Alexandra Whittingham

After studying classical guitar, piano, jazz guitar and composition at the world-renowned Chetham’s School of Music for seven years, Alexandra Whittingham gained a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Having graduated with first class honours and the Timothy Gilson Guitar Prize in 2019, she has returned to the Royal Academy where her master’s degree is supported by the Hattori Foundation, Help Musicians UK and the Drake Calleja Trust.

During her time at Chetham’s, Alexandra had many opportunities to play with various ensembles, such as string quartets, guitar duets and jazz groups, which resulted in her becoming a member of Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra. With the orchestra came the opportunity to tour Germany and Czech Republic, where they sold out various venues within the two countries.

In her final year at the school, she also gained her LRSM (Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music) second diploma in guitar performance.

In the spring of 2013, Alexandra won the inaugural Edinburgh Guitar Competition. Following this, she travelled to Budapest to take part in the Carpathian International Youth Guitar Competition, where she gained second place.

In early 2015 at the Gregynog Young Musicians’ Competition, Alexandra became Gregynog Young Guitarist of the year, and more recently was a finalist at the Aalborg International Guitar Competition in Denmark.

​Alexandra was delighted to be invited to perform at Abbey Road Studios alongside singer-songwriter Imelda May for EMI Music and Sound Foundation. She has also enjoyed giving recitals in Europe at such places as Festival Le Temps des Guitares in South-West France, Vilnius Town Hall in Lithuania and various festivals in Italy.

​Other venues in which Alexandra has played include London’s County Hall, Milton Court Concert Hall, The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and the British Embassy in Paris, where she performed to an invited audience of diplomats. Alexandra’s concerto appearances also include performances with Gorton Philharmonic Orchestra and Dorset Chamber Orchestra.

​Having recently signed to Delphian Records, one of the UK’s foremost independent classical record labels, Alexandra will release her debut album in 2021. Carefully-curated and conceived under lockdown, this record will explore 19th century guitar repertoire on a pan-European voyage which pairs little-known gems from Denmark and Switzerland with the instrument’s celebrated Spanish repertoire.