Guitar4mation is an international guitar quartet with members from Poland, the Czech Republic, Australia, and Austria. Founded in 1993, the group saw its 30th stage anniversary in 2023. The lineup has changed over the years, with two founding members: Michal Nagy (Poland) and Martin Schwarz (Austria) still playing in the group. Petr Saidl (the Czech Republic) joined in 2003, and Campbell Diamond (Australia) completed the ensemble in 2022.
Marek Napiórkowski is a leading Polish guitarist and composer. Since the beginning of his career, he has consistently appeared at the top of various Polish musician rankings. Since 2012, he has been continuously voted Jazz Guitarist of the Year by readers of Jazz Forum magazine.
At the age of 17, Marco Piperno graduated in guitar from the class of B. Battisti D’Amario at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory of Music in Rome. He graduated with honours under N. Di Modugno from the N. Piccinni Conservatory of Music in Bari.
Cassie Martin began playing the guitar at the age of 5. After studying at the Orléans Conservatory, she entered Gérard Abiton’s class at the Rayonnement Régional de Paris Conservatory in 2015. At 17, she entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) in Olivier Chassain’s class.
Anabel Montesinos began her music studies at the age of 5 at the music school in her town. She studied also at the Tarragona Conservatory and later at the Superior Conservatory of Alicante. At the age of 19 she moved to Austria. There she studied at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and at the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität in Linz.
In 1991, the guitarist Thomas Fellow and the singer Constanze Friend formed the duo Friend N Fellow. After more than 1500 concerts and more than 100,000 CD sales, it is considered the most successful project of its kind in Europe. They have toured the world from China (Beijing, China Millennium Park) to the USA (New York, World Trade Center) and shared the stage with Luther Allison, Ray Charles, Tommy Emmanuel, and Al Jarreau, among others.
Antonio Rey is one of the most prominent guitarists of his generation. His remarkable skill and ability to move the audience are backed by outstanding achievements, such as his recognition at the Seville Flamenco Biennial, where he won the prestigious Giraldillo award at the 17th Seville Flamenco Biennial for his work “Colores de Fuego”.
Alessandro Penezzi is considered one of the greatest virtuosos of Brazilian guitar. His concerts have been enjoyed by audiences in such countries as the USA, Russia, Japan, Gabon, Angola, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Kosovo, Macedonia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Morocco, and Portugal.
Critically acclaimed, Yamandu Costa has delighted audiences wherever he took his unusual skill and sound. In his unforgettable performances – solo, accompanied by other musicians or orchestras – he carries the mark of the music from the south of Brazil but admirably combines it with different musical genres, forming a rare symbiosis with his seven-string guitar. Despite being young, Yamandu Costa boasts a long career.
