El Seville Guitar Festival advances in its 16th edition, which will be held from October 9 to November 7 with a tribute to the painter Julio Romero de Torres on the 95th anniversary of his death. After the provincial kick-off, with the concerts of the Andalusian Guitar Quartet in Tomares, Carmona and Santiponce, and the official opening in the capital by the Japanese guitarist Riko Morita At the Casa de los Pinelo, the festival now enters its central stage with an intense program of concerts, competitions, master classes, and book presentations.
The event, organized by Contrastes Records, brings together top-level performers from Japan, Croatia, China, France, and Portugal, alongside leading figures of the Spanish guitar. For nearly a month, classical and flamenco guitar will be heard in iconic venues such as the Espacio Turina, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Antiquarium, the CICUS, and the Espacio Santa Clara, as well as in heritage sites throughout the province, confirming the festival's decentralizing and international focus.
"For Romero de Torres, the guitar is not just a musical object. It's an icon laden with meaning, the visual voice of southern Spain. That's why in this edition we want to recognize his legacy as a universal painter and his eternal connection with the guitar and Andalusian art," he emphasizes. Francisco Bernier, founder and artistic director of the Festival.
The province, prelude to the festival
This year's prologue brought music to the province of Seville, reaffirming the festival's commitment to cultural dissemination beyond the capital. The Andalusian Guitar Quartet opened the series with three consecutive concerts in Tomares, Carmona, and Santiponce, filling the heritage spaces of the Patio de la Fuente, the Santa Ana Cultural Center, and the Monastery of San Isidoro del Campo with audiences.
The tour continues on Friday, October 17 in Espartinas, with the Viseu Guitar Quartet at Hacienda El Vizir, and culminates on Sunday 19th in Villanueva del Ariscal, where Rafael Riqueni presents Inheritance at the Palace of Music.
Seville takes the baton
The capital is now hosting the heart of the program. The Pinelo House was the stage for the opening with a recital by Riko Morita, which offered a program of romantic and contemporary works. The Antiquarium yesterday welcomed Nene Yokomura & Kathonn Fallah, with The mystery of dance and music, a show that fuses Persian dance and Japanese tradition.
This Saturday the 18th, the Cordoban José Antonio Rodríguez, three times National Flamenco Guitar Award winner, premieres The look of Romero de Torres in the Silvio Room of the Espacio Turina. On Monday the 20th, the CICUS will host the screening of the documentary of the same name directed by Alejandro Lasala, with subsequent discussion.
The Museum of Fine Arts opens the cycle Music and Painting Tuesday 21st with Javier Riba, that shows The guitar dreamed of by Romero de TorresAnd on Tuesday the 28th, the Jerez native Manuel valencia, Giraldillo Prize of the Biennial of Flamenco, will offer his own tribute to the universe of the Cordoba painter.
Turina Space, the epicenter of programming
The Espacio Turina hosts some of the most anticipated nights. On Wednesday, October 29th, Lorenzo Micheli y Jose Manuel Leon They will open the central block, followed by María Esther Guzmán y Eduardo Trassierra On Thursday the 30th, in a dialogue between classical and flamenco guitar.
On Saturday, November 1st, Pedro Sierra & La Tobala will present a flamenco recital. On Wednesday the 5th they will arrive Masataka Suganuma and the duo Manuel Herrera father and son, Zoran Dukić along with Santiago Lara They will be there on Thursday the 6th and, as a closing, Dejan Ivanovic to David of Arahal on Friday 7.
Competitions, training and publications
The 16th Seville International Guitar Competition will hold its semifinals on Wednesday the 29th at 9:00 a.m. and the Final Gala on Thursday the 30th at noon, both in the Silvio Hall of the Espacio Turina. The winner will receive a prize valued at 13.450 euros, which includes cash, a handcrafted guitar, a professional case, a recording, and a concert tour in 2026 to Seville, Paris, and Viseu.
The 10th Manuel de Falla International Composition Competition, open to unpublished works of three to five minutes, has opened its registration period until October 15. The decision will be announced during the Final Gala of the performance competition.
The training program will include master classes by Lorenzo Micheli (October 29), Zoran Dukić (November 5) and Dejan Ivanovic (November 6), as well as book presentations on November 6 and 7 in the Juan de Mairena Room of the Espacio Turina, dedicated to Manolo Sanlúcar and the musical legacy of Romero de Torres.
