE-JANE GARDNER (IGF Commission)
Self-love

KURT WEILL
arr. Ravi Nathwani
Wie lange noch?

STANLEY MYERS & CLEO LAINE
arr. Ravi Nathwani
He Was Beautiful

9 October, 2025 @ 7:15 pm – 10:00 pm BST

Theme: Personally Meaningful.

Play something which has great personal meaning for you

19:15-20:00 Solos and chamber ensembles

20:10-21:00 Young Artists Platform: Duo Fika

We host Duo Fika, one of this year’s IGF Young Artist Platform winners, for a short concert. See the event page here for background and a programme.

This concert is promoted in partnership with the International Guitar Foundation (IGF).

21:00-22:00 BCGS Ensemble Rehearsal

11 September, 2025 @ 7:15 pm – 10:00 pm BST

Theme: Cheesy classics.

Shamelessly celebrate the perennial favourites which might have drawn you to the guitar in the first place e.g. Spanish Romance, Lágrimas, Recuerdos, Cavatina, Asturias…

19:15-19:45 Solos and chamber ensembles

20:10-21:00 Young Artists Platform

We host Duo Cantelina, one of this year’s IGF Young Artist Platform winners, for a short concert. For more information, including the programme, see their event page here

This concert is promoted in partnership with the International Guitar Foundation (IGF).

21:05-22:00 BCGS Ensemble Rehearsal

This year Berta is a guest and concert artist at the West Dean Guitar Summer School near Chichester from 17 – 22 Aug 2024. Additionally, Berta will be giving a concert there on Mon 19 Aug at 8pm. If you wish to see the concert then tickets are available at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/westdeansussexevents/1173765.

Unfortunately, we are unable to hold a BCGS concert with Berta this year. However, we are taking advantage of the fact that Berta is in the UK to hold a workshop and masterclasses with members from the BCGS and WAGO on Sunday 25 Aug 2024.

The visit of Berta to BCGS/WAGO will take place at the Hewish & Puxton Village Hall (near Weston-super-Mare and the home of WAGO) on Sunday 25 Aug 2024 from 10am to 4pm. There is easy car access and free parking available at the village hall. Free Wifi is also available.

The timetable for the day is as follows:

• 10:00 WAGO Workshop
• 11:15 coffee break
• 11:45 WAGO workshop
• 13:00 Lunch (an opportunity to chat to Berta) – a full lunch is only available to WAGO members – drinks and snacks to others will be available.
• 14:00 BCGS/WAGO Masterclasses (includes a short coffee break)
• 16:00 Close (the hall is available until 5pm if we get more masterclass
  candidates)

BCGS members are invited to attend as a spectator for some or all of the day (including the WAGO workshop), and/or to take part in a Masterclass with Berta. You do not have to consider yourself as a master guitarists to have a masterclass, or have learnt a really challenging piece of music, but you should have something reasonably well prepared whatever the difficulty of the music. Better to think of the masterclass as a short public lesson with a great concert guitarist, than some master performance by yourself.

We also welcome members of the general public as spectators (£10).

There will be a small cost to those who attend, dependent on what part an individual intends to undertake during the day:

• To attend all, or some of the day as a spectator, is £10 (includes coffee, tea, snacks etc). This is open to BCGS members, their guests, and the general public.
• To play in a 20 min masterclass with Berta £30. If you pay for a masterclass then you will not be charged the £10 to spectate for any other parts of the day. Masterclass slots are only available for WAGO and BCGS members.
• You may bring guests with you who are not BCGS members, but they too will need to pay £10 to observe.

If you’d like to attend, either as an audience member or take part in the masterclass, please let
Vince know as soon as possible. He needs to plan the timetable, manage costs, and supply refreshments!

This month, members of the BCGS were treated to a concert by rising star Luke Bartlett, whom we regard very much as one of our own. Luke has been attending the BCGS regularly since the age of 14 and we have watched him flourish and his hairstyles changing from one visit to the next. He is approaching his Finals Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, was selected as an IGF Young Artist 2024, is a Julian Bream Scholar and has recently won a prize for Voice and Guitar at RWCMD. The BCGS has provided Luke with a small scholarship towards his studies at University and he has richly rewarded us with his ongoing support for the society and to witness his considerably talent unfolding.

It was clear form the outset that he had put considerable thought into his concert. In Fantasia by Alonso Mudarra, Luke used Segovia-like fingering to achieve warmer tones, with beautiful campanella over-ringing to achieve Mudarra’s aim of imitating “the harp playing of Ludovico.” He impressed in the Scarlatti Sonata K.208 with his cross-string trills and is ornamentation. His stand-out piece was the Fantasia-Sonata, Op. A-22 which was written for Andres Segovia by Catalan composer Joan Manen, a rarely performed piece. Luke achieved many rich textures in this dramatic piece, bringing out all of the voices. It had a fast section, lots of slurs and rasgueados, percussive and complex rhythms and ended with a slow soulful section. His concentration did not falter despite the loud ticking of the wall clock and a member of the audience knocking over a water bottle. The Sarabande for Guitar, written by Francis Poulenc for Ida Presti, was impressionistic and played with haunting delicate tones and fading into silence at the end. This was followed by Tango de la Casada Infiel (Homenage a Garcia Lorca) by Vicente Asenscio. Luke mastered the complexities of this discordant and sad piece with ease and made it sound beautiful. Luke ended the concert with his own arrangement of two rarely heard pieces from Herbert Howell’s Lambert’s Clavichord: I. Lambert’s Fireside and V. Sargent’s Fantastic Sprite. Luke elegantly caught the intended renaissance flavour, the first piece slow and reminiscent of Dowland, the second much faster with a slightly Celtic influence.

Luke rewarded the audience with a beautiful rendition of Heitor Villa-Lobos’s Prelude No. 3 as his encore. All pieces were played on Luke’s Kim Lassarangue guitar with impressive volume and he was able to demonstrate the full dynamic range of this instrument.

The audience thoroughly enjoyed this high-quality performance and wish Luke well in his Finals Performance, the Sir Ian Stoutzker Prize Final and of course the rest of his career.

Programme

Solos

(Optional) theme for the solos this month: Music from Spain

First Session 8-9.00pm

Ensemble

Second Session 9.15-10.00pm – Visiting Artist lecture

Visiting Artist: Paul Gregory from Maestoso Music.

Paul’s talk will be:

So what do you really want from a guitar?

A discourse on how instruments differ (old and new) and what they can offer the player, with musical examples.

Solos

(Optional) theme for the solos this month: 21st century composition

First Session 8-9.00pm

Ensemble

Second Session 9.15-10.00pm: Visiting Artist Performance

Visiting Artist: Arthur Keegan: Wessex songs.

Music for guitar and voice project on poetry by Thomas Hardy.

Arthur is a Bristol-based composer. LPO, BSO Philarmonia commissioned.

Hear the album The Past & I:100 Years of Thomas Hardy  on Spotify