Guitar Art Festival

What Guitar Art Festival does

Guitar Art Festival is a nonprofit cultural organization founded in 2000 in Belgrade, Serbia, by guitarist and festival director Boško Radojković. Operated under the legal entity Udruženje klasičnih gitarista Srbije (Association of Classical Guitarists of Serbia), the organization produces an annual international classical guitar festival that is consistently cited as one of the five largest classical guitar festivals in the world. Across its 27 editions, the festival has hosted more than 400 concerts featuring musicians from 57 countries, engaged over 4,000 students from 48 countries in masterclasses and competitions, and accumulated more than 300,000 concert visitors.

The core product is the annual Belgrade festival, structured around concerts, masterclasses, international guitar competitions across six age categories, exhibitions, and a Guitar Art Expo for luthiers. The organization has expanded the brand into a three-edition franchise: Guitar Art Festival (Belgrade), Guitar Art Summer Fest (Herceg Novi), and Guitar Art Winter Fest (Kopaonik). Adjacent product lines include the Kings of Strings supergroup production, an annual CD catalog (30 editions since 2004) released through Guitar Art d.o.o., Music Wine and Fashion Festival, Guitar Art Team Building, Guitar Art Booking, and the Creative Course for Guitar education program. A mobile application launched in 2021 enables remote participation in masterclasses and competition broadcasts.

The business model is event-driven with diversified revenue streams. Participant fees (€120 passive / €120+ active) cover festival access plus optional masterclasses (€30-40 per 40-minute session) and competition entries (€30-80 depending on category). Concert tickets are sold separately at 1,500-3,300 RSD through Kombank Dvorana box office and Tickets.rs. Revenue is supplemented by CD sales, institutional funding from the City of Belgrade and the Ministry of Culture of Serbia, and corporate sponsorship from Erste Bank, D'Addario, Savarez, Kremona Guitars, and Accord Case. The organization reaches international audiences through partnerships with embassies (US, Spain) and cultural institutes (Italian, French, Cervantes).

Name

Guitar Art Festival

Legal name

Udruženje klasičnih gitarista Srbije

Website

https://gaf.rs

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Guitar Art Festival is a Serbian nonprofit organization that produces an annual international classical guitar festival in Belgrade, now expanded to summer (Herceg Novi) and winter (Kopaonik) editions. It serves music students, professional guitarists, concert audiences, and luthiers through concerts, masterclasses, competitions, and educational programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Music Festivals

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Virtual Concerts & Music Festivals (Livestreamed Performances) (MPAGAOAD)

Keywords

• Classical guitar festival
• Music masterclasses
• Guitar competition
• Performing arts events
• Music education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgrade (Novi Beograd)

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Registration Fees: Passive candidates pay €120 for tickets to all concerts and passive attendance. Active candidates pay €120 plus additional costs for masterclasses (€30-40 per lesson) or competition fees (€50-80 depending on category). Group rates of €100 per person available for 5+ candidates from music schools.
2. Masterclass Instruction: Individual lessons from €30-40 per 40-minute session. Professors include Costas Cotsiolis (€40), Raphaella Smits (€40), Francisco Bernier (€40), Antonio Duro (€40), and others at €30 per session.
3. Concert Tickets: Tickets sold for individual concerts at various Belgrade venues. Full festival ticket sets available at promotional prices. General admission ranges from 1,500 to 3,300 RSD per concert.
4. Competition Participation: Competition fees from €30-80 depending on category (I-VI). Categories I-II are €30-40, Categories III-VI range from €50-80.
5. CD Sales and Publishing: Annual CD compilations released featuring best recordings from each festival year. Published by Guitar Art d.o.o. with catalog including recordings from 2004 onwards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Guitar Art Festival is a Belgrade-based cultural organization that produces an annual international classical guitar festival founded in 2000, along with summer (Herceg Novi) and winter (Kopaonik) editions. It operates the Association of Classical Guitarists of Serbia (Udruženje klasičnih gitarista Srbije) and delivers concerts, masterclasses, an international guitar competition, CD releases, and educational programming.

