Hey!

Spring is well underway, as is the recording of our new album, which has sort of forced us to take a short but necessary break from our newsletter.
But we’re back, refreshed and ready to go, with some cool new discoveries from the world of guitar. Before we get to this issue’s featured artists, however, we’d like to share a quick personal update:

We’ll be presenting our new album in December 2026 with a release concert in Berlin, and now that the recording is complete, we’re moving on to planning concerts for the coming months and the year ahead. So if you know of any event formats in your city or area, organize concerts yourself, have played at a great venue, or simply have some suggestions, we’d be happy to hear from you in response to this newsletter or to [email protected].

We greatly appreciate your support, but for now, enjoy our latest issue, with music by Spanish guitarist Ricardo Gallén, Australian Slava Grigoryan, and a new mini-composition by the tireless Leon Albert, as well as our new “4 Questions / 4 Answers” section inaugurated by German-Portuguese guitarist Fabian Zeller.

Warm wishes,
Stefan and Willi

YOUTUBE FIND OF THE WEEK
with Ricardo Gallén

Let’s not beat around the bush: Isaac Albéniz’s “Capricho Catalán” features one of the most beautiful melodies ever. The lightness and melancholy of the composition strike a chord deep within, especially when this wonderful gem is performed by someone like Ricardo Gallén. To combine lightness and melancholy so effortlessly, of course, requires great skill.

Incidentally, the Capricho is the fifth piece from Albéniz’s collection España, Op. 165, which bore the subtitle “Six Album Leaves” in its first London edition.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK
with Slava Grigoryan

As you read this, take a moment to think about the last time you actively paused. More often than not, it’s been a while.

That’s exactly what we thought as soon as we heard the first notes of this album. It really encourages you to pause for a moment and take a deep breath.

With the pieces on his album Gratitudes, Australian guitarist Slava Grigoryan manages to take us by the hand and lead us into a space of letting go.

The album was created as a tribute to the tremendous work that has been and continues to be done in the healthcare system – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s deeply satisfying to listen to Slava’s soulful, precise playing and let your thoughts simply be.

We recommend “Aglow” and “Rosie’s Promise” for appetizers.

MORNING-ROUTINE
A coffee with Leon Albert

Hi Leon, what’s the routine for this week?

Rediscovering old albums.

INTERVIEW

4 Questions for: Fabian Zeller

Besides your smartphone, what distracts you the most when you're practicing?
I put my smartphone away when I practice – what distracts me the most are my thoughts.

What motivates you?
Improvisation, the fact that there’s always more to learn, and above all, the next concert!

Looking back now, what advice would you give yourself as a young guitarist?
Choose the right repertoire, above all, selecting pieces that highlight the instrument’s strengths – and avoiding, or at least limiting, pieces written by composers who aren’t familiar with the instrument.

Imagine you could have one sentence printed on a poster to be put up in huge numbers at all the (classical) music festivals in the world. What sentence would that be?
If you understood everything I said, you'd be me. – Miles Davis

FEEL-GOOD TUNE OF THE WEEK
with Julian Lage

Whether it’s between rehearsals and lessons, after practicing, before a concert, or whenever you need it: put on your headphones, take a break from the noise, and feel good.

Our feel-good tune of the week!

OUTRO

Thank you for reading! Please send any suggestions or comments directly in response to this newsletter. New music discoveries – including from artists we wrote about in today's issue – can be found, as always, in our Spotify playlist for the newsletter, which we've linked below.

Be kind to each other.

Stay tuned!

Stefan & Willi

supported by

New Classical Guitar is a newsletter by Willi Leinen and Stefan Degel from TMBM. You can find our music and more information about our journey at http://t-m-b-m.com/.

On Spotify, we curate a playlist with our favorite pieces. Feel free to follow our New Classical Guitar Playlist at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZwxJRAsW9Zs2JiS2eLy6a?si=9b2a737f01c043a4 and recommend new additions.