NACHT DER GITARREN - feat. Minnie Marks (Australia), Roxane Elfasci (France), Niwel Tsumbu (Congo) , André Cavalcante (Brazil)
Nacht der Gitarren 2026 feat. MINNIE MARKS (Australia), ROXANE ELFASCI (France), NIWEL TSUMBU (Congo), ANDRÉ CAVALCANTE (Brazil)
The "Nacht der Gitarren" brings together the world's best guitarists for a festival tour (four musicians at a time), where they present their latest original compositions as well as cover versions - a new lineup of guitar virtuosos for each tour, creating a very special evening with solo, duet, and quartet performances. Virtuosity and diversity - the festival is exciting because different cultures meet here, and younger artists encounter more experienced musicians. It is this blend that makes their concerts brilliant. Fans of the acoustic guitar are always satisfied here, as they discover new talents or interesting established artists each time. Those who love the guitar will love the Nacht der Gitarren.
ANDRÈ CAVALCANTE
"Solo acoustic instrumental fingerstyle Guitar"
With a Bachelor's degree in classical guitar from the University of Rio de Janeiro, André initially found his calling in the field of music production: he has established himself as one of the most respected music producers in Brazil's religious segment, working with Universal Music, Sony, and Somlivre, and with some of the biggest names in the Brazilian music scene, including Gabriela Rocha, Paula Fernandes, Sandy, and Zé Neto e Cristiano.
Result: three Grammy nominations as a music producer and mixing/mastering engineer, as well as several awards at major music festivals in Brazil.
However, he himself is also an outstanding solo artist; his fingerstyle technique is breathtaking. Highly sought after: his first fingerstyle guitar instrumental album has achieved over 8 million views on YouTube, solidifying his position as a charismatic and talented musician. His version of Hillsong's "Oceans" has garnered over 4 million views on YouTube, an impressive number for an instrumental piece. Additionally, his fingerstyle interpretation of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" has also been very successful. Recently, André released his version of Michael W. Smith's "Agnus Dei.” His unique interpretation gives this legendary gospel song a new dimension.
MINNIE MARKS
“A one-woman band, dirty slide and tasty grooves all the way from ‘Down Under’ Australia”
A rare triple talent: singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. An acoustic overwhelming, this woman. Impossible to ignore.
With her old Goldtop slung over her shoulder and a revolutionary foot drum at her feet, she tirelessly tours the world with her wild, dynamic guitar artistry and her unbelievably powerful, soulful voice that catapults her songs into the world as if her life depended on it. And as if that weren’t enough, she simultaneously creates grooves with her free limbs on her Foot Drum Kit that rattle your bones. A gigantic wall of sound that must be seen to be believed.
In 2025, Marks' passionate commitment and incomparable live energy were recognized with the title of “Musician of the Year” at the Sunshine Coast Music Awards. Previously, she had been awarded “Best Guitarist” at the Open Arms Festival and received the “People’s Choice Award” at both the Blues at Bridgetown Festival and the Nannup Music Festival.
Three studio albums and one live album, recorded in Stuttgart; her next album will be released this year. Another musical explosion; it’s a musical explosion that will leave you wanting more. Here are some comments from the best in the industry:
“Badass.” – Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck)
“One of the most impressive shows of our lives!” – Carl Verheyen (Supertramp)
“Holy Moly! Minnie, you groove so damn well.” – Joey Landreth (The Bros Landreth)
“Undeniable virtuosity, energy, and a BIG personality in every performance.” – Joe Robinson
NIWEL TSUMBU
"Global Fusion"
A virtuosic guitarist born in Congo and living in Ireland, who has created a unique and captivating style drawn from diverse influences such as jazz, classical, rock, folk, and rumba. Sometimes Tsumbu's music is a deep emotional well that draws joy and sadness from universal human sources. At other times, it is a high-tech vehicle racing enthusiastically across nations, continents, and the cosmos.
Tsumbu has steadily built his international profile over the past ten years and has been praised by All About Jazz for his “exquisite and almost seamless” global fusion.
