SYMPOSIUM: The Rise of the Guitar Concerto and the Orchestral Guitar in the Twentieth Century

8-10 August 2025

The twentieth century witnessed the prodigious rise in popularity of the guitar in its diverse forms, and the instrument’s inclusion in a range of orchestral and large ensemble settings, including the international proliferation of the guitar concerto. This conference will explore both global trajectories and local manifestations of the guitar concerto and the orchestral guitar during this dynamic century in the instrument’s history.

The Symposium will be held at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne, in person at the Ian Potter Southbank Centre and streamed online.

Attendance is free, and in-person attendees may register as “Observers” via this link.  No registration needed for online streaming.

The Symposium is presented as part of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Guitar Festival and includes a guitar concerto concert (8pm, Friday 8 August) featuring the world premiere of Ondo by Melody Eötvös (bookings essential via Humanitix).

Program:

Guitar Concerto Symposium Program

(Version 2, updated 6 Aug. at 4:38pm)

Guest speakers will include:

Walter Clark (University of California, Riverside)

Stephen Goss (University of Surrey)

Javier Suárez-Pajares (Complutense University, Madrid)

Adrian Walter (Australian National University)