CALL FOR PAPERS The Internatonal Guitar Festival ‘Homenaje’ are hosting a unique one-day IGRC conference on 8th September 2025 in Padua, Italy. As part of the Festival the IGRC proudly announce our call for papers (click for details), a unique opportunity to share research about the guitar with an international community of scholars and practitioners. The day will involve several lectures, recitals and masterclasses.

Upcoming Event Lecture, Rich Mix, Thursday, 20 Mar 2025 – 19:30 Professor Mermikides continues his Gresham College lecture series with his upcoming lecture Just Ask The Axis: Jimi Hendrix Unpicked. Despite being cited as one of the most creative and influential guitarists of all time, and his tragically short life, Jimi Hendrix’s playing and composing are yet to be fully analysed. This lecture demystifies his diverse influences and reveals the full range of his extraordinary invention in terms of sonic…

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IGRC graduate Dr Katalin Koltai has released a film documenting the development of her new Open Frets Guitar at the Royal Academy of Music.

The Guitar Foundation of America presents the 2025 Convention and Competitions About the GFA Convention The Guitar Foundation of America Convention & Competitions is an annual event that brings together guitar enthusiasts, professionals, educators, luthiers, vendors, and composers. This convention features performances, workshops, masterclasses, lectures, competitions, vendor exhibition, and more. Whether you’re a professional player or a casual listener, the Guitar Foundation of America Convention offers a comprehensive and engaging experience centered around our beloved instrument. When and Where The 2025…

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Professor Milton Mermikides has completed his inaugural lecture series at Gresham College. The Nature of Music examines how music exploits our innate and highly evolved listening faculties in order to communicate complex and otherwise inexpressible emotions. Using a diverse range of examples – from Bach to Beatles, Bossa to Björk, Bartók to Billie Holliday – we explore the universal building blocks of prediction, rhythm, pitch, scale, dissonance and multiplicity in the musical experience. The complete series is now available to…

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The Guitar in Popular Music conference A three day conference from the 10th – 12th July Bringing together people from a range of fields interested in the use of the guitar in popular music, to share research about the guitar. The Guitar in Popular Music conference, in collaboration with the International Guitar Research Centre will be co-hosted by Canterbury Christ Church University and the Academy of Contemporary Music. Proposals are invited for presentations as follows:  Papers and presentations can focus on any…

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On 18th October 2024, Professor Stephen Goss released his triple album entitled ‘Landscape and Memory’. Released by Deus Elle Classical recordings label, the album has been described as his most ambitious recording project yet.

https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/events/2024/the-electric-guitar-in-popular-music

The Electric Guitar in Popular Music conference will take place at Canterbury Christ Church University from 11 to 12 July 2024. For full details see: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/events/2024/the-electric-guitar-in-popular-music

The IGRC are delighted to announce the International Guitar Research Centre Conference 7th to 9th October 2022 The conference is three days packed with concerts, keynote lectures, and lecture-recitals from guests, IGRC staff, and IGRC researchers. Full Details Here

IGRC Deputy Director Milton Mermikides gave the Guitar Foundation of America Keynote in June 2022. Watch it here

IGRC PGR, Katalin Koltai is featured soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra Chamber Players at the Royal Festival Hall: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/classical-music/philharmonia-chamber-players-tango

The IGRC Conference took place at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. The Conference was held alongside the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts’ International Guitar Forum, which will focus on 19th Century Performance Practice, and the Altamira Hong Kong Guitar Symposium and Competition.   Keynote speakers and performers   Professor Steve Goss, Professor Adrian Walter, Dr Milton Mermikides, Dr James Westbrook, Dr Jonathan Leathwood, and Dr Stanley Yates.  The International Forum featured keynote presentations from Professor Clive Brown and…

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A day of panels, lectures, and recitals, exploring the history, craft, and future of jazz guitar at the University of Surrey. Speakers include Dr Tom Williams, John Wheatcroft, Nigel Price, Dr Kate Lewis, James Dean, Mike Outram, Dr John McGrath, Dr Milton Mermikides and Ant Law

March 2016 – International Guitar Research Conference   Some of the most distinguished and highly regarded scholars and musicians from around the world gathered for this major international conference featuring six public concerts, four keynote lectures, and over 50 lecture-recitals and academic papers. There was a conference installation in the Lewis Elton Art Gallery and delegates had the chance to try the latest Moog guitars in the project room. Visitors were also able to visit the Maurice J Summerfield Collection which…

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The launch was a two-day event on 29 and 30 March 2014 that included academic papers, seminars, public discussions, lecture-recitals and concerts. Guest artists included John Williams, Xuefei Yang, Newton Faulkner, The Amadeus Guitar Duo, Bridget Mermikides, Declan Zapala and Michael Partington.  Launch Event Film  Schedule and Abstracts  https://www.surrey.ac.uk/sites/default/files/symposium-abstracts_0.pdf