14th Hersbruck International Guitar Festival 2013

Welcome to the 14th Hersbruck International Guitar Festival!
This year we must once again welcome to Hersbruck some of the most exciting guitarists of various genres and enjoy a week of "undiluted Pure guitar" with all its harmonies and facets.

The Festival will be opened by the exceptional young flamenco guitarist Santiago Lara  and his flamenco group. On Sunday evening, before Roland Dyens the Frenchman, well-known throughout the world for his compositions for jazz and classical music takes the stage, I, together with my wife, the violinist Doris Kreusch-Orsan will play a wide selection of music ranging from chamber music by Schubert to Spanish music. On this evening there will be also another World premiere on which the composer is on stage: this time with a piece for violine and guitar from the composer Nikolaus Brass from Munich, which he dedicated the duo from me and my wife. The following day the Brazilian Carlos Barbosa-Lima will aim to give his best with his own arrangements of jazz and Brazilian classics (by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa). This grand master of the guitar, who studied with Andrés Segovia, known for his innumerable arrangements and for being the one to whom Alberto Ginastera dedicated his Sonata Op.47, made his German debut in Hersbruck two years ago – which was something of a sensation. Yet another reason to invite this wonderful musician to Hersbruck again! The second part of this Brazilian evening will be a performance by Ahmed El-Salamouny who has been included by the "Classical Guitar" magazine amongst the great masters of the Brazilian guitar together with the Brazilian percussionist Mauro Martins.It has become a tradition that the fans of Fingerstyle are rewarded for their visit in the middle of the Festival. As "a festival within the Festival" YouTube star Adam Rafferty  from New York City, the Italian Peppino D´Agostino and Michael Langer from Austria will play together, demonstrating their genres. In addition to their own pop and jayy compositions popular pieces by Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon and the Beatles will be on the programme during the evening.
This year we welcome back to Hersbruck Manuel Barrueco and Pepe Romero two great stars of the classical or Spanish guitar. That these two artists who regularly perform in some of the biggest concert halls all over the world, such as New York's Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Teatro real in Madrid and the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona and who work with some of the most famous singers and orchestras should come to Hersbruck must be recognised by a full house.
The finale of this year's Festival includes no lesser of an artist than the saxophonistKlaus Doldinger . Klaus Doldinger who finally became world famous with his theme music for "Das Boot", "Tatort", or "The Never Ending Story", will play with my brother, the jazz pianist Cornelius Claudio Kreusch, who has performed with many major jazz greats such as Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, Bobby McFerrin and Salif Keïta. Also in the trio again are Zaf Zapha from French Guiana on bass and Maxime Zampieri from Paris on drums. In this concert, the participants of the workshop „Learning from Jazz Masters" will also take part.

In addition to the concerts exhibitions, lectures, sessions, master classes, workshops and private lessons take place throughout the week in the AOK Center. Alongside the artists performing in the concerts, we have managed to engage tutors such as the Argentinian Lutenist Eduardo Egüez, Johannes Monno from Stuttgart and Johannes Tappert There will be also a lecture on the development of the guitar held by master guitar maker Gert Esmyol.
The guitar courses with the "Hersbruck Music Academy (HMA)" will be complemented by a training programme for music teachers and interested amateurs. Internationally renowned lecturers will cast light on the latest scientific and educational knowledge in the field of musicology, music psychology, music medicine or music practice in lectures, workshops and seminars. This year's seminar topics include "How to perform without anxiety", "Mental Training", "Correct Practice", "Improvisation", "Total Body Coordination and Posture for musicians" or "Performance Practice of Old and New Music". The detailed programme is for published on this website. As always, this year, I am looking forward to an inspiring Festival with many exciting concerts, courses, lectures and meetings!

Johannes Tonio Kreusch
(artistic director)