Ioanna Kazoglou - a young guitarist from Weimar wins international prizes

Weimar-based guitarist Ioanna Kazoglou has achieved remarkable success at the close of her bachelor studies, winning top prizes at international competitions in Europe and the Caribbean. Most recently, she was awarded the first prize, worth 5,000 euros, at the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra in Málaga, Spain, which also includes five concert engagements as part of the prize.

In the final round, she performed works by Vicente Asencio, Leo Brouwer and Joaquín Rodrigo, impressing the jury with her refined tone and expressive control. Competing against more than twenty participants from ten different countries, she secured the top place.

“The experience in Málaga was deeply emotional for me,” says Ioanna Kazoglou. “I didn’t expect to win first prize – when my name was announced, I was overwhelmed. I had chosen to enter the competition shortly after my grandfather passed away. This award is my gift to him.”

A few months earlier, Ioanna, a student in the class of Professor Ricardo Gallén at the Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT Weimar, won first prize at the 38th Athens International Guitar Festival in Greece and second prize at the Festival Mundial de la Guitarra in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Having completed her bachelor’s final recital in June 2025, she will begin her master’s studies at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf in October 2025 with Professor Joaquín Clerch, who was also a student of her current teacher, Ricardo Gallén.

Born in Greece in 2003, Ioanna received her first guitar diploma at the age of fifteen in Thessaloniki. In 2023 she made her debut in South Korea, becoming the first classical guitarist to perform in several of the country’s leading concert venues.

Her international career has since taken her to Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Chile (Santiago and Viña del Mar), Puerto Rico (San Juan) and numerous European countries including Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Norway, Belgium, Slovenia and Greece. She has performed at major festivals such as Arroyo de la Luz in Spain, where she also taught masterclasses, and the Patras Guitar Festival in Greece.

Ioanna Kazoglou is a Knobloch Strings artist and has been invited to record for renowned platforms including Siccas Guitars and Altamira Guitars. Her interpretations are admired for their tonal depth, clarity and emotional presence – qualities that mark her as one of the most promising young guitarists in Europe.