Biography

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Classical guitarist Sasha Savaloni is the winner of two of the most prestigious guitar competitions in Europe; the Sevilla International Guitar Competition (2018) and the New Elizabethan Award (2022).

As a soloist he has given concerts across Europe and throughout the UK, performing recitals in venues such as the Wigmore Hall (London), Kings Place (London), Usher Hall (Edinburgh), Sage Gateshead, The Shoe Factory (Nicosia), City Halls (Glasgow), Holyrood Palace (Edinburgh), St John’s Smith Square (London), TUDublin Conservatoire, University of St Andrews, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the Leeds College of Music as well as performances in festivals such as the London Guitar Festival, St Magnus International Festival, Sul Tasto Paris, Festival de la Guitarra de Sevilla, Big Guitar Weekend, Festival Corde d’Autunno, Les Garrigues Memorial Emili Pujol, Bath Guitar Festival, Shrewsbury Guitar Festival, Plug New Music Festival and the Ullapool Guitar Festival.

He has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the European Union Youth Orchestra, and his playing has been broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 3 in addition to German and American radios.


Winner of numerous awards and prizes, Sasha has achieved widespread recognition most notably as the winner of the Sevilla International Guitar Competition and the New Elizabethan Award. In 2015 he won 2nd Prize in both the Ivor Mairants Guitar Award and the Miguel Llobet International Guitar Competition in Barcelona, where he also received the Audience Award and Prize for the Best Performance of the Contemporary Work.
In 2014 he was selected by the International Guitar Foundation for its Young Artist Platform and in 2019 he was a Park Lane Group Artist; at present he is a Live Music Now Scotland artist. 

 

Sasha is a passionate advocate of new music and has been regularly active in expanding the guitar repertoire through performing and commissioning new works. To date he has been involved in the premiere of more than thirty new works.
A committed Chamber musician, Sasha has worked with numerous musicians and ensembles, including collaborations with the Red Note Ensemble, guitarist Sean Shibe, mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor, trumpeter Mark O’Keeffe, guitarist Ian Watt, flautist Lee Holland and soprano Alison McNeill with whom he was a Chamber Music Scotland Resident Artist from 2015-2017.

Sasha is a Guitar Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. In 2023 he also completed a doctorate at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of St Andrews focusing on performance of Schubert’s music on guitar.