Aschaffenburger Gitarrentage

Oldest Guitar Festival on the Untermain

The Aschaffenburger Gitarrentage are among the oldest guitar festivals in Germany. The organizer is the Aschaffenburg City Cultural Office; since 2023, the European Guitar Teacher Association (EGTA) has been an official cooperation partner – it uses the festival every two years as a platform for its symposium with workshops, expert lectures, concerts, and an instrument exhibition.

Program Philosophy: Classical and More

The festival consistently programs across genres: classical concert guitar sits alongside jazz, fusion, world music, and crossover formats. Former artistic directors from 2009 to 2020 were Sofia and Ivo Kaltchev; during this period, they also established the International Chamber Music Competition with Guitar. Today, the Cultural Office organizes the festival together with EGTA.

Festival Days Over Four Weeks

Unlike compact festival weekends, the Guitar Days span about four weeks – usually from the end of February to the end of March. Each season typically features 5 main concerts plus student concerts, a workshop program, and – in EGTA years – the symposium. A season pass for all main concerts offers a 25% discount compared to individual tickets.

Venues in the City

The concerts take place in the 'most beautiful concert halls in Aschaffenburg' – regularly including the Stadttheater Aschaffenburg, the Kongress-Halle complex, and halls of the music school. Aschaffenburg, a city without a district in Bavarian Lower Franconia, is located on the Untermain, with quick access to the Rhine-Main region and Frankfurt.

Sponsors and Partners

Main sponsors are the Raiffeisen-Volksbank Aschaffenburg (a branch of Frankfurter Volksbank Rhein/Main eG) and the District of Lower Franconia. The connection to EGTA makes the festival an international meeting point for the guitar scene.