Tutors
The WYGF tutors are drawn from some of the most outstanding performers and inspirational teachers in the guitar world.

Gary Ryan

Mark Eden

Christopher Stell

Vincent Lindsey-Clark

Frank Gerstmeier

Wendy Jackson

Helen Sanderson

Gary Ryan

Gary Ryan is one of the world’s leading classical guitarists. He made his London recital debut at the Purcell Room for the Park Lane Group in 1994 to exceptional critical acclaim and was subsequently invited to perform a series of recitals for the Kirckman Concert Society, winning universal praise for his formidable technique, outstanding musicianship and original concert programmes.

Gary Ryan studied at the Guildhall School of Music Junior Department and later won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, from where he graduated in 1991 with first class honours and a host of awards including the Julian Bream Prize, the John Mundy String Prize and the Dorothy Grinstead Prize for the most outstanding all round student. Further awards from the Fleming Trust and the Royal Academy of Music enabled him to pursue his post-graduate studies and in 1997 he was made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, in recognition of his achievements.

In addition to a busy schedule giving recitals, concertos and masterclasses at music societies and festivals throughout the UK, Gary Ryan has a fast growing international reputation with performances in the USA, Malaysia, Greece, Cyprus, Sweden, Romania and Hungary, France and Holland. He is also widely sought after as an examiner working for Trinity Guildhall and adjudicator and at the age of 27 he was appointed one of the youngest ever Professors at the Royal College of Music.

Gary Ryan has recorded three very popular CDs, The Magic of the Guitar (1996), Latin Temperament (2000) and Worlds Apart (2003). He has also recently received great acclaim for his highly innovative compositions for the guitar, which draw on the rich tradition of the instrument and combine it with popular contemporary influences and extended instrumental techniques. His latest CD, Worlds Apart, includes his own highly acclaimed work for guitar, Scenes from The Wild West.

Eden Stell Guitar Duo

Mark Eden and Christopher Stell graduated from the Royal Academy as recipients of the Principal's Prize for Achievement and the Julian Bream Prize, and then continued their studies in Brussels with the Brazilian Guitar Duo, Sérgio and Odair Assad with the aid of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.

As winners of the Park Lane Group's Young Artists' Concert Series and the South East Musicians' Platform they have given recitals at the Purcell Room and the Wigmore Hall, and have subsequently been invited to perform there by music organisations such as 'Live Music Now!', the Kirckman Concert Society, and Classical Guitar Magazine.

Other engagements include festivals and recitals in Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Canada, South and Central America and Australia, numerous radio and TV appearances on ITV, BBC and European networks.

The duo have had works dedicated to them by Stephen Dodgson, Adam Gorb, Dusan Bogdanovic and Gerald Garcia, and have performed double concerti with the Prague Chamber Orchestra, International Philharmonic (Germany), Orchestra of the Black Sea (Romania), and the Oxford Concert Party.

In March 2000, Mark and Chris were elected Associates of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of their performing achievements. Chris teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Mark teaches at the Birmingham Conservatoire and the Junior Department of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The duo play Christopher Dean guitars and use D'Addario strings.

Vincent Lindsey-Clark

Vincent was born in 1956 and studied guitar at the Centre for Young Musicians with William Baulch and Thomas Hartman and then continued his studies at the Royal College of Music with Michael Jessett and Alan Ridout (composition). He made his London debut at the Wigmore hall in 1983 and has performed there many times over the years and at other top London venues including The Purcell Room and The Barbican Hall.

During his career Vincent has made a significant contribution to the repertoire of the guitar. He has written a wide range of music, from his Simply Guitar series for the early player (in association with Alexander MacDonald) through to the most technically demanding works, such as those found on his most recent solo recording Theo’s brother. In April 2006 he gave the first performance of his own guitar concerto ‘Concerto Melodica’ with the Southern Philharmonia.

