Michael Finnissy and the Guitar at 80

Michael Finnissy at 80

Michael Finnissy’s eightieth birthday in March 2026 is an important landmark in British musical life. It is also a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the work of one of the UK’s most significant composers and his original, vibrant, and eclectic musical voice. 

Please help us record all of Michael's wonderful guitar music and share it with the world!

Michael and the Guitar

This project brings together all of Michael’s works for solo guitar and guitar ensemble on one CD and spans nearly sixty years of his career, from the late 1960’s to some of his most recent music. 

The programme showcases important developments in Michael's musical language, and reflects the huge contribution he has made to the repertoire of the guitar.

The Music

• Two Cut-Ups of Three Fantasias by Alonso Mudarra (1966-7) – solo guitar, performed by Sam Cave 
• Song 17 (1976) – solo guitar, performed by Sam Cave
• Nasiye (1982 rev.2002) – solo guitar, performed by Diego Castro Magas
• Normal Deviates (2017) – guitar duo, written for and performed by Vickers Bovey Guitar Duo
• Albion on the Road to Hell (2019) – guitar quartet, written for and performed by Mela Guitar Quartet
• Felix Namque (2021) – solo guitar, written for and performed by Sam Cave
• Outcast (2021) – solo guitar, written for and performed by Sam Cave

World Premieres Everywhere: Apart from Nasiye, all of the recordings on this disc will be world premiere recordings. In addition, the Two Cut-Ups of Three Fantasias have never been heard in public as they are exciting recent ‘rediscoveries’ in Michael’s personal archive of his early works!

The Performers

All leading performers of new music, the players on this album are closely connected with Michael and many of them are the commissioners of the works they will perform.

Sam Cave (project lead) is one of the guitar’s leading exponents of new music, both as a soloist and chamber musician with several of the Europe’s leading new music groups. He has performed at many leading new music festivals worldwide, has recorded for Metier and Another Timbre labels, and his playing has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 numerous times on Late Junction and The New Music Show. 

Mela Guitar Quartet are winners of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Ensemble Competition 2023. Their albums include the complete guitar quartets of composer/author Anthony Burgess, the complete guitar chamber works of Stephen Dodgson, both with Naxos.

Vickers Bovey Guitar Duo are united by a love for new music. They have been featured on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and Late Junction, and are past recipients of the International Guitar Foundation Young Artist Platform.   

Diego Castro Magas is an international prize winner focused on new music. He has recorded for Huddersfield Contemporary Records (distributed by NMC) and the Chilean Ministry for Culture, Arts, and Heritage.

Recording and Distribution

Finnissy and the Guitar at 80 will be recorded in May and June 2025 by the amazing Chiaro Audio. Led by composer and recording engineer John Croft, Chiaro have a leading reputation in recording contemporary music. 

This project has attracted interest from several record labels, including First Hand Records and Metier Records, offering full digital and worldwide physical distribution.

You Can Make ALL the Difference

Thank you so much for considering supporting this project and helping to celebrate the work of a truly visionary composer. Your donation will make a real difference to our work. It will help to pay for:

• Recording engineer costs
• Venue hire
• Post production editing and mastering
• Artist fees 
• Record Label costs
• Album artwork
• CD pressing and distribution

Rewards

Your donation helps to keep performers performing, composers composing, and the whole world of new music turning. In a time of such difficulty for the arts in the UK this is an incredible thing, thank you.

• All donors of £100 or more will have their name inscribed in the CD booklet (unless they prefer to remain anonymous).
• All donors of £500 or more will receive two copies of the finished Finnissy and the Guitar at 80 CD, signed by all the performers and the composer. 

Huge Thanks!