“The concert by the Salzburg Guitar Trio has been one of the most mesmerizing and memorable concerts in our concerts series. Their virtuosity, timing and sound colour made three guitars sound like one. To have three plucked instruments play together in such a way is truly remarkable.”
— Martin van Hees, Artistic Director of The Hague Guitar Society, November 2021
Salzburg Guitar Trio
Salzburg Guitar Trio has performed and toured extensively at music festivals and concert halls throughout Europe and across North America. They have led numerous public masterclasses, served as jurors for prestigious international guitar competitions, and their concerts have been broadcast live on television and radio.
One of the trio’s most exciting projects was their time spent as artists-in-residence based in Antonin Gaudi’s famous modernist building, La Pedrera, in Barcelona. During the residency, Catalan composer Jose Galeote dedicated his work ‘La Pedrera - En Construcció’ to the trio. Inspired by Gaudi’s remarkable architecture, the trio had the pleasure of premiering the work inside La Pedrera.
The trio has won first prizes at the Ciutat d’Elx Guitar Festival in Spain, the Corelli-Savárez Chamber Music Competition in Austria, and the Valle dei Laghi Guitar Festival in Italy.
As Grand Prize winners of the Guitar Foundation of America’s (GFA) International Ensemble Competition, the trio is the first ever ensemble to be awarded a GFA Artist Tour. Their concert tour took them across North America in the spring of 2023, where some of their most memorable concerts were held in esteemed venues such as the Sundin Music Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota; the 560 Music Centre in St. Louis, Missouri; and the Margaret Comstock Concert Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, among others. The trio also conducted public masterclasses for guitar societies, universities and conservatories, as well as outreach concerts. Highlights include coaching soloists and ensembles from the Bachelor and Master programs at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, the Youth Performing Arts School in Louisville, KY, and the Mount Royal University Conservatory in Calgary, Canada.
The trio’s debut album, III, featuring highlights of their current programme, was released in 2023. Upcoming plans include recording John Duarte’s complete works for guitar trio.
Salzburg Guitar Trio is endorsed by Savarez and Guitarlift.
Former members of the Salzburg Guitar Trio include Stefan Volpp and founding member Izan Rubio Soria.
“Chamber music prize winners Salzburg Guitar Trio displayed, without doubt, all of the qualities that earned them this prestigious accolade. Through their perfect ensemble and well-blended sound, the trio showed spontaneity and freshness in their interpretations. Their carefully chosen program delighted all those in attendance.”
Andrew Booth
An engaging performer, British classical guitarist Andrew Booth enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. Andrew has given solo and duo concerts throughout the UK and was a member of the Countess of Munster Musical Trust recital scheme. He was a recipient of a study scholarship from the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund and at the soundSCAPE Composition and Performance Exchange in Italy, he was awarded the Performer Prize.
As a founding member of the Salzburg Guitar Trio, Andrew has played at festivals and venues in Germany, Austria, Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has toured throughout Spain, Canada and the United States. The trio has received numerous First and Grand prizes at chamber music competitions such as the Guitar Foundation of America International Ensemble Competition, Festival de Guitarra ‘Ciutat d’Elx’, the 9th Savarez-Corelli Prize in Salzburg and Valle dei Laghi International Guitar Competition in Italy.
Andrew’s primary studies were with Gordon Crosskey and Craig Ogden at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he gained a Bachelor’s degree with First Class Honours. He holds a Master’s degree from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague having studied in the class of Zoran Dukic. Under the tutelage of Laura Young he completed his Postgraduate studies at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg.
“...he imbued each work with a depth of character that effortlessly transported the audience to an ever-changing succession of other worlds.”