For the last 19 years he has been a member of the Segovia Trio. He has written and arranged much of their music and his work is featured on their CDs. Other ensemble works include commissions from the English Guitar Quartet: Jazz Suite; Centre for Young Musicians Guitar Ensemble: Cymmetry; and Hertfordshire County Guitar Ensemble: Latinesque Suite and Elegy and Humoresque. In 2003 he was asked to compose a piece for ninety guitars for a performance at a Gala concert held at the Royal Albert Hall. Vincent also performs with flautist Siobhan Presencer and harpsichordist Ariadne Blythe. He plays guitar duets with Roland Gallery and the Australian guitarist and composer Roland Chadwick in the Modern Guitar Trio. He has also appeared as an on stage musician with the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden many times.

Vincent’s music is used extensively by the examination boards, and he was recently commissioned to write the new Associated Board Prep Test and is involved in the newly created Music Medals for pupils taught in group situations. His music is regularly used for film and television all over the world.

Vincent has teaching posts at London’s Centre for Young Musicians, Eton College and the University of Southampton.

Helen Sanderson

Helen Sanderson studied guitar at the Royal College of Music with Charles Ramirez , graduating with both the Madeline Walton prize for guitar and the prestigious Anthony Saltmarsh Bursary for further study. Her active concert career has included concerts at major international guitar festivals and recitals at the Purcell Room, St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Academy of Arts (Berlin), the British Embassy (Vienna), and the Barbican Centre.

In addition to her solo performing, Helen has developed a particular interest in voice and guitar repertoire and works in partnerships with Mark Wilde (tenor), Susan Legg (mezzo-soprano), and the eminent countertenor James Bowman. Together with Mark Wilde she has developed an affinity with British song, performing original song cycles by composers such as Benjamin Britten, William Walton and Lennox Berkeley and their CD of British music entitled "Ancient Melodies", was received to critical acclaim. Helen also features on recordings with James Bowman ("Here we come a-piping") and the Eden Stell Guitar Duo ("Follow the Star").

Helen made her German recital debut at the Allensbach Chamber Music Festival in 1994 and the following year was invited to perform at the International Tippett Festival in Berlin in the presence of the composer. For many years Helen was a performer on Yehudi Menuhin’s "Live Music Now!" scheme and has subsequently acted as an advisor to the organisation.

Wendy Jackson

Wendy Jackson began learning the guitar at the age of 9 and studied with David Miller at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior Department, and later with Gordon Crosskey at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where she became the first guitarist to be awarded a competitive scholarship.

Wendy has given many solo recitals in London and the North West, and has appeared several times on Independent Television and BBC radio. Outside Britain she has performed in Belgium and Hungary, and undertaken a British Council tour of Africa. In addition to her solo career, Wendy also performs regularly with members of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the “Ensemble of St Luke’s”, and has appeared with their contemporary music group “Ensemble 10:10”.

As a guitar teacher, Wendy has taught students of all ages and abilities, and teaches the guitar at Chetham’s School of Music, Junior RNCM and the University of Manchester, and is currently Vice-Chair of the European Guitar Teachers’ Association, EGTA (UK).

Frank Gerstmeier

Frank Gerstmeier was born in 1961 and started learning the guitar at 11 which was then followed by 12 years of far too much studying and far too many exams! Since the age of 25 Frank has given over 1200 performances with classical, jazz and rock guitar, he conducts several ensembles, and arranges and composes pieces for Edition Margaux, Germany. Frank works in duos with flute, voice, saxophone, guitar and mandolin and since 1984 has held posts at Dortmund, Essen, Siegen and Detmold Universities. He is featured regularly on radio and television broadcasts, has performed on over 20 Cds and since 2001 Frank has conducted the festival guitar ensembles of many major festivals with first performances of works by well known composers like Domeniconi and Zenamon. In 2005 he was invited to conduct the first performance of a piece by Gerald Garcia at "musica-sacra" festival at Paderborn, Germany.