The 21st international Tampere Guitar Festival will take place from June 4–7. The main theme of the event is Evolving Guitar, which explores the current state and future of guitar repertoire. This theme will be reflected in all concerts as well as in an open lecture series. Additionally, the 5th Youth Guitar Competition will be held during the festival. The main venue is Tampere Conservatory, with additional concerts at Aleksanteri Church, the Old Church of Pirkkala, and Kulttuuritalo Telakka.
"For decades, I have listened to traditional solo guitar repertoire in classical guitar concerts. While this tradition is the foundation of the guitar's popularity and should remain essential for every guitarist, there is also a need to explore new avenues," says festival founder and director Tomi Tolvanen. In recent years, the festival program has increasingly featured various ensembles rather than solely solo performances. This is also evident in the artist selections and concert programming for 2025, which emphasize collaboration between performers and composers. Additionally, the festival will explore the possibilities of expanding guitar repertoire through arrangements of compositions originally written for other instruments and orchestral music.
Premieres, Album Releases, and New Repertoire for Guitar
The festival kicks off on Wednesday, June 4, with a free lunchtime concert by students from Tampere University of Applied Sciences. That evening, Özberk Miraç Sarıgül, the 2024 winner of the Petrer Guitar Competition in Spain, will perform. The Turkish guitarist’s program will include contemporary music from his home country, rarely heard in Finland.
On Thursday, June 5, German cellist Anja Lechner and Argentine guitarist Pablo Márquez will perform a concert featuring works composed and arranged for cello and guitar, including pieces by Franz Schubert, Friedrich Burgmüller, and Radamés Gnattali. The duo released the critically acclaimed album Die Nacht (ECM Records) in 2018. Thursday also marks the beginning of the two-day international Youth Guitar Competition, including masterclasses.
Friday, June 6, is dedicated to Lithuanian music. The day begins with the debut album release concert of the guitar duo Rokas Jurkus and Lovro Peretić, Tarp Dangaus ir Žemės (Between Heaven and Earth). The album features Jurkus’ arrangements of piano and chamber music compositions by Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, one of Lithuania’s most renowned artists, born 150 years ago. The evening concert will feature the Baltic Guitar Quartet, which has been performing together for over 20 years. Their program will include Lithuanian compositions arranged for guitar quartet and works dedicated to them, as heard on their 2024 album Through the Meadows. The day will culminate in a performance by the Mindaugas Stumbras Quartet. Stumbras’ compositions blend European and American jazz traditions with Lithuanian folk music and Scandinavian improvisation. The club night will be opened by jazz guitarist Tuomas Paukku, celebrating the release of his album Peaces, which showcases his use of improvisation, extended techniques, effects, and looping.
Saturday, June 7, will highlight new Finnish guitar music. The afternoon matinee will present works composed by Sibelius Academy composition students for guitar students, featuring a total of 10 composers and 15 guitarists. The festival will conclude with a concert by the acclaimed contemporary music ensemble TampereRaw. The program includes the world premiere of Kiva (2024), a mini-concerto by Jukka Tiensuu, commissioned by the Tampere Guitar Festival. Guitarist Pablo Márquez will perform as the soloist.
In addition to concerts, a two-day lecture series will be held on June 6–7, open to all. The main theme is the development of classical guitar repertoire through composition and arrangement. Speakers include festival performers from Finland, Lithuania and Argentina, and composer Jukka Tiensuu. Attendance at the lectures, masterclasses, and guitar competition is free of charge, while ticket sales for concerts begin on Friday, March 21, at 12:00 PM.
