Concert details: Friday 29 June at 1pm in Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin

lena Zucchini graduated in 2010 with a Master’s Degree from one of the finest music academies in the world, the Musik-Akademie der Stadt Basel. Described by Alberto Ponce as “the next rising star of the classical guitar world”, Elena has begun her career focussing on Italian and contemporary repertoire and, in 2011, her first album was released containing music by Dyens, Scarlatti, Giuliani, Petrassi and Davidovsky.

Growing up in rural Tuscany in Italy, Elena’s passion for the guitar began as a child, listening to her uncle playing classical and flamenco music. This love affair with the instrument led her to study at conservatories in Perugia and Fermo where she was awarded numerous prizes, including twice receiving Fermo’s Best Student of the Year award. Keen to learn as much as she could, she began enrolling in masterclasses, playing for many of the world’s finest guitarists, including David Russell, Stephan Schmidt, Claudio Marcotulli, Stewart French, Pavel Steidl, Alberto Ponce, Marco Socias, Jorge Cardoso, Roland Dyens, Fabio Zanon, Raphaella Smits and Marcello Rivelli, before finally auditioning at Basel for the Master’s course in performance and musical interpretation, from which she graduated with distinction.

Elena currently lives in London where she balances a schedule of teaching, composition projects and performances.

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