Product overview

Guitar Art Festival is a cultural event organization centered around an annual international classical guitar festival in Belgrade, Serbia. The core product is the Guitar Art Festival featuring concerts, masterclasses, and competitions. The organization operates multiple festival editions (Summer Fest in Herceg Novi, Winter Fest on Kopaonik), produces concert events (Kings of Strings), releases annual CD compilations, and offers education services through ASEG and creative courses. A digital Guitar Art Application was launched in 2021 for remote participation and content streaming. Additional services include team building, booking, and lifestyle festivals combining music with wine and fashion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Guitar Art Winter Fest: Winter edition of the festival held on Kopaonik
• Guitar Art Summer Fest
• Kings of Strings
• Guitar Art Team Building
• Guitar Art Circle

Products and services

• Guitar Art Festival (Belgrade Annual Edition)
• Summer Fest (Herceg Novi)
• Winter Fest (Kopaonik)
• Masterclasses
• International Guitar Competition
• Kings of Strings (CD Releases)
• Booking Agency Services
• Team Building Programs
• Education Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 concerts organized with musicians from 57 countries over 25+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• City of Belgrade - Secretariat for CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment cultural partner providing institutional support for festival operations and promotion of Belgrade as cultural destination.
• Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of SerbiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational government ministry providing cultural funding and institutional endorsement for festival as national cultural event.
• D'AddariominorGTM or Marketing PartnerString manufacturer providing products for competition prizes and festival promotions.
• SavarezminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGuitar string brand sponsoring competition prizes and festival promotions.
• Kremona GuitarsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGuitar manufacturer providing instruments as competition prizes for category winners.
• Accord CaseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGuitar case manufacturer sponsoring competition prizes.
• Guitar Salon BelgrademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal guitar retailer providing studio recording services for competition prize packages.
• ASEG - Association of South-Eastern European GuitaristscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional guitar association founded by festival director Boško Radojković; co-develops educational programs and regional guitar events.
• SOKOJ - Serbian Music Authors' OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic copyright organization supporting festival operations and documentation.
• Belgrade Youth Center (Dom Omladine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner for festival concerts, masterclasses, and competitions; provides facilities and event infrastructure.
• Kolarac EndowmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcert venue for festival performances including opening ceremonies and classical music concerts.
• Kombank DvoranamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor concert hall venue for festival headline performances since 2019.
• Dositej Private Secondary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational venue partner hosting masterclasses, competition, and festival office during event.
• Embassy of the United States of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomatic partner supporting international artist participation and cultural exchange.
• Embassy of SpainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomatic partner supporting flamenco and Spanish guitar artist participation.
• Italian Cultural Institute of BelgrademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural institute supporting Italian guitar artist participation and Italian-Serbian cultural exchange.
• French Institute in SerbiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural institute supporting French artist participation and French-Serbian cultural exchange.
• Cervantes InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish cultural institute supporting Spanish language and cultural programming at festival.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EuroStrings - European Guitar Festival Network: Network of European classical guitar festivals collaborating on artist exchange and competition standards. Comparable as a peer network of like-minded guitar festivals, and a potential partner channel.
• Guitar Foundation of America (GFA): US-based leading classical guitar organization hosting the annual GFA Conference & Festival, competitions, and educational programs. Most direct global peer in classical guitar event organization, education, and competition format.
• Festival Internacional de Guitarra de La Habana: Cuba's flagship classical guitar festival. Comparable in scope, international artist programming, and competition/masterclass structure for global guitar community.
• Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Córdoba: Major Spanish classical guitar festival featuring concerts, competitions, and masterclasses. Direct comparable in format and target audience, also one of the largest classical guitar festivals in the world.
• Guitarras - Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Sevilla: Spanish classical guitar festival featuring international artists, competitions, and masterclasses. Direct comparable in format and target audience of guitar students and professionals.
• Internationales Gitarrensymposium Iserlohn: Long-running German classical guitar event with concerts, masterclasses, and competitions. Comparable in combining international artist programming with educational offerings for serious students.

Others

• International Guitar Research Centre: Research and education hub for classical guitar at a UK university. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem institution supporting classical guitar education, research, and artist development.

Regional players

• EXIT Festival: Serbian music festival held in Petrovaradin Fortress (Novi Sad). Comparable as a leading Serbian-rooted international music festival brand, though different genre (rock/electronic) and operating in the same regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Edinburgh International Festival: Large-scale multi-genre performing arts festival. Comparable as a major international cultural event brand operating in similar live-performance/ticketed format, though broader in genre.
• Salzburg Festival: Premier classical music and performing arts festival. Comparable in combining elite international artist programming with educational/young-artist development and premium ticketed concerts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Guitar_Art_Fest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GuitarArtFestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/gaf.rs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guitar-art-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guitar Art Festival