The Santo Tirso Guitar Festival returns for its 27th edition
Seven concerts at night, more intimate shows in the late afternoon, (dis)concerting conversations, specialized masterclasses, initiatives with schools and families, and a showcase of Media Arts make up an eclectic program.
The 2024 edition of the International Guitar Festival of Santo Tirso (FIGST), which takes place from October 16 to 20, intersects with other cultural areas and strengthens ties with the community, featuring a series of initiatives where the guitar is the common denominator.
This year, the event celebrates its 27th edition and has carved out its space in the landscape of musical events, becoming a worldwide reference for lovers of sounds produced by an endless variety of guitars. Seven concerts at night, more intimate performances in the late afternoon, (dis)concerting conversations, specialized masterclasses, initiatives with schools and families, and a showcase of Media Arts create an eclectic program aimed at enhancing the festival’s appeal.
During the presentation session, held at the International Museum of Contemporary Sculpture, Santo Tirso’s Mayor, Alberto Costa, emphasized that the municipality “seeks to create conditions for art to fully express the Freedom that characterizes it and to fulfil its irreplaceable role, particularly through its contribution to citizenship education.”
Reflecting on the 27 editions in 30 years of the festival and emphasizing the local government’s commitment year after year to have an event of increasing stature, Alberto Costa announced the intention to “have a large performance hall in Santo Tirso, thus addressing an identified need and allowing for enhanced conditions for cultural activities.”
“Raw material” is the theme of this edition, highlighting the different aspects of musical art with the guitar and all the instrument’s potential, from its physical material to its iconographic material.
On the stage of the Fábrica de Santo Thyrso, great names in the guitar world will perform, such as Jorge Caballero (Peru), the only guitarist to win the Naumburg International Competition, the Cologne Guitar Quartet (Germany), accompanied by Maria Portela Larisch – a Belgian soprano with Portuguese roots – or Tachuri (Turkey), before the final concert, where the organization challenged actor André Gago and musician João Diogo Leitão to create something new, where the eloquence of the guitar harmonizes with spoken words.
The artistic direction of the festival is in the hands of three curators: guitarist, composer, and teacher Óscar Flecha; artist, musician, and teacher Horácio Marques; and filmmaker, composer, and guitarist Joaquim Pavão.
“The FIGST 2024 presents a diverse and complex program, with various languages coexisting, to capture the interest not only of guitarists and musicians but also of an entire audience curious to discover something different,” emphasizes curator Óscar Flecha.
Tickets for the 27th edition of the International Guitar Festival of Santo Tirso are priced between 7.5 euros – with discounts applicable to students, Santo Tirso Young Card holders, and those over 65 – and 40 euros, and will soon be available on the BOL platform, at the Santo Tirso Tourist Office, and the box offices of the performance venues.
Always confirm with the concert hall or promoter the conditions of access, confirmation of the date or time, ticket place of sale, price, and availability.
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