NYGE

The National Youth Guitar Ensemble, or NYGE, is a musical ensemble comprising young United Kingdom guitarists from the ages of 13 to 18. Ever since starting in 2000, its numbers have grown, and NYGE has performed with such distinguished guitarists as John Williams and the Eden Stell Guitar Duo. In April of 2006, NYGE performed the world premiere of "Roundelay", at their perennial concert venue of Bolivar Hall (within the Venezuelan Embassy, London), in the presence of Stephen Dogson, who composed the piece specifically for the ensemble after he had been impressed at a previous concert. In July 2007, NYGE gave a concert on the final night of the inaugral World Youth Guitar Festival (http://wygf.org/concerts.html) playing amongst others, the demanding Lorca Concerto for two guitars and guitar orchestra, by Gerald Garcia. NYGE's other repertoire includes pieces by Leo Brouwer, Peter Warlock, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Alfonso Montes and Ástor Piazzolla . Most recently, in July 2008, NYGE performed at Winchester Guitar Festival 08 (http://www.winchesterguitarfestival.co.uk/concerts.html), where they launched a new CD - "Festive Fizz".

NYGE has been directed for many years by Gerald Garcia and was previously directed by guitarist Chris Susans, who left management in 2007. NYGE was set up by the European Guitar Teachers Association (EGTA) to enable ensemble training for young musicians and provided human and financial resources.