PHOTOGALLERY - Lectures and Workshops
Guitar festival of J. K. Mertz is one of the most important events on the Slovak classical music festival scene and one of the oldest of its kind in the world.
Its 49th edition, which took place from 22 to 26 June, hosted artists from Spain, Venezuela, Greece, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In addition to guitar recitals, there were programmes of chamber music - romantic guitar combined with historical transverse flute, vocals, baroque guitar with percussion, guitar duo, as well as an unusual combination of guitar and string quartet. There was music of Baroque, Romantic and contemporary times, lively Spanish rhythms and premiere performances of works by contemporary Slovak composers.
BRATISLAVA GUITAR QUARTET celebrated this year 30 years since its foundation. Their new concert programme, which was performed on Sunday 22 June in Moyzes Hall, was the result of a collaboration with the ensemble's musical friends - composers, arrangers and performers. Diverse combinations, top Slovak and foreign artists, and especially 5 world premieres of Slovak, Greek and Latin American music is undoubtedly the ideal way to celebrate the anniversary.
Chamber music, and especially its duet form, has accompanied guitar literature since the 19th century. On Monday, 23 June, in the Klarisky Concert Hall, the guitar and flute duo of the top Czech musicians Jan TULÁČEK and Karel VALTER performed music from the early Romantic period, followed by modern arrangements modern arrangements of music by J. S. Bach, W. A. Mozart or the world premiere of Slovak composer Peter Javorka in the debut of the Slovak-Hungarian guitar duo Karol SAMUELČÍK and András CSÁKI.
Lute player and guitarist Xavier DÍAZ LATORRE performs with some of today's most important baroque ensembles, including Jordi Savall's Le Concert des Nations. His chamber project Laberintos Ingeniosos brought variations on folk themes in the form of Neapolitan tarantellas, Spanish sarabandes, and other European court dances, united by a unique rasgueado style, to the Klarisky Concert Hall on Tuesday, June 24. Baroque guitar was artfully complemented in the project by David MAYORAL playing a rich line-up of percussion.
OOn Wednesday, June 25, two interesting concert programs took place. First, at 5:00 pm, there was a varied program featuring works from the core classical guitar repertoire, performed by Andrzej GRYGIER, a rising star and multiple winner of prestigious competitions. This was followed by a unique music and poetry project with works by Franz Schubert and J. K. Mertz at 7:00 pm in the magical space of the Klarisky Church. The phenomenal soprano Simona ŠATUROVÁ, the guitarist Martin KRAJČO and the charismatic reciter Štefan BUČKO delighted the audience with a program that reflected the true nature of the Romantic movement of the first half of the 19th century.
The emotive musical expression and amazing technique of the phenomenal guitarist and native of Málaga, who closed the 49th edition of the festival on Thursday 26 June, was also praised by the famous composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Marco SOCÍAS has been tirelessly dedicated to Spanish music and his current project brings the graceful music of a powerful generation of early 20th-century composers on the original instruments of famous Spanish instrument makers.
The festival also includes a rich accompanying programme - masterclasses, lectures, presentations, designed for both the professional and the general public. Educational program for music school teachers concluded with a concert on Tuesday, June 24, at 5:00 pm at Klarisky, featuring the winners of children’s guitar competitions; in the second half of the concert, the participants in the teacher educational program performed as part of three guitar ensembles.
More than 900 audience members enjoyed the festival concerts, and over 70 guitar teachers and students from across Slovakia took part in the educational activities.
The event was part of the Bratislava Cultural Summer 2025.
Event organizer: SPOLOČNOSŤ J.K. MERTZA - civil association (Society of J. K. Mertz), domicile: Rozvodná 11B, 83101 Bratislava, Slovakia, IČO: 42131570, DIČ: 2022558208, contact: +421 903 951 618, Email: festival.jkmertz.info@gmail.com
Co-organiser of the event: Bratislava Cultural and Information Centre.
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Supported using public funding by Slovak Arts Council - the main partner of the festival.
Educational activities are taking place in cooperation with the Július Kowalski Primary music school and ALBRECHT FORUM, o.z.
