Hanse Guitar Festival | Stephanie Jones & Alexandra Wittingham

Alexandra Whittingham | Alexandra Whittingham is one of the most highly regarded classical guitarists of the new generation. Her technically flawless yet deeply emotional interpretations have earned her worldwide acclaim—and an audience of millions online. On October 30, 2025, she will perform as part of the “Night of the Guitars” at St. Johannis Church on Fehmarn, one of the highlights of this year’s guitar festivals in Europe.

Alexandra Whittingham’s musical career began at the age of five in her hometown of Manchester. At age eleven, she was accepted into the renowned Chetham’s School of Music, where she studied classical guitar, piano, jazz guitar, and composition. She later received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London, from which she graduated with honors. Even while she was still a student, she began sharing her performances on YouTube—and in doing so reached a global audience. Her videos, often recorded in an old mill, garnered millions of views and made her one of the best-known young guitarists on the scene.

Whittingham has made a name for herself not only as a soloist but also as a curator and arranger. Her debut album, a collection of European guitar pieces from the 19th and early 20th centuries, was critically acclaimed. In 2024, she signed a contract with Decca Classics, one of the oldest and most prestigious labels in the classical music industry. Her performances have taken her to international stages, including the South by Southwest Festival in Texas, the Rome Guitar Expo, and the Cayman Islands Arts Festival. Classic FM named her a “Rising Star” in 2022; in 2025, she made her debut at Classic FM Live.

Stephanie Jones is the most successful Australian guitarist of the younger generation. With her energetic and heartfelt performances, she captivates audiences around the globe. Studying under luminaries of the music world provided her with a comprehensive artistic education and honed her musical and emotional sensitivity.

Stephanie’s passion for music began at a very early age. Having grown up playing multiple instruments, she started with the piano and soon learned to play and appreciate the violin, viola, saxophone, and flute as well. Ultimately, however, it was the guitar—with its enchanting variety of sounds and wide range—that grew particularly close to her heart and most intensely accompanied her artistic maturation. Since late 2015, Stephanie has been pursuing a Master of Music degree at the highly regarded FRANZ LISZT University of Music in Weimar under Prof. Thomas Müller-Pering. Prior to that, she graduated with top honors from the Australian National University in Canberra.

During those four years, she enjoyed lessons at the highly productive “talent incubator” led by Timothy Kein and Minh Le Hoang and received support from a variety of Australian institutions and scholarships. She is a prize winner of numerous national and international music competitions and other awards.

Despite her young age, Stephanie has already performed on several international concert tours and also excels as a successful chamber musician, including with the Weimar Guitar Quartet. Her artistic work has been documented on two albums to date: *Colours of Spain* (2015) and *Bach, the Fly and the Microphone* (2009).