Shiqi Zhou is thirteen years old and from China — and she has been playing repertoire that most guitarists meet in their twenties. She has appeared on our channel before, and you can read more in our profile of Shiqi Zhou.
Here she takes on the Fantasia Op. 19 by Luigi Legnani, on a 2026 guitar by Daniele Marrabello.
About the Fantasia Op. 19
Legnani's Fantasia is a display piece in the best nineteenth-century sense: fast scale runs, arpeggio figuration, sudden shifts of register and a melodic charm that keeps the whole thing from becoming a mere exercise. It is written by a guitarist who knew exactly what the instrument could be made to do, and it rewards a player with clean articulation and nerve.
That combination is why it turns up so often in the hands of gifted young players. Our article on the Fantasia Op. 19 looks at the piece in detail.
About Luigi Legnani
Luigi Rinaldo Legnani (1790–1877) was an Italian guitarist, singer and composer, and one of the great virtuosos of the early nineteenth century. He toured Europe extensively, wrote more than 250 works for the guitar — among them the famous 36 Caprices, Op. 20, modelled on Paganini's violin caprices — and was closely associated with Paganini himself.
Legnani also worked on the instrument's construction, lending his name to a guitar model built in Vienna. Read more in our portrait of Luigi Legnani.
The Guitar: Daniele Marrabello, 2026
Daniele Marrabello is an Italian luthier whose instruments have been drawing steady attention from concert players. Nineteenth-century virtuoso writing needs clarity above all — every note in a run has to speak — and a guitar with a fast, articulate response gives a young player exactly the support this music demands. You can read about another of his instruments in our article on a Marrabello from the City Series.
Watch the Performance
Discover other young players in our profiles of Justin Chen and the great classical guitarists.
