Under the artistic direction of Alexei Belousov and Daniel Akiva, the sixth annual Guitar Gems Festival will take place this year, October 14-18 in the coastal resort of Netanya.As in previous years, the festival includes concerts, international competitions for adults and youth, master classes, an excursion program and a special exhibition.  

Leading guest artists at this year’s festival feature Roland Dyens (France), Oegmundur Thor Johannesson (Iceland), Matthew McAllister (Scotland), Aisling Agnew (Ireland), Miriam Rodriguez-Brullova, Maria Hanyova (Slovakia), Sergei Matokhin (Russia), the Israel Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra Netanya, and Israeli conductor, Yaron Gottfried.

A major event at the festival includes the International Classical Guitar Competition, which attracts leading musicians from all over the world. The competition is open to musicians of all ages and nationalities, while an additional youth competition is open to youth under the age of 16. The competition’s opening ceremony will take place in the Heichal Hatarbut Concert Hall, Netanya, on Friday, October 14, 2011 at 12:00, while the official competition will begin on Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 10:00. Both the preliminary and the final rounds of the competition are open to the public.

Netanya is a lively seacoast town situated on the Sharon coastal plain, and a center for tourism, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The lovely beaches that extend along its entire length, its numerous vacation facilities, and hotels have made it a popular tourist resort. 

For more information on the festival, competition applications and accommodation please visit the festival website: www.guitar-gems.com/en