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 sculpting, rhythmic feel, fretboard navigation, harmony and composition. We explore this dazzling creativity from his early playing as a sideman to the Isley Brothers, the Experience albums, the iconic Band of Gypsys project, to the tantalising promise of his ‘Electric Church’ musical vision.

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 Convention & Competitions will take place on June 16-21, 2025, at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, hosted by Dr. Stephen Mattingly.

More information coming soon

Please visit this page to find all updates regarding the GFA Convention. More information regarding pricing, schedule, and housing, coming very soon!

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 view online on the Gresham College Website or by clicking on the links below

The Guitar in Popular Music conference

A three day conference from the 10^th – 12^th 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: 

• Individual papers – 25 minutes plus 10 minutes for questions
• Individual papers which include live performance elements – 25 minutes plus 10 minutes for questions
• Lecture recital – 35 minutes plus 10 minutes for questions

Papers and presentations can focus on any aspect relevant to the conference’s overarching theme: the guitar’s role and use in popular music (including jazz). Any type of guitar (e.g. acoustic, electric, bass, hybrid etc.) may be considered, as can any (or any combination of) the following perspectives: historical, contextual, analytical, pedagogical, technological, compositional or performance-based. We are particularly interested in papers which relate to the following themes: 

• Guitar Soloing and Tonal Improvisation
• Guitar as Rhythm and Texture
• Guitar Design and Technology
• Guitar Culture
• Guitar Technique
• Case studies of the guitar technique of established players in popular music.

 Please send proposals to guitarconference@canterbury.ac.uk in the following format: 

• Individual Papers: abstract up to 300 words and biography up to 100 words. Please also provide a website link about you and your work if you have one.
• Individual papers which include live performance elements and Lecture recitals: abstract up to 300 words, biography up to 100 words, and sample recording or video (e.g. via YouTube/SoundCloud link etc.). Please also provide a website link about you and your work if you have one.

The deadline for submissions is 14th March 2025. A draft conference programme will be published in April 2025.   

Conference Panel:  

• Dr James Dean (Chair, Canterbury Christ Church University) 
• Professor Rich Perks (Academy of Contemporary Music) 
• Professor Milton Mermikides (University of Surrey/Gresham College) 
• Professor Murray Smith (University of Kent) 
• Dr Kate Lewis (Brunel University London)   

Acceptance of proposals will be at the discretion of the conference panel. Please provide your abstracts as a WORD doc, preceded by information under the following headings:  

• Name 
• Institution (as appropriate) 
• Postal address 
• Phone 
• Email Address 
• Presentation type (paper or paper including live performance demonstrations) 
• Title  

A limited number of papers (maximum of 4) will be accepted for online presentation, for a section of the conference that will specifically focus on international submissions. All other papers will be presented in person.   

Venues
10 and 11 July: Anselm Studios, North Holmes Road, Canterbury
12 July: Academy of Contemporary Music, The Rodboro Buildings, Bridge St, Guildford GU1 4SB

Registration details and conference bookings will open mid-April following the selection of papers. 

Free

Enquiries: guitarconference@canterbury.ac.uk 

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.

The album includes Goss’s widely known guitar music along with his music for other instruments. Featured artists including include John Williams, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Max Baillie, Thomas Carroll, Zoran Dukic, Aniello Desiderio, SoloDuo, Stephen Farr, the Asaka quartet, and many others. Read the full Gramophone Magazine review here.

‘For those familiar with his music, it’s often easy to forget that Stephen Goss’s output extends beyond a substantial body of works for classical guitar. For evidence look no further than this substantial three-disc set containing close to four hours of music by this under the radar composer…’

Gramophone Magazine, January 2025

Read the full Gramophone Magazine review here.

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 19^th 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 Professor Neal Peres da Costa. 

The Altamira Hong Kong International Guitar Symposium also featured Ricardo Gallen, Pavel Steidle, Rene Izquierdo, and other leading Chinese and International artists. 

Conference Booklet 

Forum Booklet 

Available here

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 was recently donated to the University Archives & Special Collections. 

Keynote lectures were given by Jonathan Leathwood (University of Denver), Thomas Heck (Guitar Foundation of America), Tilman Hoppstock (Academy of Music, Darmstadt) and Christopher Page (University of Cambridge). Concert artists included the Mobius Trio (USA), Tilman Hoppstock (Germany), The Ant Law Trio (UK), and a special concert featuring the newly commissioned works by the Julian Bream Foundation from Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Leo Brouwer, and Julian Anderson.  

Schedule 

https://www.surrey.ac.uk/sites/default/files/IGRC%20TImetable%208iii16_0.pdf

Abstracts and Biographies 

https://www.surrey.ac.uk/sites/default/files/abstracts-and-biographies_0.pdf

Conference Film 

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