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33rd Koblenz Guitar Festival & Academy | Sunday 1st - Monday 9th June 2025

Lifetime Achievement Award of the Koblenz International Guitar Academy for David Russell

At irregular intervals the Koblenz International Guitar Academy presents its “Lifetime Achievement Award” to someone who has made outstanding achievements in service of the guitar.

Until now the prize has been awarded to Pepe und Celin Romero, Konrad Ragossnig, John D’Addario, Bernard Maillot, Wolf Biermann Hubert Käppel and Manuel Barrueco.

On Pentecost Monday, during a festive musical ceremony, students, colleagues, companions and friends will be coming together to celebrate and honour David Russell, who has elevated the guitar to new dimensions and opened up new horizons and possibilities for the subsequent generations.

David Russell - “the guitarist's guitarists”, has for more than two decades been very closely associated with the Koblenz International Guitar Festival & Academy. In that time, he has not only as a soloist and teacher, helped shape and form the artistic development of the festival.

We are extremely grateful to him for the work together over many years. We offer our sincerest congratulations and are looking forward to many more years together in the future!

Prof. Georg Schmitz
Koblenz Guitar Festival & Academy