Concerts

The 32nd International Guitar Festival of Patras is pleased to present to its audience Vladimir Gorbach, who today is one of the leading guitar names of his generation worldwide.

Born in Novosibirsk, the Russian artist took his first guitar lessons at a young age at the State Music School in his hometown, and then at the Glinka Conservatory and the Cologne Music Academy in Germany.

Although he has won numerous awards and distinctions in Europe, however, the 1st Prize he won at the GFA International Competition in 2011 was what really launched his reputation internationally.

His recordings by the company 'Naxos', his continuous tours and dozens of recitals in Europe, North and South America, Australia to China, his participations in Festivals as well as his appearances with symphony orchestras have resulted in Gorbach enjoying worldwide universal recognition from audiences and critics.

He came to the Patras Festival for the first time in 2017, leaving great impressions both in his recital and in the Master classes. The Russian artist delighted the demanding audience of Patras with his perfect technique and his unparalleled interpretation, giving tangible examples of high aesthetic and tone writing, elements that rightfully rank him in the pantheon of the leading guitarists of his generation.      

Since 2015 Vladimir Gorbach holds the position of lecturer in the guitar department at the Sydney Academy of Music.

Lovro Peretić (1995) is an internationally award winning classical guitarist from Zagreb (Croatia). He started studying guitar at a young age under tuition of prof. Xhevdet Sahatxhija in a music school in Zagreb. After that, he graduated with distinction at the Music academy in Zagreb in the class of prof. Darko Petrinjak spending one year in a student exchange program at L’École Supérieure Musique et Danse Hauts-de-France in Lille (France) with prof. Judicaël Perroy. Later, he specialized in music performance in Geneva (Switzerland) where he studied with Judicaël Perroy at the Haute Ecole de Musique Genève.

He is regarded as one of the leading guitarists of the younger generation, which is confirmed by results from various music competitions such as Guitar Foundation of America (USA), Eurostrings guitar competition, Changsha International Guitar Competition (China), Boris Papandopulo in Zagreb (Croatia), Zagreb Guitar Festival (Croatia), Antwerpen guitar festival (Belgium), Andres Segovia in Velbert (Germany), Anna Amalia in Weimar (Germany), Enrico Mercatali in Gorizia (Italy), Ida Presti in Samobor (Croatia), Volos Guitar Festival (Greece), Fernando Sor in Rome (Italy), Concours international de guitare d'Antony (France), Brussels International Guitar Competition (Belgium).

In 2020, he won the 3rd Eurostrings competition, which brought him an opportunity to give numerous concerts and master classes throughout Europe in 2021/2022. In 2022, he won the International Concert Artist competition of GFA (USA). As the winner, he had an extensive concert tour, playing around 50 concerts throughout USA and Canada in the season 2023/2024. Also, he recorded his debut album for the recording label Naxos which was released in 2023.

Except as a soloist, he regularly performs in various chamber music groups among which the most significant one guitar trio Evocación, with whom they recently released their first album named Evocación. As a soloist, he collaborated with the Symphonic orchestra of Croatian radio television, Dubrovnik symphonic orchestra, Zagreb soloists etc.

Orestis Kalambalikis is a guitarist and composer who lives between Athens and Paris. 

His compositions combine the influences of the Greek tradition with Western musical language and classical form. In his constant search for new ways of expression, he continues to introduce new techniques and playing methods for the guitar. He performs his works himself or entrusts them to renowned soloists or ensembles. He also composes for the theater.

He was born in Athens and started playing the guitar at the age of seven. After completing his studies at the National Conservatory of Athens (Yiannis Petridis class), he was accepted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Paris (Roland Dyens class), from where he obtained the Diplôme de Formation Supérieure in 2009. During this of the period won many prizes in international guitar competitions.

Alongside his performance activities, Orestis Kalambalikis studied composition with Bernard Cavanna (Conservatoire des Gennevilliers) and also obtained a Master II degree in Music and Sound Creation (Création Musicale et Sonore) from the musicology department of the University of Paris VII. Three of his works for solo guitar have won first prizes in as many international composition competitions. For the publication of his works, he collaborates with the publishing houses Lemoine, Les Productions d'OZ and Papagrigoriou-Nakas (Panasmusic).

In addition to his classical studies, Orestis has been influenced by various musical styles and has collaborated with many artists (Kyveli Kastoriadi, Sofia Avramidou, Alkistis Protopsalti, Marios Fragoulis, Dionysis Savopoulos, Stefanos Korkolis, Quinteto TangARTo, etc.), while at the same time he has participated in many recordings. 

Finally, he has published a solo album (Blues for a Woodpecker, 2018) and a duet with Kyveli Kastoriadi (Songs for a Blue Cloud, 2017), while having many years of experience in teaching the instrument, he is often invited to Master-Classes in France. 

Moreover, from 2018 to 2023 he was the editor of Guitare Classique Magazine, being in charge of the pedagogical section of the publication.

