Gaëlle Solal

Born into a music-loving family, Gaëlle Solal discovered the classical guitar at the age of five and began studying at the Marseille Conservatoire the following year. At just sixteen she took up a place at the Paris Conservatoire. Three years later she graduated from the Conservatoire, taking away with her a Premier Prix (honours degree) and a renewed desire to keep learning.

In 1998, she became the first female French musician to win one of the world’s leading classical guitar competitions – the City of Alessandria Competition. As well as being awarded grants and bursaries by numerous foundations, she also won twelve prizes in other national and international competitions. She’s gone on to perform at prestigious venues in more than forty different countries as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral soloist.