Introduction:
Michael Christian Durrant continues to establish himself as one of England’s finest and most creative young musicians.
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About Michael...
Acknowledged as “A forerunner in the new generation of classical guitarists” (BBC Radio), Michael Christian Durrant continues to establish himself as one of England’s finest and most creative young musicians.
He enjoys a busy performance schedule, with concerts ranging from intimate solo recitals to large-scale concerto performances. He performs regularly across the UK, and recent sell-out concerts for King’s Lynn Music Society, Somerton Arts Festival, Crail Festival, Wye Valley Music Society, and Winchester Cathedral are a testament to his musical ability and rising popularity.
A dedicated chamber musician, Michael also collaborates regularly by performing and recording with a diverse range of artists; including the violinist Alexander Markov, the pianist Nico de Villiers, and the flamenco guitarist Samuel Moore. In September 2017, Michael performed alongside the Winchester Cathedral Chamber Choir in an anniversary concert celebrating the music of the Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, including a performance of the evocative Romancero Gitano, Op. 152 for guitar and mixed choir. Michael continues to cultivate a range of new collaborative projects and is currently working alongside the Portuguese violinist Inês Delgado, the Spanish guitarist Isabel Martínez, and the Canadian pianist Morgan-Paige Melbourne.
Michael studied classical guitar with Maestro Carlos Bonell, professor of guitar at the Royal College of Music (RCM), London and Maestro Giulio Tampalini at the Accademia della Chitarra di Brescia in Italy. He studied full-time as a master’s student at the RCM and was awarded an MSc with distinction in 2018. Notably, Michael was the first classical guitarist to be awarded a master’s studentship from the RCM and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), covering his full tuition fees and living expenses throughout the duration of his studies at the College. Always keen to learn and grow, Michael has also participated in masterclasses with some of the classical guitar’s leading artists, including: Craig Ogden, Gary Ryan & Xeufei Yang.
Since 2014, Michael has been represented by the London-based agency Gary Parkes Music Ltd. and he enjoys a busy international performance schedule. In addition to his recital commitments on land, Michael is sought-after as a classical artiste by the world’s leading cruise lines, and he continues to present concerts for Cunard, Seabourn, P&O, Holland America, Saga, Silversea, and Princess Cruises. Michael has performed on over fifty cruises to date, and these travels have taken him all over the world.
Highlights for the forthcoming 2019/20 concert season include Michael’s most extensive international solo tour to date, with recitals planned in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada; a performance of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Romancero Gitano, Op. 152 in the Cayman Islands as part of the Cayman Arts Festival; and a performance of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Fantasia para un Gentilhombre in Berlin, Germany.
Michael Christian Durrant plays a 2008 Greg Smallman concert guitar. He is an affiliated Yamaha artist and uses D’addarrio classical guitar strings.