Ioanna Kazoglou was born in 2003 in Florina and grew up in the picturesque village of Laimos, in the Municipality of Prespa. 

From the age of 7 she started guitar lessons with Sonia Charalambidou and three years later she enrolled at the Music College of Thessaloniki in the class of Loukia Samourka with whom in 2019 she received the Diploma in Guitar with "Excellent".

She continued her studies in 2021 at the Music School of Weimar in Germany alongside Ricardo Gallén, while in 2024 she had the opportunity to enrich her knowledge of musical performance by studying at MDW University in Vienna under the guidance of Adriano del Sal and in Master classes with eminent guitarists such as Roland Dyens, David Russell and Oscar Ghillia.

Ioanna has distinguished herself in various Greek and international competitions (1st Prize at the International Guitar Festival of Patras in 2018 and at Forum Guitar in Vienna in 2021, 1st prize in the 'Arroyo de la Luz' competition in 2022 in Spain and 1st prize in the Weimar in 2023, 3rd prize in the 'Tino Andersen' competition in Norway in 2024).

Ioanna Kazoglou has given several recitals in Greece (mainly that of the Thessaloniki Music Hall) and abroad (Rio de Janeiro-Brazil, Santiago-Chile, Seoul, Daegu and Busan-South Korea) and also concerts in Slovenia, Majorca, Dresden and Wuppertal.

Finally, in addition to recitals with a solo repertoire, Kazoglou regularly appears in chamber music concerts, performing with instruments such as violin, flute, etc.

Ioanna Kazoglou plays with a guitar by Nicholas Ioannou (Ν.Υ.) and uses ‘Knobloch’ strings.

Born in 2002 Oktavia Bujnowicz started musical education at the age of two. 

She has graduated with honours from Karol Szymanowski Music School in Katowice having studied under Wanda Palacz. Currently, she studies for a Master's degree at the Academy of Music in Katowice in the class of Marcin Dylla.

She has been awarded in over 20 national and international competitions. Her most important achievements are: 3rd prize at the 29. International Competition within Forum Gitarre Wien (2024), 1st prize at the 31. International Patras Guitar Festival (2024), 1st prize at the International Biennale Guitar Competition in Kutna Hora (1st group, 2022), 1st prize at 23. Internationaler Jugendwettbewerb Forum Guitar Wien (2020).

She has been participating in many workshops, courses and masterclasses working with the most acknowledged guitarists from all over the world: Gabriel Bianco, Carlo Marchione, Petr Saidl, Thomas Offerman, Zoran Dukič, Gerard Abiton, Adriano Del Sal, Roberto Aussel, Judicael Perroy, Hubert Kappel and many others. 

She performs as a soloist and as a member of various chamber music ensembles. She has performed in the most prestigious concert halls in Poland. Moreover, she has recorded a couple of auditions for Polish Radio. 

She has received numerous scholarships from Minister of Culture and National Heritage in Poland, from the Prime Minister of Poland and from the Rector of Academy of Music in Katowice for remarkable artistic achievements. In 2021 she was awarded with one of the most prestigious scholarships in Poland - "Młoda Polska" - supporting development of the most gifted artists in the country, thanks to which she plays on the guitar made by Luigi Locatto.

"...the guitar becomes a miniature orchestra... was written in a review in the Brighton Guardian newspaper of Julian Arcas' recital in 1862. This phrase reflects my admiration for the classical guitar, an instrument of musical fullness and expressive power, elements that they pushed me to dedicate myself early on to it."

Born in Athens, Vassilis studied classical guitar under the guidance of Pavlos Ioannou, Costas Grigoreas and Michalis Kontaxakis. He continues his musical journey at the Conservatorium Maastricht in the class of Carlo Marchione. He has taken lessons from renowned guitarists such as Judicaël Perroy, Zoran Dukic, Pavel Steidl and Marco Tamayo. His honors include prizes in international guitar competitions, including 1st prize at the "Paros International Guitar Festival", 1st prize at the "Kalamata Guitar Festival", 2nd prize at the "Patras International Guitar Festival", 2nd prize at the "Baltic Guitar Festival".  In 2024 he won the 2nd prize at the International Guitar Competition of Montenegro which was broadcast live on the country's state television. 

He regularly presents recitals in Greece, the Netherlands and Belgium either solo or in collaboration with flutist Anastasia V. Ftaka, with whom they form the ‘Pacoca Duo’.

In addition to his executive career, Vassilis Poulios shares his experience as a professor at the Pythagorean Conservatory in Athens. In addition, in the period 2018-2020 he taught music to refugees at the reception center in Malakasa. Together with his students, he organized concerts in local schools, in Embassies of foreign countries encouraging the cooperation of Greek students and refugees. Today he continues to offer guitar lessons at the Refugee Project Maastricht, an organization dedicated to supporting refugees.
He plays with a Vassilis Vassiliadis guitar, made in 2018.