Fábio Fernandes is a young Portuguese classical guitarist and lutenist based in London. Winner of the 2nd Prize in the 21st Ivor Mairants Guitar Award 2021 and 3rd Prize in the Concorso di Chitarra "Gaetano Marziali" 2021, Fábio is a versatile and confident performer. Recent highlights include recitals at the Barbican Centre, St. James’s Church Piccadilly, Milton Court Music Hall, The English Music Festival, a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and a concert as soloist with the Orquestra Con Spirito in Portugal.
Fábio began studying the classical guitar at the age of 11 with Francisco Gomes in his hometown, Viana do Castelo. He then moved to London in 2014 to study at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music & Drama where he completed both his Bachelor and Masters Degrees under the guidance of Robert Brightmore, David Miller, Graham Devine and Jørgen Skogmo, before being invited to be a Junior Fellow there in 2020-2021. Throughout his studies at the Guildhall, Fábio was generously supported by the Adele Kramar-Chappell Award, Help Musicians UK, the Henry Wood Trust and the Charity of Mary Barnes.
Fábio was recently offered two scholarships (Help Musicians UK & Asociacíón Arte de la Guitarra Española) to join the internationally acclaimed guitar programme Máster Guitarra Alicante, in Spain, where he studied with some of the world’s best guitarists, including David Russell, Manuel Barrueco, Sérgio Assad, Fabio Zanon, and others. For his accomplishments during the course, Fábio graduated cum laude.
Fábio started playing the lute and theorbo in 2015 with David Miller and James Johnstone. Since then, he has performed alongside the members of the Academy of Ancient Music at the 2019 Deal Festival and participated in the 2019 London Handel Festival during the Guildhall Cantata Project. Fábio was also invited by Dame Emma Kirkby to join her project Dowland Works.
Beside his performing activities, Fábio is already a highly sought-after guitar teacher. He was invited to give classes and lectures in England and in Portugal. He has his own private studio in London where he teaches children as well as adults with a 100% success rate at the ABRSM exams (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music). Finally, he leads ensemble and individual guitar lessons at the DaCapo Music Foundation and Arnold House School in London. (For guitar lessons, you can contact Fábio through the contact page of this website.)
