Join St. Louis Classical Guitar as we present a concert with French classical guitarist Virgile Barthe, winner of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America Competition in 2025, on Saturday January 18, at 7:30pm at the Ethical Society.

Virgile Barthe is a highly skilled and innovative classical guitarist, known for his mastery of technique and deep emotional expression. Virgile Barthe was born in France and began studying classical guitar at a young age. His early fascination with the instrument led him to train under some of the finest classical guitar educators, where he honed his technical skills and developed his distinct musical voice.

Barthe's career has been marked by numerous accolades and achievements. He has participated in and won several international guitar competitions, showcasing his technical proficiency and artistic sensitivity. Some of his notable achievements include winning multiple first prizes in prestigious international guitar competitions across Europe.

Virgile Barthe's repertoire spans a wide range of classical works, from the Baroque period to Romantic and contemporary compositions, including Bach, Francisco Tárrega, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and many modern composers. His performances are characterized by technical precision, clarity of sound, and deep emotional expression.

Join St. Louis Classical Guitar as we present a concert with Israeli mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital and Latvian accordion star Ksenija Sidorova, a fusion of virtuosic technique, folk roots, classical depth, and world rhythms, on Friday March 19, 7:30pm at the Ethical Society.

Avi Avital (mandolin) and Ksenija Sidorova (accordion) form a dynamic, innovative duo in contemporary classical music. The Israeli mandolin virtuoso—known for his luminous tone and genre-blending flair—and the Latvian accordion star—celebrated for her expressive intensity and charismatic presence—fuse virtuosic technique, folk roots, classical depth, and world rhythms into fresh, exhilarating performances.

In this exhilarating collaboration, they present a program that traces on the irresistible rhythmic arc of dance music: from courtly brilliance and introspective lyricism, through exuberant folk vitality and whimsical grotesquerie, to fervent passion and serene, poetic calm.

The first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy, Avi Avital has been compared to Andres Segovia for his championship of his instrument and to Jascha Heifitz for his incredible virtuosity. Passionate and “explosively charismatic” (New York Times) in live performance, he is a driving force behind the reinvigoration of the mandolin repertory. He has commissioned over 100 works for the mandolin including concertos for mandolin and orchestra by Anna Clyne, Jennifer Higdon, and Giovanni Sollima which he has performed with orchestras and conductors such as the Munich Philharmonic with Krzysztof Urbański, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Described as “revelatory” (The Telegraph) and “one of the most magnetic soloists you will ever see” (Seen and Heard International), Ksenija Sidorova is widely recognised as the leading ambassador of the classical accordion. Celebrated for her “verve, style, attitude and impeccable virtuosity” (ZealNYC), she brings a compelling blend of technical brilliance and expressive musicality to every performance. Her repertoire spans over three centuries encompassing works by J.S. Bach, Astor Piazzolla, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Václav Trojan, alongside a growing body of contemporary works written specifically for her. A passionate advocate for new music, Sidorova continues to expand the accordion repertoire through new commissions and collaborations.

Join St. Louis Classical Guitar for the Guitar Masters Series finale with Duo Noire, a "virtuosic pair” (I Care if You Listen) of the pioneering African-American classical guitarists, Thomas Flippin and Christopher Mallett, on Saturday April 10, 7:30pm at the Ethical Society.

As well, we are so excited to welcome back these St. Louis favorites as our artists in our community education programs.

After their 2014 EP release, FIGMENTS, featuring Juilliard professor Raymond Lustig’s masterful 30-minute composition for the duo, Duo Noire gained international prominence with the 2018 release of their full-length debut album, Night Triptych, on New Focus Recordings. Named as an Editor’s Choice for top classical music albums of 2018 by both All Music and I Care if You Listen, the album featured new works exclusively written for Duo Noire by accomplished women composers: GRAMMY-nominee Clarice Assad, MacArthur Fellow Courtney Bryan, E.C.M. Artist Golfam Khayam, Mary Kouyoumdjian, Gity Razaz, and Gabriella Smith. The project was launched with a 2015 grant from the Diller-Quaile School of Music to help the duo make classical guitar concerts more gender-inclusive. The album was hailed as an "astounding...goldmine of ideas and feelings" (Stereophile), a “marvelous recital” (Limelight Magazine), “truly pathbreaking” (All Music), and “an important disc” (The Arts Fuse).

Recent highlights include giving the world premiere of GRAMMY-nominee Nathalie Joachim’s new work for Duo Noire, Held Together; filming a premiere recording at Severance Hall with members of The Cleveland Orchestra; receiving a standing ovation at the 2022 Guitar Foundation of America Convention; Flippin premiering a double concerto for Classical and Blues guitar by Chris Brubeck with the Memphis Symphony; and Mallet’s release of a landmark Naxos recording of the music of Justin Holland.

Duo Noire’s work has been featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Classical Guitar Magazine, the Guitar Foundation of America's journal Soundboard, and Chamber Music Magazine.

Thomas and Christopher are graduates of the Yale School of Music. Their name is a combination of “Noir” (Black) and “La Noire” (quarter note).