The Calcutta International Classical Guitar Festival is back on its third year with a new line up of artistes and some returning artistes. Guitar legend and Grammy Award winner David Russell leads the star line-up, performing for the first time in Calcutta. The Festival is the only event of this genre in India. Internationally acclaimed Bosnian-American guitar maestro Denis Azabagic has consented to naming of the International Guitar Competition after him.

With David Russell, Pavel Steidl, Zoran Dukić, Denis Azabagic, Eugenia Moliner, Cavatina Duo, Judicaël Perroy, Jérémy Jouve, Paris Guitar Duo, Johannes Möller, Giampaolo Bandini, Cesare Chiacchiaretta, Bandini-Chiacchiaretta Duo, Yuan-Qing Yu, Joseph Johnson, Kathleen Brauer, Catherine Brubaker, Civitas Ensemble, Kala Ramnath, Shubhendra Rao, Saskia Rao de Haas, Indo-Dutch Trio and Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya the Festival will be a spectacular celebration, spread over 7 days with more than 90 high-octave fun-filled hours of classical guitar and chamber music. With over 70 private master classes, 18 concerts by guitar, bandoneon, violin, viola, cello, sitar, harp and flute legends and maestros never before seen in India, 6 seminar style public master classes open to all, $ 20,000 of prize money (highest in any guitar festival in Asia), Grand Prizes and Special Prizes, the Calcutta Festival will be a bonanza for classical guitarists and other musicians from all over the world.