Roth Guitar Duo
“two of the UK’s brightest young stars of the guitar”
About
Formed in 2014 at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester, the Roth Guitar Duo has established itself as one of the most prominent and dynamic ensembles on the UK classical guitar scene. Praised by industry legend Craig Ogden as "two of the UK's brightest young stars of the guitar," Sam Rodwell and Emma Smith have consistently captivated audiences nationwide with their seamless musical telepathy, technical precision, and engaging stage presence.
The duo’s performance history spans many of the UK's most prestigious concert halls and festivals. They have been invited multiple times to perform at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, featuring in celebrated series such as A Little Bite Music, Dig the City Festival, and Craig Ogden's Big Guitar Weekend. Their collaborative journey has also taken them to St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Buxton Pavilion Arts Centre, and the Cardiff Guitar Festival.
Central to the duo’s ethos is a commitment to expanding the boundaries of the guitar duo format. Their diverse, meticulously curated programmes cover an extensive musical timeline, ranging from the intricate counterpoint of the Renaissance to complex 21st-century compositions. This forward-thinking approach has led to direct collaborations with celebrated contemporary composers, including original commissions written specifically for the duo by Yvonne Bloor and Mark Houghton. Their critically acclaimed debut album, Canonica, serves as a definitive showcase of their core touring repertoire, cementing their status as innovative champions of modern classical guitar music.
Sam Rodwell
Sam completed both his undergraduate degree with First-Class Honours and his Master of Performance with Distinction at the RNCM, studying under Craig Ogden, before being appointed by the university as an Associate Guitar Teacher. A decorated competitor, Sam was the first guitarist in nearly thirty years to win the RNCM String Department’s Salon Prize and went on to become a finalist in the institution's prestigious Gold Medal competition. He is also a national finalist in the Ivor Mairants Guitar Competition and the Royal Over-Seas League strings sectional. Sam made his mainstream television debut on Sky Arts’ Guitar Star, reaching the final eight, and has served as a UK ambassador for Yamaha. He performs on a 2006 Christopher Dean guitar.
Emma Smith
Emma holds a Master of Music and a Postgraduate Diploma in Solo Performance from the RNCM, where she also studied under Craig Ogden. She completed her BMus (Hons) at the Ian Tomlin School of Music (Edinburgh Napier University) under the tutelage of Simon Thacker. A highly accomplished chamber musician from the outset of her career, Emma is a two-time recipient of the Rita Quinney Medal for ensembles at the Edinburgh Festival of Music and Speech, leading to performances at Edinburgh's Queens Hall, the National Galleries, and Edinburgh Castle. Since relocating to Manchester, she has performed extensively across the UK, recently giving a solo recital at the Bridgewater Hall as part of their Bridgewater Introducing series for elite emerging talent. Emma's work has been generously supported by the Cross Trust, the Hope Scott Trust, and the Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarship Trust.
The Canonica Recital
This flagship duo programme draws directly from the repertoire of their acclaimed debut album, Canonica. The performance is structured as a narrative journey across centuries of guitar literature, striking a deliberate balance between familiar classical masterpieces, transcriptions of early music, and the duo's own newly commissioned contemporary works. Characterised by the duo's signature onstage chemistry and insightful spoken introductions, this programme is perfectly tailored for prominent concert societies, arts centres, international guitar festivals, and specialised studio recording sessions.
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