Guitarfestival Seckau 2024
Sat. 20. - Sun. 28. July

the course is sold out !
for advanced beginners / pupils / students /
guitarteachers / professional guitar players and guitar aficionados !

Teachers:
Melanie Hosp (Linz)
José Maria Obeso (Mexiko / Austria)
Hugo González (Austria / Venezuela)
Florian Palier (Klagenfurt / Graz)
Johann Palier (Graz)
Paco Seco (Spain)

Visitors to the concerts welcome !

Tickets for concerts: Seckau Kultur phone: 0043 681 2068 0447

Magazine 2024

brochure IGF Seckau 2024

application closed !

Video from the closing concert last year, on July 30, 2023

IGF Seckau 2023 guitarorchestra J.S. Bach - H.L. Hassler - Th. Morley

Video from the closing concert on July 31 2022:
Johann & Josef Strauß - Pizzicato - Polka

https://www.facebook.com/guitarfestival.seckau

Guitarorchestra Seckau 2021

J.S. Bach (cantata "Wer hat dich so geschlagen" BWV 244 of Matthew passion) and
Praetorius (Volta of "Terpsichore")

20 years of guitarfestival Seckau /
review 2020 ORF "Steiermark heute" 31 - July 2020
"Zeit im Bild" 1 - August 2020
Austrian broadcast

Florian Palier performing Fugue BWV 997 by Johann Sebastian Bach
(from the CD "Poetry and colours")

Takuya Okamoto J.S. Bach Prelude & Allegro BWV 998

F. Bustamente ~ Misionera Guitarfestival Seckau 2018

Date

In midsummer, whether in sweltering heat or during an impressive thunderstorm coming from the mountains surrounding the abbey, the atmosphere always provides opportunities for inspiration...

Lessons

take place in the classrooms of the abbey’s secondary school (Stiftsgymnasium Seckau) or in the music rooms, the abbey library and lecture rooms. Whether pupil, student, guitar teacher or interested amateur musician, everyone benefits from the intense individual and ensemble lessons by ...

Program

Music and the guitar is our focus of interest. Artistic highlights are the opening concert, concerts on Thursday, Friday and the final concert on Sunday where participants get the chance to perform. Besides, we organise exhibitions of luthiers presenting their guitars – ranging from school guitars to professional concert guitars – which of course can be tested by the participants or even purchased.

Lecturers and Teachers

A team of internationally renowned guitarists and teachers ensure the professional training including individual and ensemble lessons during the whole week.

Schedule

The opening concert on Saturday shall put participants in the right mood for this intense week of guitar music before the individual lessons and lectures start on the following day. Usually after dinner, there are small exercise concerts where participants have the opportunity to gain experience on stage, playing in front of each other and the teachers. Each day ends with a special evening program comprising relaxation exercises, bedtime stories (for the younger participants … and for everyone else interested), campfire, a walk at night and even an exciting test of courage. Similarly, there are activities in the morning like early-morning exercises and training relaxation techniques.

Accommodation

Seckau Abbey, an impressive monastery, is situated in the small village of Seckau, 843 meters above sea level, surrounded by mountains up to 2400 meters. Accommodation is provided in single rooms in the St. Joseph wing of the monastery. Or at St. Martha’s, the former nurses' home, which is only a few steps away from the abbey, where there are single, double or family rooms. Meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are served at fixed times in the dining room of the abbey.

Care

Especially for kids, there is one person available at all times, always there with an open ear and heart that can be addressed in all kinds of situations.

The atmosphere

What has been exceptional for the event since its beginning 24 years ago is the respectful cooperation of all parties involved. Intensive instruction, rehearsals, exercise concerts, listening, admiring and supporting each other ... young and old, professionals and amateurs … all mixed together for the common goal of making music. During this week, everything is about music and one can hear the sound of guitars from all corners of the venerable walls of the abbey.

