You have 0 items in your cart
“Virgile opens a door to the future of classical guitar.”
“I had the sensation of hearing a piano with a privileged timbre.”
At just 23, French guitarist Virgile Barthe has already emerged as one of the most compelling young players on the international scene. In 2025, he won both the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition and the Koblenz International Guitar Competition, placing him among a select group of guitarists whose technique, musicianship, and stage presence have stood out at the highest level.
What makes Barthe especially exciting is the sense of scale and imagination in his playing. Critics have praised his clarity, rhythmic force, depth of phrasing, and ability to draw an unusually broad range of color from the guitar. After hearing him in recital, guitarist and scholar Nicolas de Souza Barros wrote that he felt he was witnessing “a new moment in the world of classical guitar.”
Barthe comes to Wilmington as part of the GFA Winner’s Tour, giving our audience the chance to hear an artist at the beginning of what already looks like a remarkable international career.
Works to be performed by Buxtehude, Scarlatti, Abels, Mendelssohn, and Maw.
MASTERCLASS
4/24/27: Virgile Barthe will be teaching a masterclass in the afternoon, April 24 at 1:00 pm in the West Room of Covenant Community Center. The masterclass is free to observe and open to the public, but registration is required. Register as an auditor to sit in and hear what Mr. Barthe will have to teach our guest performers, or register as a performer for your chance to perform for Virgile and have him critique your performance (a small tuition fee applies). Register as either an auditor or performer in our Online Store.
Virgile Barthe is regarded as one of the most promising emerging artists on the classical guitar scene. He began his studies at the Toulouse Conservatory under the guidance of Benoît Albert before being admitted, at the age of 17, to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. There, he is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in the class of Judicaël Perroy. He has also benefited from the mentorship of distinguished guitarists including Gabriel Bianco and Olivier Chassain.
An award-winning musician, Barthe gained international recognition at an early age, earning major distinctions from the age of 16. In 2024, he was awarded First Prize at the prestigious Maurizio Biasini International Competition, appearing as a soloist with the Sinfonieorchester Basel. The following year, he secured top prizes at both the Koblenz International Guitar Competition (Germany) and the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition (USA), two of the most esteemed competitions in the classical guitar world.
Regularly invited to perform at leading international festivals, Virgile Barthe is acclaimed for the refinement of his musical interpretation and the breadth of his repertoire, which spans from the Baroque period to contemporary works. He also performs in a flute–guitar duo with flutist Lucie Fischer.
Virgile plays a Adrian Heinzelmann guitar with Knobloch strings.
Instagram @virgile_barthe
