top of page

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FOR CLASSICAL GUITAR

I’m not a guitarist myself, which means my writing for the classical guitar begins from a different angle — one shaped by curiosity, by listening, and by imagining the instrument from the outside in. The guitar’s intimacy, its quiet resonance, and its ability to shift between clarity and shadow have always fascinated me. This collection reflects that perspective, offering works that explore the instrument’s expressive depth and subtle colors.

Contemporary Music for Classical Guitar

Modern classical guitar repertoire has expanded significantly in the 20th and 21st centuries, with composers exploring new colors, extended techniques, and innovative textures. My works for guitar reflect this evolution, ranging from solo pieces to duos, chamber settings, and electro‑acoustic explorations. The sections below present my contributions to the guitar repertoire across solo and  chamber contexts.

 

SOLO CLASSICAL GUITAR

solo

 Unaccompanied Guitar


Meditation

5' | classical guitar solo

 

Remembrances of Jerusalem
11' | classical guitar solo

 

Six for a Dance
2' 30" | classical guitar solo

 

GUITAR CONCERTOS

concerto

 Concert Works Featuring Guitar 


Guitar Concerto

for guitar and orchestra

21' 30" | guitar solo, 2 flutes (2nd doubles Piccolo), 2 oboes (2nd doubles English horn); 2 clarinets (2nd doubles bass clarinet) 2 bassoons; 2 horns;  1 percussion; harp, celeste, strings
 

ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC GUITAR WORS

sound track

 Guitar with Electronics


Through the Alleys of Time

22' | guitar and soundtrack
 

GUITAR DUOS

DUO
chamber music


Sarigim

for guitar duo

6' | 2 classical guitars

 Duets for Two Guitars or Guitar + Another Instrument 

Undercurrents

7'30" | alto flute and guitar
 

Blurred Formations

10' | classical guitar and concert accordion
 

CHAMBER ENSEMBLE WITH GUITAR

 Mixed Chamber Ensembles 


After a Tango

for chamber ensemble

16' | recorders (3), clarinet, trumpet, trombone, guitar, percussion, violin, double bass​
 

Sheet Music for Classical Guitar:

About Contemporary Guitar Repertoire

The classical guitar repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries includes a wide range of solo works, chamber pieces, and concert works that have shaped the instrument’s modern identity. The list below highlights influential pieces that are frequently performed, studied, and recorded. This curated selection is offered as a resource for performers and teachers exploring contemporary guitar music, alongside my own works for the instrument.

Key 20th–21st Century Classical Guitar Repertoire

Solo Guitar

  • Benjamin Britten – Nocturnal after John Dowland, Op. 70 – solo guitar – 1963 

  • Agustín Barrios Mangoré – La Catedral – solo guitar – 1921

  • Leo Brouwer – El Decamerón Negro – solo guitar – 1981

  • Joaquín Rodrigo – Invocación y Danza – solo guitar – 1961

  • Heitor Villa-Lobos – 12 Études – solo guitar – 1929

  • Manuel Ponce – Sonata III – solo guitar – 1927

  • Federico Moreno Torroba – Castillos de España – solo guitar – 1970

  • Hans Werner Henze – Royal Winter Music – solo guitar – 1976

  • Elliott Carter – Changes – solo guitar – 1983

  • Toru Takemitsu – All in Twilight – solo guitar – 1987

  • William Walton – Five Bagatelles – solo guitar – 1973

  • John Duarte – English Suite, Op. 31 – solo guitar – 1962 

  • Lior Navok – Remembrances of Jerusalem – solo guitar – 1995

  • Frank Martin – Quatre Pièces Brèves – solo guitar – 1933

  • Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco – Capriccio Diabolico – solo guitar – 1935

  • Alberto Ginastera – Sonata for Guitar, Op. 47 – solo guitar – 1976

  • Angelo Gilardino – Sonata Mediterranea – solo guitar – 1992

  • Dušan Bogdanović – Jazz Sonatina – solo guitar – 1984

  • Roland Dyens – Libra Sonatine – solo guitar – 1986

  • Atanas Ourkouzounov – Sonatina – solo guitar – 2000 
     

Guitar Chamber Works

  • Lior Navok – Sarigim – guitar duo – 2020

  • Astor Piazzolla – Histoire du Tango – guitar and flute – 1986

  • Maurice Ohana – Si le jour paraît – guitar duo – 1976

  • Steve Reich – Electric Counterpoint – guitar and tape – 1987

  • Toru Takemitsu – Toward the Sea – guitar and flute – 1981

  • Leo Brouwer – Sonata for Two Guitars – guitar duo – 1990

  • Hans Werner Henze – Drei Tentos – guitar and ensemble – 1958

  • Egil Hovland – Suite for Guitar and Cello, Op. 88 – guitar and cello – 1977

  • Manuel Ponce – Sonata for Guitar and Harpsichord – guitar and harpsichord – 1926

  • John Williams – The Magic Box – guitar and ensemble – 2001 (Note: arrangement of African traditional music)

  • Joaquín Clerch – Sonata for Guitar and Violin – guitar and violin – 1995 
     

Guitar Concertos

  • Joaquín Rodrigo – Concierto de Aranjuez – guitar and orchestra – 1939

  • Heitor Villa-Lobos – Concerto for Guitar – guitar and orchestra – 1951

  • Leo Brouwer – Concerto de Toronto – guitar and orchestra – 1987

  • Malcolm Arnold – Guitar Concerto, Op. 67 – guitar and orchestra – 1959

  • Stephen Dodgson – Guitar Concerto No. 1 – guitar and orchestra – 1959

  • Angelo Gilardino – Concerto Italiano – guitar and orchestra – 2001

  • Gerald Garcia – Guitar Concerto – guitar and orchestra – 1995

  • Christopher Rouse – Concert de Gaudí – guitar and orchestra – 1999

  • Lior Navok – Guitar Concerto – guitar and chamber orchestra – 2010

  • Stephen Goss – Guitar Concerto – guitar and orchestra – 2012

  • Tomás Marco – Concierto de Córdoba – guitar and orchestra – 1998

bottom of page