It’s all go here at WYGF headquarters booking in our all-star guest artists ready for a spectacular festival in August 2023.

WYGF’s new format launched in 2019 gives our students a chance to explore even more of the world of the guitar. Your favourite highlights from WYGF such as the guitar orchestras, concerts and workshops are still here, but our WYGF guitarists now get to explore our afternoon PATHWAYS.

Which PATHWAY will you choose?

There will be a pathway for every level of player, why not try something new or deepen your knowledge of one of your musical passions. You will be able select your preferred PATHWAY* in the early summer when we send out our attendance forms to be completed before you join us at Dean Close School in Cheltenham.

(*Pathways will be allocated based on preference and then by playing level, we will endeavour to ensure everyone gets their first choice where possible.)

Declan Zapala

Come and join Declan who is leading our Acoustic Percussive Guitar PATHWAY at WYGF 2023! Budding young acoustic guitarists can expect him to shake it up with some new six string picking and percussive techniques.

Declan Zapala is an acclaimed concert guitarist, writing and performing music that explores new avenues in guitar techniques. He has achieved great success for his innovative classical and percussive guitar concerts throughout the UK and internationally.

Tom Ollendorff

Tom is leading our Jazz Guitar PATHWAY at WYGF 2023! Come and join Tom and explore the nuances that Jazz guitar has to offer and take your technique to the next level.

Tom is known for his highly distinctive sound which blends virtuosic guitar playing with sophisticated harmonic and melodic ideas, whilst always keeping room for nuance and sensitivity. He has worked alongside artists including Geoff Simkins, Ben Wendel, Bill McHenry, Jeff Williams and Ari Hoenig.

Nick Powlesland

Ever wondered where to begin when you sit down to write music yourself? Are you working towards GCSE and A level compositions and want to be inspired? Well here’s your chance to explore composition and improvisation techniques with an expert. Join Nick on our Composing/Songwriting PATHWAY at WYGF 2023.

Nick regularly composes especially for WYGF, and is well-known for his pieces and exercises for the Classical, Plectrum Guitar and Rock and Pop syllabuses for Trinity College exam board. He also has a lifelong love of Musical Theatre that finds him frequently playing guitar or bass in theatres across the North West.

Zoran Dukić

For all our aspiring career guitarists, come and join Zoran at WYGF 2023 and take our Conservatoire Fast-Track PATHWAY. If you are thinking about taking that next step and applying to a conservatoire to study classical guitar, this is your chance to learn what to expect and how to make the most of that audition from a world-class teacher and virtuoso.

Zoran Dukić is a Croatian born classical guitarist. Between 1990-1997 he won more competitions than any other guitarist! He currently perform recitals all over the world, both as a soloist or with an orchestra, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Tchaikovsky Hall, Palau de la Musica, and the Concertgebouw, among others. He has educated generations of young classical guitarists and has one of the most successful classes in Europe at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague.

Other special guest tutors at WYGF 2023