'The Treasures of the Spanish Guitar' Series
The Institute of Culture and the Arts of Seville (ICAS) is organizing the series "The Treasures of the Spanish Guitar," which will be held in the Painting Room of the Espacio Santa Clara. This program, conceived as a showcase for emerging talent, will bring together four award-winning performers from international competitions: Antoine Guerrero, on Wednesday, October 22, Andrzej Grygier, on Thursday 23rd, Francisco Luis on Friday the 24th, and Shilong Fan, on Friday the 31st. Tickets for the series organized by ICAS–Seville City Council can be purchased at this link.
Program of the XVI Seville Guitar Festival
Wednesday, October 9 from 2025
20:30 p.m. Fountain Courtyard
take
ANDALUSIAN GUITAR QUARTET
Thursday, October 10, 2025
20:30 p.m. Santa Ana Cultural Center
Carmona
ANDALUSIAN GUITAR QUARTET
Friday, October 11, 2025
20:30 p.m. Monastery of San Isidoro del Campo
Santiponce
ANDALUSIAN GUITAR QUARTET
Friday, October 17, 2025
19:30 p.m. Hacienda El Vizir
espartinas
VISEU GUITAR QUARTET
Sunday, 19 of October of 2025
20:00 PM. Palace of Music
Villanueva del Ariscal
Rafael Riqueni
Inheritance
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
19:00 p.m. Carlos III Hall – Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Pinelo House
RIKO MORITA
Wednesday, October 15 from 2025
19:00 PM. Antiquarium
NENE YOKOMURA & KATHONN FALLAH
The mystery of dance and music
Free entry until complete seats
Saturday, 18 October of 2025
20:00 PM. Silvio Room
Turina Space
José Antonio Rodríguez
The look of Romero de Torres
Monday, October 20, 2025
12:30 p.m. Auditorium
CICUS
Screening and discussion
The look of Romero de Torres
Free entry until complete seats
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
19:30 p.m. Museum of Fine Arts
Javier Riba
The guitar dreamed of by Romero de Torres
“Music and Painting” Cycle
Wednesday, October 22 from 2025
19:30 p.m. Painting Room
Santa Clara Space
ANTOINE GUERRERO
“The Treasures of the Spanish Guitar” Series
Thursday, October 23, 2025
19:30 p.m. Painting Room
Santa Clara Space
ANDRZEJ GRYGIER
“The Treasures of the Spanish Guitar” Series
Friday, October 24, 2025
19:30 p.m. Painting Room
Santa Clara Space
FRANCISCO LUIS
“The Treasures of the Spanish Guitar” Series
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
18:00 p.m. Museum of Fine Arts
MANUEL VALENCIA
“Music and Painting” Cycle
Wednesday, October 29 from 2025
09:00 PM. Silvio Room
Turina Space
SEMIFINALS XVI INTERNATIONAL GUITAR COMPETITION
20:00 PM. Silvio Room
Turina Space
Lorenzo Micheli & Jose Manuel Leon
Thursday, October 30, 2025
12:00 PM. Silvio Room
Turina Space
FINAL GALA XVI INTERNATIONAL GUITAR COMPETITION
20:00 PM. Silvio Room
Turina Space
Maria Esther Guzman & Eduardo Trassierra
Friday, October 31, 2025
19:30 p.m. Painting Room
Santa Clara Space
SHILONG FAN
Saturday, November 1, 2025
20:00 PM. Silvio Room
Turina Space
PEDRO SIERRA & LA TOBALA
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
20:00 PM. Silvio Room
Turina Space
MASATAKA SUGANUMA & MANUEL HERRERA & MANUEL HERRERA (SON)
Thursday, November 6, 2025
18:00 PM. Juan de Mairena Hall
Turina Space
Editorial presentation
20:00 PM. Silvio Room
Turina Space
ZORAN DUKIĆ & SANTIAGO LARA
Friday, November 7, 2025
18:00 PM. Juan de Mairena Hall
Turina Space
Editorial presentation
20:00 PM. Silvio Room
Turina Space
Dejan Ivanovich & David de Arahal
