With a large array of prestigious awards and highly acclaimed performances on renowned festivals, Irina Kulikova is considered one of the most gifted musicians on classical guitar. She is well known for the depth of her interpretations and the rare spectrum of colours she evokes. Irina Kulikova has the capacity of fully opening up to music, dragging audiences around the world with her into a most profound and enchanting experience.

Irina Kulikova was born in Chelyabinsk, the capital of South-Ural, Russia. Under the guidance of her mother – cellist Vinera Kulikova – she started developing her musicianship from the earliest age. At twelve, she was already travelling around Russia and abroad for gala-concerts and festivals. At fourteen, she was included in the book “The Classical Guitar, its evolution, players and personalities since 1800” by Maurice Summerfield.

Ever since this early recognition, Irina has caught the attention of leading guitarists, critics and audiences around the world. She has given concerts in twenty five countries, performing as a soloist, in a variety of ensembles and with a number of orchestra’s.

The experts’ appreciation has been underlined with numerous awards on prestigious international guitar competitions, culminating with five 1st prizes in 2008:
# ‘Michele Pittaluga’, Alessandria, Italy
# ‘Guitarra Alhambra’, Valencia, Spain
# ‘Forum Gitarre Wien’, Austria
# “International Guitar competition Iserlohn’, Germany
# “Scharpach Guitar competition”, The Netherlands.
In the same year, she was awarded the ‘Young talent, Culture and Podia’ award in The Netherlands.

Between 2008 and 2010, Irina Kulikova was invited for concerts, master classes and adjudication on festivals in 15 different countries, including ‘Musical Olympus’ in St.-Petersburg, ‘Luigi Legnani’ in Italy, Naxos in Greece, ‘J.K. Mertz’ in Bratislava, Slovakia, Niksiç in Montenegro, Esztergom in Hungary (the oldest guitarfestival in the world), Split in Croatia, Rencontre de Guitare Classique in Nice, France, ‘Guitarra Alhambra’, Spain, and Saltillo in Mexico.

Highlights for 2010 – 2011 will be two new CD-recordings with the Naxos label (including a CD with Russian composers),concert tours in Canada and the USA, a concert with the State Symphony Orchestra “New Russia” at the VI Moscow International Festival “The Guitar Virtuosos” in the Tchaikovsky Hall and a concert at the XXth anniversary of the Iserlohn Guitar Symposium in Germany.

# Irina Kulikova graduated with distinction at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg (Austria), the Gnessins Academy in Moscow (Russia) and the Conservatoire of Maastricht (The Netherlands).

Recent awards

First prizes:
# Michele Pittaluga, Alessandria, Italy, 2008
# Guitarra Alhambra, Valencia, Spain, 2008
# Forum Gitarre Wien, Austria, 2008
# International Guitarcompetition Iserlohn, Germany, 2008
# Twents Gitaarfestival, The Netherlands, 2008
# International Guitarfestival of Coria, Spain, 2006

Second prizes:
# International Guitarfestival Naxos, Greece, 2007
# Norba Caesarina”, Caceres, Spain, 2007
# Ivor Mairants Guitar Award”, London, England, 2006

Third prize:
# ‘Printemps de la Guitare’, Charleroi, Belgium, 2006

Stipendium:
# Young talent, Culture and Podium prize, The Netherlands, 2008

He has appeared on stage throughout Australia, Canada, the US, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom as a soloist and in his chamber ensembles, Zoco Duo (with oboist Laura Karney) and the Australian Guitar Duo (with Rupert Boyd). His solo CD Stélé, recorded in 2004, is regularly featured on Australian radio and was hailed by Classical Guitar Magazine (UK) as “wonderfully sympathetic and highly accomplished… Cordover managing to get to the very soul of this striking and brilliant music.”

Alongside Jacob Cordover’s established groups, he is in demand as a chamber musician and soloist, having worked with ensembles and orchestras including the Ottocento Orchestra, Z.O.O. guitar ensemble, the Leicester International Music Festival and artists ranging from Nicholas Daniel to Dave Young. In 2004-5 he spent nine months as a Resident Artist at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada, where aside from his regular performances and masterclasses he met international musicians and composers with whom he continues to work.

