“It is an international event that celebrates the guitar in all its forms and aims to showcase the universality of the guitar, based on artistic excellence, training and learning, and innovation,” explained Alex de Sousa, musician and classical guitarist, during the presentation of the ARS Guitar Festival – Monção International Festival of Classical Guitar and Chamber Music.
Four concerts, each featuring two musical performances, will be complemented by conferences, workshops, masterclasses, and competitions to give more prominence to classical guitar and offer Monção, located in the district of Viana do Castelo, an opportunity to engage with various cultural activities.
The event, co-organized by the Monção City Council, seeks to reaffirm the value of classical guitar, highlighting the recognized achievements of students from Conservatories and Music Universities both in Portugal and abroad, the organization stated.
Alex de Sousa emphasized that “anyone has the opportunity to learn from a specialist” and that the competitions aim to “attract different guitarists from various countries.”
Among the “internationally acclaimed” artists attending will be Joaquin Clerch, guitarist, composer, and principal professor at Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf, and Junior Cesar Sarracent, a Cuban guitarist and lecturer at the same institution.
The international lineup also includes Italian composer Simone Fontanelli and Spanish maestro Pablo Zapico, “recognized for his transcriptions, compositions, and interpretations of Baroque music.”
“In the context of promoting emerging talent, special mention is made of the participation of Julia Trintschuk, a guitarist trained under Joaquin Clerch,” added de Sousa.
The festival also features “a multidisciplinary approach, integrating different musical expressions to celebrate the diversity and quality of classical guitar.”
Thus, the second musical segment of each concert will feature performances of fado, Baroque music, flamenco, and Latin Jazz across the festival stages.
The initiative also includes an exhibition space that will showcase historical instruments, including traditional classical guitars, a double-top classical guitar, a vihuela, a Renaissance guitar, and a flamenco guitar.
The instruments are from collectors and professionals specializing in the construction and repair of international string instruments, such as Ana Espinosa Rodriguez, René Baarslag, Julio Baarlsag Espinosa, Sulayr, Lázaro Martinez, and Portuguese luthiers Óscar Cardoso and José Marques.
