We are delighted to announce the 2026 Guitoberfest dates and details! The festival this year will be entirely online; it starts on Saturday, October 24th and will run until Sunday evening, October 25th. The event is free and open to all CGC Academy members, all you need to do is register with your email in the form below. This page will be updated as details are released.

Guitoberfest 2026 Schedule

Full Guitoberfest 2026 Schedule – coming soon

What is it?

Guitoberfest started back in 2014 and has undertaken several different iterations. From online, to in-person workshops in NYC, from one month long to a one day special! What ties them all together is a fun classical guitar event run by CGC in the month of October.

All activities are free for CGC members and involve lectures, workshops, masterclasses, and open mic; we really hope you can join us for a fun weekend of classical guitar!

Who?

Some exciting guests always join the CGC Team and bring their experience and knowledge to the festival. Expect to join in on some great workshops, lectures, and more from your CGC Team as well:

Special guest artist: René Izquierdo

Members of the CGC Team:

• Jane Curry
• Sanja Plohl
• James Erickson
• Niki Todesco
• Simon Powis
• Dave Belcher

Where?

All activities will be on Zoom, and you will receive the link to the meeting before the event starts. All activities will be recorded and the replays will be posted on the CGC Academy website.

Guitoberfest activities:

Lectures:

• Each lecturer will give a presentation of 45-50 minutes and then will answer questions from the audience
• The chat will be open for questions as well

Workshops:

• During these active workshops, everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate.
• The format and details vary between workshops.

Warm-Up Sessions:

• Be ready with your guitar for a 30-minute active warm-up session.
• All participants’ microphones will be turned off during the session, but you are encouraged to play along with all exercises.

Technique Workout:

• Similarly to the warm-up sessions, be ready with your guitar to work for 30 minutes on a specific technique topic (scales, arpeggios, etc.)

Open Mic:

• There will be 2 Open Mic sessions (both on Sunday) and we will try to include as many performances as possible.
  • The first Open Mic will be live (12 – 1:30pm NYC time). If you want to play live, please let Dave know what piece you would like to play by email (events@classicalguitarcorner.com);
  • The second Open Mic (6:30 – 7:30pm NYC time) will include recorded videos. If you would like to record a video for the second Open Mic, please send an email to Dave at the above email address and provide a link to your video. We cannot accept videos sent after October 22nd since we need time to prepare and edit the Open Mic session (It would be great if you can send a downloadable video through the Drive or similar services).
• Open Mic registration ends on October 22nd.
• If we receive too many videos don’t worry, we will organize a Happy Hour watch party the week after Guitoberfest to watch and enjoy all the remaining videos. I hope this encourages you to share some music with us!

Solo Performances : If you wish to include a brief introduction to your piece you may do so at the beginning of your video. The Open Mic videos cannot exceed 5 minutes in length (introduction included).

Ensemble Performances: If you want to play in a duo or ensemble (including playing with instruments that are not guitar) you are encouraged to do so. Ensemble videos will be included in the main open mic sessions. 

Groups wishing to perform need to send a video of the performance by October 22nd; videos submitted later cannot be accepted.

If you wish to include a brief introduction to your piece you may do so at the beginning of your video. The Ensemble videos cannot exceed 8 minutes in length (introduction included).

Teachers’ Concert:

• You only need to show up and enjoy the performances!

How do I participate? 

Guitoberfest is free for all the CGC Academy members and we will publish the Zoom link and access details closer to the event. 

Because of Zoom room limitations, we need to know approximately how many people will be in attendance. If you are planning to join us please fill out the registration form on this page.

Questions and Concerns

If you have questions regarding the Guitoberfest please send an email Dave: events@classicalguitarcorner.com