- West Sussex County Times
Katie
Lonson
Canadian-born concert guitarist Katie Lonson is a unique soloist and chamber musician whose exceptional musicality and powerful stage presence define her. She began her musical studies at the Senior Academy Program for Gifted Youth at Mount Royal University’s Conservatory in Calgary, Canada, where she studied both cello and classical guitar. She later relocated to Germany and chose to specialize as a classical guitarist, earning a German Diplom in Artistic Solo Performance and a Master of Music (Honours) from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart under Prof. Johannes Monno, followed by a postgraduate degree from the Mozarteum University in Salzburg under Prof. Laura Young. Further studies include masterclasses with world-renowned artists such as Roland Dyens, Sergio and Odair Assad, Pepe Romero, Aniello Desiderio, Margarita Escarpa, Leila Schayegh, and Pavel Steidl.
Katie has performed extensively with ensembles across Europe and North America, actively pursuing a vibrant performing career. As a founding member of the Salzburg Guitar Trio, she has won first prizes at numerous major international competitions, most notably being the Guitar Foundation of America’s (GFA) International Ensemble Competition. The trio was the first ensemble to be awarded a GFA Artist Tour, performing and giving masterclasses across the USA and Canada in 2023. Their performances have been broadcast on television, online livestreams, and radio, and can be heard on their debut album, III.
Katie’s solo awards include first prize at the Canadian Music Competition, second prize at the Tallinn International Guitar Competition, and third prize at the Sarajevo International Guitar Festival Competition. Her performances have been featured live on Catalan television as well as from Kadriorg Palace on Estonian national radio (ERR). She has been awarded grants from the Deutsche Musikrat, the Canadian Arts Council, Klangspektrum Baden-Württemberg, and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and is an alumna of Yehudi Menuhin’s Live Music Now scholarship program.
Katie has served on jury panels for international classical guitar competitions across Europe as well as Jugend Musiziert in Germany, and has given public masterclasses throughout the USA, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Germany. She actively arranges works for the Salzburg Guitar Trio, her various other chamber ensembles, and her youth guitar ensemble. Her musical versatility extends beyond classical music; she is a former cellist of the Berlin-based experimental crossover ensemble Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra and is featured on The Devil, You + Me, an album by the indie band The Notwist.
Katie currently serves as a lecturer at the School for Music and Art in Böblingen, Germany.
Eliška Lenhartová
Eliška Lenhartová is a Czech guitarist of Asian descent known for her captivating performances and intense onstage presence. She is an award-winning soloist, deeply committed chamber musician and sought-after pedagogue.
Her musical journey began at the Pardubice Conservatory under the tutelage of the renowned Czech guitarist and pedagogue, Petr Saidl. During this time, Eliška won first prizes in numerous competitions as a soloist. Her most notable competition successes include First and Grand Prizes at the Prague Junior Note, Czech Republic, the International Guitar Competition in Sanok, Poland, and the Czech Republic Conservatory Competition, among others. She was also a finalist at the Stuttgart International Classic Guitar Festival, Germany. Eliška’s talent was recognized by the mayor of Pardubice, who awarded her the "Best Student of the City” prize three times. An interview on the beginnings of her career and performance was broadcast on Czech Radio.
She completed her Bachelor studies in Weimar, Germany, at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt under the guidance of Professor Thomas Müller-Pering. Her Master studies at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria, were with Professor Laura Young, where she graduated with the highest possible grade. During her studies she took part in masterclasses with world-renowned guitarists such as Zoran Dukič, Leo Brouwer, Pablo Marquez, Scott Tennant and Carlo Marchione. Eliška was a scholarship holder of the Live Music Now Augsburg program, which supports promising young artists in their careers. She currently holds teaching positions in Kutná Hora and Ledeč nad Sázavou.
As a chamber musician, Eliška actively collaborates with wind, string and keyboard instrumentalists and was a founding member of Duo Françaix (2013-18) and Duo Unicornis (from 2023). She also performs regularly in theatre productions, most recently in Astor Piazzolla's operetta "María de Buenos Aires" at the ABC Theatre in Prague.
Eliška joined the Salzburg Guitar Trio in the 2024 season.