Cleveland Classical Guitar Society (CCGS) has an outstanding lineup for the 2026-2027 International Series, bringing world-renowned performers to Cleveland. This series includes the free Showcase Concert featuring local professional artists and five ticketed concerts with stylistically and ethnically diverse programs featuring musicians from Paraguay, Brazil, England, China, Poland, and Slovenia.
All six concerts will be held at the prestigious Maltz Performing Arts Center.
The free annual Showcase Concert on September 19, 2026, features local performers, including classical guitarists Nathaniel Hill and Lucas (Yuhao) Chen, as well as the blues/soul duo of singer-songwriter-guitarist Sam Hooper and pianist Moss Stanley.
Paraguayan guitarist Berta Rojas performs an all-Latin American program entitled “Historia del Tango,” part solo and part with the Opus 216 String Quartet, on October 17, 2026. This program includes a new suite of arrangements of music by Gustavo Santaolalla, winner of two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, two Grammys and seventeen Latin Grammy Awards.
Chinese guitarist TY Zhang, winner of the 2017 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition, the most prestigious guitar contest in the world, performs on January 16, 2027.
Mateusz Kowalski and Mak Grgic perform their Grammy-nominated “Slavic Sessions” program on February 6, 2027. Notably, Mak has earned five Grammy nominations.
Brazilian Grammy-winning guitarist/composer Sérgio Assad, best known for his duo with his brother Odair, presents a special program with his daughter, singer/composer/multi-instrumentalist Clarice Assad, on March 6, 2027.
Recognized by The Guardian as “a young 21st-century virtuoso,” British guitarist Alexandra Whittingham’s creative spirit is reshaping classical music and defying conventions. A worldwide sensation with nearly half a million YouTube subscribers, she closes the season on April 17, 2027.
Cleveland Classical Guitar Society is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 and dedicated to its mission to “Teach, Inspire, Connect”. CCGS is centered around two main programs: The Education Program provides free, life-changing experiences for youth and teachers alike in the City of Cleveland. The International Series presents the world’s greatest classical guitarists, representing 26 countries and 36 Cleveland debuts to date.
🅿️Parking is FREE for all CCGS concerts
