2026 BCGS Spring Festival

Join us for our BCGS 2026 one-day festival and evening concert on May 2, 2026.

For our headline concert we are featuring the super virtuosic and dynamic duo from Europe – Aniello Desiderio and Zoran Dukić. For over thirty years these great artists have been honing their combined musical talents into a perfectly synchronized duo performance of exquisite beauty and charm – a must see.

The theme for our day festival activities will be – The Musician as an Athlete.

Just as an athlete trains mind and body to perform at their highest level, so does a musician. Athletes and musicians both train deliberately through exercises, repetition, and precisely coordinated movements, all in preparation for the performance. Just as with athletics, playing guitar involves the whole body and mind, and all three morning workshops are designed to take care of you as a musician/athlete.

Beginning with an Alexander Technique workshop, you will learn to recognize and change your tension patterns, leading to improved coordination and greater freedom of motion. Next, a guitar technique workshop will take a holistic approach in guiding you to turn technical considerations into musical goals. It will cover movement, body mapping, musical expression, and more. The morning session concludes with a sports psychology workshop that explores the similarities between sports and musical performance. Through group activities you will learn strategies for overcoming performance anxiety and getting in the right mindset to perform.

The workshops will cover the following topics:

• Posture
• Balance
• Support
• Reducing tension
• Freedom of movement
• Coordination
• Body mapping
• Performance anxiety
• Resilience

The afternoon will feature a master class with the dynamic and versatile Chris Ladd, brought back by popular demand. In addition, the festival includes an open mic concert, free breakfast and lunch, and plenty of time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. We truly hope you can join us for what will be a hugely enjoyable and inspiring day.

If you already have tickets to the Aniello Desiderio and Zoran Dukić concert, you can purchase a festival-only pass here.

Festival Schedule

9:00 am
Festival Welcome & Breakfast
Scones, granola, yogurt, coffee, water, juice

9:30 am
Playing with Ease: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique for Guitarists
Instructor: Fanny Lora

This one-hour interactive workshop introduces classical guitarists to the core principles of the Alexander Technique (AT) and their direct application to playing the guitar. Through guided activities, observation, and simple movement explorations, participants will learn how to reduce unnecessary tension, improve coordination, and enhance freedom of movement while sitting and playing. The session balances hands-on work with the guitar and off-instrument activities that foster awareness, ease, and group engagement, making the principles immediately relevant and practical for musicians at all levels.

10:30 am
Technique as Teamwork
Instructor: Fred Springer

This workshop will explore the utilization of technical principles towards musical ends. Taking a holistic approach to technique, participants will learn how to coordinate various technical elements to work together to accomplish musical goals. Incorporating movement, body mapping, playing techniques, and musical expression, we will experience how technical teamwork makes the dream work.

11:30 am
Performing with Confidence: Mental Skills for the Stage
Instructor: Olivia Papakyrikos

Even the most successful musicians get nervous. The difference? They’ve learned how to use their mind as a tool, instead of letting it run the show. Showing up calm and composed when performing isn’t luck — it’s a skill. In this workshop, you’ll learn practical strategies to manage nerves and build confidence under pressure. You’ll walk away with tools you can use to feel grounded, focused and ready to perform, no matter the moment.

12:30 pm
Lunch
Provided by Surya Indian Caterers 

1:30 pm
Master Class with Chris Ladd

Four 30 minute master class spots are available for $75 each.

4:00 pm
Open Mic Concert

Festival participants are invited to perform up to 10 minutes of music for the Open Mic Concert. Sign up in advance by emailing Catherine O’Kelly at catherine.okelly@bostonguitar.org. Space is limited to 80 minutes of music total, so sign up soon to reserve your spot!

5:45 pm
Break for dinner (on your own)

7:30 pm
Aniello Desiderio and Zoran Dukić in Concert

To close out the festival, as well as this year’s Artist Series, we welcome Aniello Desiderio and Zoran Dukić to the BCGS stage!
Your ticket to the concert is included in your Festival pass.