Striago
Italy
Preliminary Round
Scarlatti K32 & K386
Gnattali Suite Retratos I. Pixinguinha (Choro)
Gismonti 7 Anéis
Final Round
Pereira Bate-Coxa
Boccherini Quintet in D major G. 448 III. Grave assai IV. Fandango
Piazzolla Tango Suite
"These two young men are extraordinary talents. Their alchemy as a guitar duo is quite
remarkable - something I have seldom seen in 25+ years of teaching. Their ensemble is
so tight, and their musical ideas so convincing, that it’s difficult not to be mesmerized
when they play" - Lorenzo Micheli
Mario Strinati and Pietro Agosti met in high school and, initially driven by the pure
pleasure of playing together, devoted themselves to South American folk music, which
still remains a distinctive trait of their artistic identity. This is how Striago was born.
Both graduated with top marks and honors in Guitar from the Conservatorio Maderna in
Cesena. In 2023, Mario completed a Master of Arts in Guitar at the Conservatorio della
Svizzera Italiana, while Pietro earned his Master’s degree at the Conservatorio Martini
in Bologna. Alongside their guitar studies, Pietro completed a Bachelor's degree in
Double Bass and Mario a Bachelor's in Cello, both at the Conservatorio Maderna. They
are currently enrolled at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, studying
with Lorenzo Micheli. The duo has received recognition in some of the most prestigious
international chamber music competitions, Including the Richmond Concert Society
Award at the Royal Over-Seas League Competition (London, 2025), third prize at the
Guitar Foundation of America (New York, 2023), first prize at the Paganini Competition
(Parma, 2024), and first prize at the Altamira Competition (Gorizia, 2024).
Daniyah Guitar Duo
Portugal/Slovenia
Preliminary Round
Piazzolla Tango Suite - Tango n.3: Allegro
Colombet Continuum (for Daniyah Guitar Duo)
Scriabin 24 Preludes op. 11 - Prelude no. 4 in E minor (arr.: Daniyah Guitar Duo)
Final Round
Gnattali Suite Retratos I. Pixinguinha II. Ernesto Nazareth (arr. Assad Duo)
Scriabin 24 Preludes op. 11 (arr. Daniyah Guitar Duo)
Prelude nº17
Prelude nº11
Ginastera Danzas Argentinas (arr. Duo Melis)
1. Danza del Viejo Boyero
2. Danza de la Mosa Donosa
3. Danza del Gaucho Matrero
Daniyah Guitar Duo was founded in 2022 by Alice Brandão and Maja Kralj during their
master’s studies at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, Switzerland, under the
mentorship of renowned guitarist Judicaël Perroy.
Since its formation, the duo has captivated audiences with a diverse repertoire that
bridges classical tradition and modern influences. They have been performing at leading
venues and festivals across Europe and South America, earning growing recognition for
their musical precision, artistry, and versatility.
Their dedication to artistic growth and collaboration has been recognized through
several awards at international competitions such as Altamira Gorizia Guitar
Competition (1st prize, 2025) and La Follia Nuova Chamber Music Competition (1st
prize, 2024). In 2024, they became Knobloch Strings Artists, initiating a partnership with
the brand.
With an expanding repertoire and a commitment to musical storytelling, Daniyah Guitar
Duo continues to engage audiences and explore new possibilities in classical guitar
performance.
Bluvenduo
China/Canada
Preliminary Round
Assad Baião
Franck Prelude, fugue et variation, op. 18 (tr. Bluvenduo)
Final Round
Bogdanovic Sonata Fantasia
Rachmaninoff 2 Preludes from opus 32, nos. 10 and 12 (arr. Bluvenduo)
de Falla Danza Ritual del Fuego (arr. Kupinski guitar duo)
Bluvenduo is a musical collaboration between guitarists Zhanxiang Shi
(Shanghai) and Sebastian Robles (Edmonton). The duo formed in San Francisco
during their first year of study with their teacher Judicaël Perroy, and has since
performed in San Francisco, Paris, Geneva, as well as throughout Alberta,
Canada.
Since their inception, the duo has continued to diversify their repertoire with
pieces that are enhanced by the simultaneously expressive and percussive
sound of the guitar. Their repertoire includes many of their own transcriptions,
which are taken from the great repertoire and are crafted with care. In doing so,
the duo aspires to present masterworks by Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and Haydn
on two guitars while keeping the musical integrity of the original compositions.
The duo is avidly involved in contemporary music, and actively collaborates with
composers to create new works. In 2022, they commissioned Czech composer
Lukáš Janata to compose XII: Antiphōna, which had its premiere on December
16, 2022 in Geneva. Sebastian’s compositions also form a substantial part of
their repertoire.
Bluvenduo proudly plays on strings from Knobloch, which has supported the
duo's musical activities since 2023. Zhanxiang and Sebastian are currently
studying with Judicaël Perroy at the Haute école de musique de Genève where
they are honing their craft and are eager to share their work in concert.
Roxane & Baptiste
France
Preliminary Round
Bach Organ Sonata n°4 BWV 528 (arr. Roxane & Baptiste)
I. Adagio-Vivace
II.Andante
III. Poco Allegro
Reich Nagoya Guitars
Final Round
Glass Etude No.17 (arr. Roxane Elfasci and Baptiste Erard)
Debussy Valse Romantique (arr. Roxane Elfasci and Baptiste Erard)
Aubert Improvisation for two guitars (written and dedicated to Ida Presti and Alexandre Lagoya)
Glass Etude No.6 (arr. Roxane Elfasci and Baptiste Erard)
Roxane and Baptiste met at the PSPBB (Paris-Boulogne-Billancourt Higher National
Conservatory), united by their “sister” lattice guitars crafted by luthier Fernando Mazza.
With the Cosmos Music label, they released two albums—Hommage à Debussy (2021)
and Poésie Française (2023)—both tributes to French impressionist music, praised by
the BBC, Radio France, and Guitare Classique Magazine. Their arrangement for two
guitars of Bach’s Organ Sonata No. 4 was published by Habanera Editions and
released as an EP in 2022.
Regularly invited to festivals such as Bach à Bacchus, Les Musicales de Redon, and
the Lyon Guitar Festival, they also appeared on France Musique’s Live Generation
Show in 2024, and have performed live several times on BBC Radio 3 in London.
In 2025, they unveiled GLASS GAZE, an ambitious project dedicated to Philip Glass’s
piano études, reimagined for two guitars and drums. The album premiered at a sold-out
concert at the Café de la Danse, the day after its release on all major streaming
platforms.