Whilst Mr Cordover plays the full range of classical guitar repertoire, he is also active in the development and research of contemporary and 19th century music. His interest in contemporary music was inspired by studies with Timothy Kain, which has led to his commissioning and premiering works for solo guitar and guitar with oboe, a previously overlooked combination. He is proving to be an important figure in the development of new guitar repertoire, having had works written for him by British, Norwegian, Mexican, Spanish, Australian, American and Canadian composers. He also works with specialist Carlo Barone in the application of appropriate performance practice of 19th-Century music, including performing this repertoire on a variety of period guitars.

Complementing his performance schedule, Jacob Cordover has won prizes and awards in international competitions the world over. These include 1st prize at the III Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Festival de Córdoba, Spain, 1st prize at the Sydney Performing Arts Challenge, 2nd prize at the Australian Guitar Competition, Chamber Music Section and 3rd prize at the Performing Australian Music Competition, London.

In October 2008 Jacob Cordover made his debut with the Orquestra Simfònica de Balears “Ciutat de Palma”. His performance of Leo Brouwer’s Retrats Catalans was conducted by Geoffrey Simon and sponsored by the Swiss Global Artistic Foundation. The music critic of Ultima Hora praised him as “an exceptional guitarist”.

Jacob Cordover has been the recipient of grants from the Australia Council for the Arts, the Ian Potter Cultural Trust, the Australian National University Friends of the School of Music, artsACT, Swiss Global Artistic Foundation and the Australian Music Foundation.

www. jacobcordover.com

Carle Costa

Carlé Costa is internationally considered to be a unique and exquisite guitar performer.  He is a poetic and innovative composer, and with his own particular style is renovating the guitar´s language.

Costa has given recitals in Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Peru in prestigious international festivals, often presenting  his own compositions, his performances are received enthusiastically by the public and critics alike.

Carlé Costa was born in Uruguay in 1959, and grew up in Argentina. At the age of 13 years he began his classical guitar studies in Mar del Plata with the italian teacher José Smiroldo. At the age of eighteen he went to Buenos Aires to continue his studies in the National Conservatory of Music.  There he studied classical guitar by Horacio Ceballos.  Later he studied contemporary guitar with Miguel Angel Girollet, and also took classes in  composition, electro-acoustic music, analysis, philosophy of music  and chamber music,  with Guillermo Graetzer, José Maranzano, Vadim von Struckhoff, Mario García Acevedo, Pedro Chiambaretta, Helmut Lachenmann and Ivo Malec.

As a young concert artist, Costa was a pioneer in interpreting and teaching contemporary and avant garde music.  In 1986 he recorded his first album for the label Circe of Buenos Aires, with a selection of contemporary compositions (Brouwer, Tsilicas, Obrovská, Labrouve, Gervasoni and Costa). The recording was highly praised by both critics and contemporary music specialists.  In his own compositions  he developed and created extended techniques for the guitar and incorporated these techniques in his compositions.

Parallel to his artistic activities, Costa developed a treatise to communicate new concepts and spirituality in music, awaking the creativity of young musicians.  He gave courses, seminars and masterclasses in conservatories and universities of Argentine, Peru, Chile, Sweden and Germany.  He organized with others important guitarrists the “Campus of Contemporary Guitar” (2002 to 2005) who inspired the documentation film of Javier de Silvio  “Guitarra Adentro”.   He created and gave the artistic direction of the “International Guitarplayers-Composers Festival in the Cordoba Northwest” (2001 to 2005).

Carlé Costa,  with his compositional work, his quality to perform the guitar, and his unusual and deep vision about art, is considered at the moment one of the most important referents of the new generation of artists.

