Performances will embrace a variety of genres and styles, featuring an international line-up of artists that includes acoustic guitar virtuoso Peter Finger from Germany, Italian fingerstyle guitarist Daniele Bazzani, swing jazz guitarist Anth Purdy and Scotland's jazz virtuoso Nigel Clark with many more to follow.
In the Festival's seminar programme, visitors can learn skills, tips and tricks from leading performers and practitioners. With something for every guitarist, sessions include Guitar Looping (Haftoe Medboe), Rock 2 Jazz (Pete Sklaroff), Altered Tuning (Peter Finger), Slide Guitar (Tom Doughty), Becoming a Studio Guitarist and Getting the Right Sound (Hugh Burns), through to Surviving as a Rock Guitarist with tour veteran and writer Phil Hilborne. An additional programme of industry seminars will see guest speakers from the music and audio industries cover a range of business-related topics relevant to guitarists of all levels.
Aiming to support the next generation of guitarists, the Festival also features two schools' competitions, the EGMFestival Juniors Guitar Competition (for 11 to 14 year olds) and the EGMFestival Seniors Guitar Competition (for 15 to 18 year olds). Finalists will be selected from recorded entries and invited to perform live at a special event on Sunday 26th May. Three prizes will be awarded in each category, with supporting schools also eligible to win vouchers for equipment purchase. The senior competition is sponsored by Edinburgh-based festival partner Red Dog Music.
The Festival is also partnering with Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (Scotland), helping to promote a series of fun activities around the festival period that raise awareness of the charity and its work. A trade exhibition will run throughout the festival supported by equipment manufacturers and distributors from Scotland and beyond.
Festival organisers report a positive start to preparations for the brand new event. "The Festival aims to provide a unique international stage for showcasing the work of both professional and amateur guitarists," say Ged Brockie and Adam Dzierzek of Guitar & Music Festivals Ltd. "However, it's also very much a community event and we are delighted to be receiving support from local businesses, as well as the backing of leading figures such as Edinburgh's Lord Provost, as we embark on what will hopefully become an annual event in the international guitar calendar."
(Jim Evans)
