Ilay Kenes

Ilay is a young composer and multi-instrumentalist based in the UK. He plays guitar, cello, piano and percussion and is a member of several orchestras and ensembles. His musical journey started when he learned to play the piano at 3 years old, after which he picked up his other instruments. He grew up going to classical concerts and recitals, sparking his love for music even more. When he is not playing or composing, you can find him on the tennis courts or working on his circus skills.

Despite his young age, Ilay has been composing a great amount of works in a variety of styles, ranging from Sonatas to Mazurkas, Waltzes to Tangos and many more. He started composing under the expert guidance of Dr. Daniel Nistico and now not only writes for guitar, but also for piano, cello and percussion among others. His compositions are cleverly crafted, with an effective use of contrasting melodies and textures, and an astonishing eye for detail. Ilay is a truly versatile musician and able to compose in a wide range of styles, from Baroque to modern.

David Hole

David is based in regional Victoria, Australia. His music is very evocative and often inspired by events of the times. David’s pieces often incorporate harsh tonalities that bring great drama and power to the composition.

Gillian Robinson

Gillian Robinson’s childhood experience, aged 7, of being taken to see Andres Segovia in concert, kindled a lifelong passion for classical guitar which has never waned. Mostly self-taught, after several years of playing she enrolled in evening classes with John Balmer, one of the founders of Southampton Classical Guitar Society of which she is a long-term member. Since then, she has seized opportunities to learn from professional guitarists in workshops, ensembles and festivals. Her career has been in the visual arts as painter, illustrator and sculptor, but music and guitar have always been a powerful influence and inspiration. It is only recently, after many years of playing and study, that she has begun to experiment with writing pieces for classical guitar, and is deeply grateful to Australian classical guitarist and teacher, Daniel Nistico, for his encouragement and for unlocking a door into the realm of creative musical expression.

George Jenner

George is based in Sydney, Australia and composes superbly crafted music. As well as playing guitar, George is also proficient on flute and piano and can compose ensemble works as well as solo works.

Brittany Lum

Brittany began learning the guitar at the age of seven, after months of having found beauty in just playing open strings on a guitar found in the family home. After a few lessons, she quickly became fascinated by the richness of the guitar’s unique tones and colours. At this young age, she had the good fortune to see John Williams in concert. His passion and talent on stage inspired Brittany to be diligent in her practice and has given her a lifelong dedication to the instrument and its music.

Brittany has spent several years studying with Ron Payne in Melbourne, and has been fortunate to have been able to perform for Slava and Len Grigoryan. During her university studies she had the opportunity to live in northern Italy, during which time she took lessons with Steve Figoni and Flavio Cucchi. She performed in a masterclass with Piero Bonaguri, gaining valuable advice and meeting other passionate students of the guitar.

Brittany is based in Melbourne, Australia. She composes music that has powerful emotional directness and through her music hopes to express a spirit that will draw others in even closer to the beauty of the guitar and its infinite musical possibilities.

Colleen Billington

Colleen is based in the UK and composes music that blends traditional forms with modern harmonies in a gorgeous style.

Malcolm Perris

Malcolm is based in regional Victoria, Australia. He composes stunning and extraordinarily intricate pieces in a wide variety of styles, often with interesting scordatura and harmonic devices. Malcolm is also a superb arranger, as demonstrated by his arrangement of Londonderry Air (a.k.a. Danny Boy).

Kevin Toller

Kevin is based in Somerset, UK and is the author of a time management book called “The Time of Your Life”. Kevin is a guitar teacher and time management expert. Kevin is also a painter and he plays both classical and rock guitar, and has been teaching guitar lessons for over 16 years.

Rick Alexander

“I've been playing guitar since I was a teenager and I've been concentrating on instrumental guitar and songs since my mid 30s. I wrote my first instrumental pieces and songs in 1994. Most of the tracks on my first CD "Innocent Dreams" were written during 1997-1999.

In 2004 Adelaide Greenaway and I formed a duo - Zanthii Blue and in December 2006 we released a CD -These Places.

I released my latest CD of instrumental guitar music - Fine Light - in September 2013. 

In 2017 I joined the Victorian Guitar Orchestra. I've been writing ensemble music over the past few years and my piece "Jade" was played by the Victorian Guitar Orchestra in 2018.

I'm honoured to have been awarded second prize in the Matt Withers Australian Music Composition Competition in 2018 for my piece "Storming" for classical guitar and string quartet. Storming has been performed by Matt Withers and Acacia Quartet in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne and released on their Imaginations album by ABC Classics.

I enjoy writing, recording and performing solo and ensemble pieces and am very happy to have joined Caoba Records in September 2020.”

Khiem Nguyen-Duy

“I am a guitarist, a composer, and a full-time Lead hardware engineer who earned a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering close on a decade ago. I am a native Vietnamese, born in 1986, and have double citizenships Vietnamese and Danish.

I have always loved the guitar since I was introduced to it by the age of 12. Since 2021, I have decided to become a composer and I really find the composition process so rewarding. Through compositions, I can freely express my feelings, my beautiful inner-self, and my experience about love and life using my creativity.”