Since 2006 Costa has been residing in Berlin, Germany.

http://www.carlecosta.com.ar/

Yiannis Giagourta

Yiannis continued his Music studies with Oscar Ghiglia and he was accepted with scholarship to Academia Chigiana (Siena, Italy) which he completed successfully. He took a part in masterclasses of Roland Dyens, Oscar Ghiglia, David Russell, Vladimir Mikulka, Gary Ryan, Carlo Marchione, Nikita Koshkin and diligently followed the seminars of Baroque music held by Dimitri Ioannou and Panagioti Adam.
Yiannis Giagourtas performed concerts and gave masterclasses all over the Greece, Italy and Serbia. In 2002 he was awarded with the 1st Prize in the National competition in Veroia, dedicated to D. Fampas.
In 2008 he was invited to record for the National TV of Greece in a documentary movie about the work and life of P.Gypas. Yiannis worked closely with the most significant and well-known Greek composers, such as N. Mamangakis.
In 2009 he has been accepted in DIT College of Music in Dublin to finalize his Master Degree in the class of Pr. John Feeley. In the same year he became the first young Greek guitarist sponsored by SAVAREZ.

“…possessing not only the extraordinary way of interpretation and technique which can be achieved through exceptional work and dedication, he has ethos. Ethos, which only Great Artists have. I am certain that he will have a great future in music…”
-E. Assimakopoulos

Gabriel Bianco

Gabriel Bianco is certainly no stranger to the spotlight. He has already performed in over 30 music festivals across the word in France, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Portugal, Slovakia, and Thaïland. At the age of 12, he performed for French television (Mezzo), and later appeared on Romanian television (TVR Cultura).

Born into a family of musicians, Gabriel received an early start on the guitar, receiving lessons with his father at age 5. A few years later, he began his studies in Paris with Ramon de Herrera at the Conservatoire National de Région, Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris and later at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris where he received the highest performance distinction under the teaching of Olivier Chassain. Since 2005 Gabriel has studied with French virtuoso Judicael Perroy.

website: www.gabrielbianco.com

Sabrina Vlaskalic

master classes with the most eminent guitarists of today, such as:Pepe Romero, Manuel Baruecco, Pavel Steidl, Marcin Dylla, Susana Prieto, Alexis Muzurakis, Roland Dyens, Sergio and Odair Assad, Oscar Ghiglia, Dusan Bogdanovic, Gerhard Reichenbach, Costas Cotsiolis, Aniello Desiderio, Denis Azabagic, Goran Krivokapic and many others.

She is the winner of numerous National and International competitions. Sabrina has won over 10 special and 22 first prizes in solo guitar competitions all over the world:

Many times described as “new Ida Presti”, Sabrina is considered to be one of the most talented young players and she has already given many recitals all over Europe (Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Spain, Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia…)

More about Sabrina

“…One of today’s most promising guitar talents…” -Jury of Zuidlaren Guitar festival

www.myspace.com/sabrinavlaskalic www.youtube.com/sabrinavlaskalic

David Veslocki

David’s music has been mastered by Nick Essig(Elton John), Grammy Award Winner Gavin Lurssen(Robert Plant), and Rob Treloar(engineer for Queen Latifa, Roberta Flack), Sonic Boyz (Kanye West, Beyonce, Mary J Blidge, Busta Rhymes). David’s collaboration with rapper Mr. Ozwald reached number 3 on college charts in all of North America, and his recent compositions(written with Composer Jay Wadley) will be appearing in the Universal Music Group production catalog at Killer Tracks in January.

David Veslocki has had the pleasure of collaborating with a wide range of musicians ranging from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and John Adams, all the way to theDerek Trucks Band and Clark Terry.

David has appeared in Classical Guitar Magazine with the Yale Classical Guitar Quartet, and Downbeat Magazine for Best Pop/Rock group. David also received the Elliot Fisk Award while at Yale University.

David Graduated from Yale University with two degrees in classical guitar performance, and is the only guitarist to ever graduate from Eastman School of Music with a degree both in Classical and Jazz guitar performance. As a teacher, David is developing a strong portfolio crafting the program in West Hartford Public Schools at Hall High School and Conard High School, and is also teaching at The Tess School of Music under the Suzuki Curriculum in South Norwalk.

David has performed in Halls and venues including Avery Fisher Hall(world premiering “10,000 Cranes” by Pete Wier), the Bushnell, the Stone, The Wadsworth Anthenium, Six Flags New England Mainstage, the Eastman Theatre(World Premiering Ricardo Muldoon’s “Guitango”), The Webster, The Hillstead Museum, The Hartford Jazz Festival, and The Box at Williams College.

