Poland’s Silesian Guitar Autumn is marking four decades of music-making with a festival in Tychy and Katowice from 17 to 24 October 2026. This is the event’s 20th edition, and its programme deliberately moves beyond the conventional solo recital: classical guitar appears alongside jazz and flamenco, chamber music and performances with orchestra.
Forty years of guitar history
The organisers list 14 concerts, some 200 artists and a €15,000 competition prize pool. The international Jan Edmund Jurkowski Memorial Guitar Competition is an important part of the celebrations, placing emerging performers alongside established artists. Anniversary exhibitions also look back at the festival’s beginnings in 1986.
One musical highlight of the opening programme was a new work by José María Sánchez-Verdú for three guitars and string orchestra, involving Marcin Dylla, the Kupiński Guitar Duo and the AUKSO Chamber Orchestra. The scale of that collaboration illustrates how naturally the classical guitar can move between the intimate solo stage and larger ensembles.
What remains on the calendar
The later programme includes an instrument-comparison session and a presentation on string production on 22 October. On 23 October, a research day entitled Guitar: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow includes sessions on the guitar in Chopin’s world, Alexander Tansman’s music, Sor’s opera Telemaco, and the practical problem of string buzz. The combination of performance, research and instrument-making gives the anniversary more substance than a succession of concerts alone.
When: 17–24 October 2026
Where: Tychy and Katowice, Poland
Explore the official Silesian Guitar Autumn programme and tickets
Illustrative guitar photograph: Adi Goldstein / Unsplash; not an image of the festival. Programme details checked 18 October 2026.
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