John Griffiths plays medieval and renaissance lutes, vihuela, baroque and 19th-century guitars. He plays a broad repertoire of music for these instruments but has a specialist interest in the music of Spain and Italy that is connected to his work as a researcher.

He is particularly known as one of the leading researchers of vihuela music of our time. He has performed widely in Australia, Europe, the USA and South America, both as a soloist and ensemble player, especially with La Romanesca which he co-founded in 1978.

His activities included performances and radio and television broadcast in Argentina, Australia, Chile, Cuba, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the USA.

His solo programs are strongly based on the areas of his own research and often form part of his research laboratory as he explores and rediscovers lost and forgotten music and composers.

Recent programs have explored rare areas of the vihuela repertory, and the links between improvised and composed lute music, of the music of cities and courts.

He has been active in the rediscovery of the Neapolitan lute repertory and has been bringing it to public attention in his recent performance projects and publications together with Dinko Fabris.

Recently he has been investigating the music of the earliest published lutenist, Francesco Spinacino, and his recent performance activities have included a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand with guitar virtuoso Ricardo Gallén in 2011.

He has also taught on a regular basis at summer schools and specialist courses such as the Festival internacional de la guitarra [Córdoba, Spain] and the Curso internacional de música antigua de Daroca [Spain].

He has written a highly original method for the vihuela based on sixteenth-century pedagogy, specifically following the instructions of the Spanish theorist Juan Bermudo

John Griffiths’ recordings are available from Move Records.

www.vihuelagriffiths.com