Danish Guitar Symposium 2025
November 14th 2025
We are excited to launch the first edition of Danish Guitar Symposium
Join us to discuss, develop and create new connections in the Danish guitar community
Rhythmical Guitar
Have a look at the schedule.
Rhythmical Friday
9:00 Arrival and welcome at The Hideout Studio, breakfast and coffee
9:15 Workshop with Jens Christian Kwella
In this workshop, Kwella will present simple and highly practical concepts for working with voicings. Guitarists often focus on technique, scales, and improvisation, while concrete methods for expanding one’s voicing vocabulary are less frequently addressed. This workshop aims to change that.
In addition, Kwella will introduce methods for consciously working on rhythmic accuracy and awareness of different subdivisions. Simple and effective techniques will be demonstrated—applicable to most guitarists regardless of style.
12:15 Lunch
13:00 Concert: Jens Christian Kwella and Lucas Illanes
13:30 Workshop with Lucas Illanes:
“Based on many years of experience as a guitarist, teacher and producer – including work with sound and arrangement in the studio – Lucas Illanes will present practical methods to strengthen the role of the guitar in a band context at this workshop.
He will show, among other things, how guitarists can develop an improvisational approach to both solo and accompanying playing on the rhythmic guitar through concrete guitar idiomatic concepts.
The workshop is particularly aimed at guitarists and guitar teachers who want to expand their musical and pedagogical toolbox”
15:30 Coffee and wrap-up/evaluation – and thank you for today.
Note: Participants are required to bring their instruments so that the workshops can include hands-on exercises and examples.
Read more about Jens Christian Kwella here: https://www.kwella.dk
Danish Guitar Symposium 2025
Empowering Guitar Education in Denmark and Beyond
The Danish Guitar Symposium is a two-day professional development event dedicated to advancing guitar teaching in Denmark. The symposium focuses on competence development for guitar educators at music and culture schools, evening schools, continuing education programs, academies, and folk high schools. International participants are also warmly welcome.
Purpose
The symposium aims to strengthen:
Professional skills for guitar teaching at all levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
Student retention and development
Group and ensemble teaching methods
Teaching materials and peer sparring
Networking across institutions and borders
Program Highlights
Presentations and knowledge sharing by leading educators
Hands-on workshops and peer sparring sessions
Two evening concerts
Access to the International Guitar Competition Semi-Final
Visit to the Aalborg Guitar Expo (master luthier instruments & accessories exhibition)
Let us know
Packages
Rhythmical
Rhythmical Friday with catering at The Hideout Studio.
Ticket includes everything in the program of Rhythmical Friday.
Location: Gørtlervej 15, 9000 Aalborg
Our Speakers
Rhythmical Friday
Jens Christian Kwella
Mr. Kwella graduated from Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium (The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus, Denmark) in 1997, where he was educated as a guitarist and music teacher. In 2000 he received a diploma examination in guitar and advanced teaching practice.
Mr. Kwella is experienced in all genres within the field of jazz, from traditional jazz to experimental electronic jazz, and has performed and toured with many Danish bands, foreign bands, and soloists.
His work as a guitar pedagogue has consisted of teaching both technique as well as the traditions of jazz, whilst at the same time stimulating and developing the creativity of his students.
He has compiled a jazz guitar compendium in English which covers the majority of areas guitar students touch upon during the course of their studies
Lucas Illanes
“Based on many years of experience as a guitarist, teacher and producer – including work with sound and arrangement in the studio – Lucas Illanes will present practical methods to strengthen the role of the guitar in a band context at this workshop.
He will show, among other things, how guitarists can develop an improvisational approach to both solo and accompanying playing on the rhythmic guitar through concrete guitar idiomatic concepts.
The workshop is particularly aimed at guitarists and guitar teachers who want to expand their musical and pedagogical toolbox”
Disclaimer
The Danish Guitar Symposium will proceed only if a minimum of 25 participants register. In the event that this number is not reached, the symposium may be postponed or cancelled. Registered participants will be notified promptly and given the option for a refund or to transfer their registration to a future event.