After around sixty concerts in sixteen countries—including venues such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Buttenwieser Hall in New York, and the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, as well as festivals like the Bergen International Music Festival in Norway, the Ravinia Festival in Chicago (USA), and the Monterrey International Guitar Festival in Mexico—the final notes of the Danza tour rang out at the Rabindranath Tagore Centre in Kolkata, India. The famous quartet’s album—Fourtune—was released in September 2024. Alongside the music of Frank Zappa, Carlo Domeniconi, and Harry Belafonte, it also features pieces by Thomas Fellow, Pavel Steidl, and Reentko Dirks—contemporary fusions of concert music, world music, and jazz. Two legends of the classical guitar meet two virtuosos of contemporary fingerstyle to create an innovative sound for the instrument. Forget the traditional classical guitar—prepare for a new experience in concert guitar music.
“The birth of a bright new star in the concert sky.” This is what was written about the ensemble in the Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten after their debut concert in Dresden in the spring of 2012. Indeed, the meeting of two global stars of classical guitar with two outstanding representatives of the contemporary acoustic guitar scene immediately captured the attention of critics and audiences alike. Right after their debut, they were invited to festivals worldwide, and their music became an inspiration for artists like Giora Feidman. In 2017, they toured the United States, performing in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and at the famous Ravinia Festival in Chicago. In 2018, they made their Russian debut at the famous Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, gave their first concert in Poland during the Silesian Guitar Autumn festival, and appeared as guest artists at the Hamburg Guitar Days. In 2019, they embarked on another US tour and played concerts in India and Germany.
Zoran Dukić (Croatia) boasts more competition wins than any other guitarist in the world. He has led some of the most esteemed courses at several European universities, and currently teaches at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, dazzling audiences with his extraordinarily dynamic virtuosity. Whether as a soloist, in a duo with Aniello Desiderio, or in various chamber ensembles, he is without a doubt one of the most sought-after concert guitarists in the world.
Pavel Steidl (Czech Republic) has long been regarded as a guitar icon. His interpretations of classical-romantic music are unique and filled with remarkable intensity. Following concerts worldwide and appearances at major festivals, he is recognized as one of the finest performers in his field. In 1982, he won one of the most important competitions of that era—the Radio France International Guitar Competition in Paris—and currently teaches at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
Thomas Fellow (Germany) is a top-class acoustic guitarist and one of the most influential accompanists, primarily thanks to his pioneering work in the duo “Friend ‘n Fellow” (after nearly 2,000 concerts alongside the likes of Ray Charles, Luther Allison, and Tommy Emmanuel). As an author and composer, he collaborates with the publisher Schott Music and leads the groundbreaking “Acoustic Guitar” courses at the Carl Maria von Weber Academy of Music in Dresden (Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden). He has performed in over 30 countries.
Reentko Dirks (Germany) has gained international acclaim not only as an outstanding guitarist and percussionist but also as a composer whose works have won multiple awards and been performed in productions by Cirque du Soleil and at the Semperoper in Dresden. He has also been recognized as the guitarist for the group MASAA (German Jazz Prize 2021) and as a collaborator of Ksenija Sidorova (Echo Klassik award 2017).
For more information, visit the artist’s website HERE