David is an active member of many groups. Pearl City, Elemental and The Yale Classical Guitar Duo, and David is the lead guitarist of the 45′s and the Alex Flanigan Band.

David Is also the founder of Designer Guitar Tracks (Copyright Veslocki 08′), which has provided the industry standard in studio guitar work, played, and engineered by David Veslocki.

What the critics say:

“David Veslocki plays Bach’s lute works on the guitar with a refinement and insight that is usually reserved to the best lute players. His suite movements dance with a clarity of form that is both stimulating and elegant.” -Paul Cienniwa, Artistic Director, Newport Baroque

“Dave plays like Jimi Hendrix with a masters from Yale in guitar” Rapper Mr. Ozwald, Crown Digital Records.

Ana Vidovic

Equally impressive is the fact that she has already recorded five CDs,one of them for the
Naxos label,and that she has already concertized in some twenty countries throughout the
world.She has performed in cities such as London,Paris,Vienna,Salzburg,
Rome,Budapest,Warsaw,Tel Aviv,Oslo,Copenhagen,Toronto,Baltimore,San
Francisco,Houston,Austin,Dallas and St.Louis.
In her native Croatia she has performed with the Zagreb Soloists and the Zagreb Philharmonic
Orchestra and with Symphony Orchestra of the Croatian Radio and Television,as well as
having been featured in three television documentaries by the eminent Croatian film director
Petar Krelja.
Ana began playing the guitar at the early age of five and at thirteen she was the youngest
student ever to enter the Musical Academy in Zagreb,where she studied with Professor Istvan
Romer.Currently she is attending the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore,MD,where
she is further refining her remarkable gifts under the tutelage of world renown guitarist
Manuel Barrueco.

What the critics say…

Ana Vidovic is a bright young talent,well equipped to take her place among the world’s
international soloists.
Colin Cooper,Classical Guitar
Vidovic is undeniably a very talented young guitarist whose range,as it extends,may well
visibly cast her as a major artist…

Chris Kilvington,Classical Guitar
Ana Vidovic produces so many moments of insight that you often feel you are listening to
the music for the first time.This is very impressive indeed in one so young-she is only 20.
Colin Cooper,Classical Guitar
It is difficult to know where to begin when discussing the enormous talents of Ana
Vidovic.Her dynamic range,beauty of sound,precision of articulation and virtuosity are such
that listening becomes more of an absolute musical experience.
Stephen Griesgraber,Guitar Review

Raphaella Smits

Besides stage-work Raphaella Smits has made 5 LP’s and since 1986 for Accent Records
12 CD’s, many of them being listed as indispensable to refined music lovers.

Raphaella Smits is internationally praised as an inspiring teacher for both guitar
and chamber music. In addition to her chair at the Lemmens Institute in Belgium, she
regularly gives master-classes in West and East Europe, in North and South America
and in Japan.

Organizers of international music competitions ask Raphaella as a member of the jury
because of her ability to listen and to judge so accurately. Here again she shows
her talent to combine professional skills with a great sense of empathy.

Raphaella studied classical music at the Royal Conservatories of Antwerp and
Brussels. She went to José Tomàs to perfect her playing at the “Catedra Andrès
Segovia” in Alicante and in Santiago de Compostella, Spain. At that time she was
giving her first recitals and became a persuasive advocate of the eight-string
guitar.

In 1986 Raphaella Smits was the first woman to win the first prize of the “XX
Certamen Internacional de Guitarra Francisco Tarrega”, famous international guitar
competition in Benicasim, Spain. That victory confirmed the progress of a successful
career, which over the previous years had included prizes in the Granada and Palma
de Mallorca contests.
Chairmen Andrès Segovia and Narciso Yepes, both expressed their admiration for
Raphaella’s musicality and put prophetically confidence in her future achievements.

Raphaella Smits is called quite rightly ‘une Grande Musicienne’ and ‘one of the most
delicate and most cultivated performers of our time’ (Jean Bernard, Diapason, FR).

email:info@rsmits.com

website: www.rsmits.com