34th Guitar Festival Iserlohn & 15th International Guitar Competition

Sauerland Tradition with World-Class Ambitions

For over three decades, the Guitar Festival Iserlohn has drawn international guitarists to the South Westphalian Sauerland region. The venue is the Iserlohn Music School, a 19th-century neoclassical building that, with its fully available infrastructure of teaching, practice, and concert rooms, optimally meets the festival's needs. Evening concerts take place in the Oberste Stadtkirche — an acoustically outstanding Gothic hall church in the city center.

Three Pillars: Concerts, Masterclasses, Competition

The festival concept rests on three pillars. First: ten evening concerts with internationally established soloists, duos, and ensembles. Second: 450 hours of masterclasses with renowned lecturers — a mix of publicly accessible lessons, workshops, and coaching for a maximum of 130 active participants. Third: the 15th International Guitar Competition, held in three rounds on July 27, 29, and 31, 2026.

Jury and Lecturers 2026

The list of lecturers for 2026 reads like a who's who of the international guitar world: Juan Carlos Arancibia, Thibaut Garcia, Edin Karamazov, Stephen Goss, as well as numerous duos and ensembles from around the world. The Baltic Guitar Quartet is also among the returning guests.

Special Features: Guitar Maker Comparisons and Raffle

Two dates are particularly popular in the festival calendar: On July 28 and 30, public guitar maker comparison tests will take place, allowing different instruments to be directly compared. Additionally, four Martinez concert guitars worth €1,000 to €1,500 will be raffled among the active participants throughout the concert evenings.

Iserlohn in the Märkischer Kreis

Iserlohn is the largest city in the Märkischer Kreis (North Rhine-Westphalia) and lies on the northern edge of the Sauerland region. Besides the Guitar Festival, the city has also made a name for itself as a festival location with its International Piano Festival.