He has recorded and performed with artists such as Nigel Kennedy, Sinead O’Connor, Buena Vista Social Club, and Baaba Maal. In 2021, Tsumbu solidified his global reach with his guitar playing on the Grammy-winning album "They’re Calling Me Home" by Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi. He is now a member of Rhiannon Giddens' band.
Tsumbu grew up in Kinshasa and was first introduced to traditional Congolese music in church. At the same time, he absorbed Western classical composers like Beethoven and Vivaldi through the radio. At the age of sixteen, he began to play the guitar and quickly distinguished himself through his exceptional talent for traditional Soukous and rumba styles. His teacher Crispin Ngoy introduced him to jazz. At seventeen, he secretly enrolled for a year at a music conservatory against his family's wishes, and Tsumbu's passion for music, despite not having a guitar at that time, drove him to walk for hours each day to listen and play.
In 2004, Tsumbu moved to Ireland. There, his ten-member band toured the country, performing his Big Bang Symphony; Tsumbu became a prominent figure in the Irish arts scene. He regularly appears on national television and radio, and performs with his latest project Pontún alongside the legendary Steve Cooney and other musicians at venues like the National Stadium. Based in Ireland, Tsumbu regularly tours abroad, including in China, Spain, France, Lithuania, Catalonia, and Germany.
“I don’t think about styles when I play or listen to music,” says Tsumbu, “all music is just sound. Like water falling from the sky and becoming the sea, the river we drink from. Everything I’ve heard, from traditional Congolese music to classical, jazz, rock, pop, and metal, has influenced me. I like everything, and it’s all part of my culture as a citizen of the universe.”
Tsumbu sings in his mother tongue Lingala as well as in French and English. His songs can have a political focus, as in "Africa, Eh!" from Song of the Nations, addressing the hypocritical profiling of migrants based on their skin color; they can look to the larger universe, as in "Halley’s Comet"; or they can showcase complex polyphony and fingerpicking, as in "Tears of Joy" from The Art of the Duo. It’s hard to disagree with the opinion of the Journal of Music, which describes Tsumbu’s art as “a musical current whose sources span from classical music to Central Africa and far beyond.”
In live performances, Tsumbu is always captivating. He thrives when he plays on the biggest stages like London's Cadogan Hall and the World Expo in Shanghai, in the intimate atmosphere of a traditional Irish pub session, or in the context of classical music, such as during his performance of Steve Reich's "Electric Counterpoint" at a concert by the Crash Ensemble, which was enthusiastically received.
ROXANE ELFASCI
"Intimate and poetic French classical guitarist"
Classical guitarist from Paris. Roxane completed her music studies at the Pôle Supérieur de Paris under Jérémy Jouve and Gérard Abiton. With degrees in music performance and musicology, as well as a Diplôme d’État in pedagogy, she now dedicates herself entirely to her artistic career and her students.
In 2020, she signed a contract with the independent label Cosmos Music, and in September 2021, she recorded her debut album "Hommage à Debussy." In October 2022, she released the EP "Bach – Organ Sonata No. 4," a duet with Baptiste Erard. The score of her arrangement was published by Éditions Habanera. Her second album, "Poésie Française," was released in the fall of 2023 and received praise from several media outlets, including Radio France, the BBC, and the magazine Guitare Classique. In 2025, she presented "GLASS GAZE," an ambitious project focusing on the piano etudes of Philip Glass reinterpreted for two guitars and drums.
The album was launched at a sold-out concert at the renowned Café de la Danse in Paris, one day after its release on all major streaming platforms. Roxane regularly performs as a soloist or in duos at festivals such as the Arènes Lyriques in Montmartre, Bach à Bacchus in Meursault, Les Musicales de Redon, the Festival de Guitare de Lyon, and the Rencontres de la Guitare d’Uzès. She appeared on Clément Rochefort's Génération France Musique and regularly performs live on BBC Radio 3 in London. Additionally, she is a productive guitar transcriber and regularly writes articles for the Guitare Classique Magazine. Her YouTube channel, where she presents her work, has attracted over seventy thousand subscribers.
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