	Melanie Hosp Linz graduate of the Music Gymnasium, Conservatory Innsbruck, and the University of Music Vienna (Masters in IGP and Guitar Concert Performance under Álvaro Pierri), achieving degrees with distinction. Winner of national and international competitions, recipient of scholarships from the Thyll/Dürr Foundation and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation. Concerts in China, Taiwan, Lebanon, Czech Republic, among others. Debut CD "cómo el agua" (classical, Latin American music, and jazz), current CD "Zeit Portrait" with Florian Palier in duo. Guitar teacher at the Linz Music School. Frequent judge at "Prima la Musica" competitions. https://www.melaniehosp.com
	José Maria Obeso (Mexico/Austria) studying guitar since 2003 at the Conservatorio de Las Rosas in Morelia, Mexico, with Miguel Angel Castellanos and Rodrigo Nefthalí López. Graduated with honors in 2011 with a Bachelor's degree. Attended masterclasses with J. Perroy, P. Márquez, H. Smith, L. Brouwer, Z. Dukić, among others. Completed IGP Master's in 2016 at KUG Graz (under Paolo Pegoraro - classical guitar, Martin Wiederhofer - jazz and popular music). Guitar teacher at the Gleisdorf Music School since 2017, teaching classical and electric guitar, also directing the guitar orchestra there. https://www.obesoguitar.com/de/
	Johannn Palier studied classical guitar at the Musikhochschule Graz. Laureate of the International Guitar Competition in Volos (Greece). Active concert performer, featured on numerous radio and TV broadcasts in Europe, Asia, and Central America. Released 9 CDs of solo guitar and chamber music; current CD "Violarra - Saitenspiel" with Duo Violarra (performing this time with Johanna Bohnen, Bruckner Orchestra Linz). Instructor/Judge at major international guitar festivals and competitions; achieved success in pop music (Opus, White Stars / gold and platinum records). Many of his students have won prizes and 1st prizes at national and international competitions. http://www.violarra.at
	Florian Palier (Graz / Klagenfurt) studied the guitar with his father Johann Palier and finished his studies with Álvaro Pierri at the University of Music in Vienna with distinction. He won several first prizes at national and international competitions; 1st prize at the International Guitar competition in Enschede (Netherlands). Concerts, television and radio-recordings in many countries in Europe, in Japan,Taiwan, USA a.o. Since 2012 teaches guitar at the conservatory of music in Graz with students winning many prizes at competitions. For many years he was teaching at the University of music in Vienna as assistent to Álvaro Pierri. Since 2022 he is also professor for guitar at Gustav-Mahler-University Klagenfurt https://gmpu.ac.at/. CDs: Florian Palier - Castillos de España; “Poetry and Colours”, „Bach und Ich“ new CD together with Melanie Hosp "Zeitton". http://www.florianpalier.net
	Hugo Fernando González (Austria / Venezuela) studied guitar and composition in Venezuela and Austria (with Leo Witoszynskyj) and participated masterclasses with M. Barrueco, A. Pierri, A. Diaz, P. Steidl a.o. Recordings on TV and radio in many countries in South America and Europe. Big successes as a composer. Many commissioned arrangements of music for the Festival La Strada and Styriarte. 1.Prize at VII. International Guitarcontest “Kutná Hora 94” - Czech Repubic. CD-production „Besame Mucho“ 2017 for Sony Classical International with Juan Diego Flórez. Since 2006 Senior Lecturer at Kunstuniversität Graz for Klassik, Jazz and Popmusic. Institute board deputy at the department for strings at University for music in Graz. He is many times invited to teach the students at the Guitarfestival Seckau.
	Paco Seco (Spain) is a true ambassador of Spanish guitar. He has a unique technique blending classical cleanliness with the emotion of flamenco guitar. Recorded 12 CDs covering Baroque to contemporary music and incorporating trends like world music or jazz, inspired by Andalusian roots. His concerts at some of the world's most important guitar and music festivals (Antwerp, Sarajevo, Kaliningrad; Lisbon, among others) have received enthusiastic reviews. In Seckau, he also conducts a seminar on Spanish music in classical (de Falla, de la Maza, among others) and flamenco (on Tuesday and Wednesday). https://www.pacoseco.com

Guitarfestival Seckau 2024Sat. 20. - Sun. 28. July