Tag: helston

Hello there! My name is Emilio Ayto and I’m an English Guitarist, Composer, and multi-instrumentalist. I have been based in South-West Cornwall for most of my life, despite being born in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

I first started playing Classical Guitar at Secondary School under the guidance of tutors Ben Salfield and Rick Martin, but gradually began to play Electric Guitar and Electric Bass in school bands, productions, ensembles; and also singing in the school choir.

Since 2015 I’ve been learning to play an 8 course tenor Lute, and more recently a 5 string tenor Banjo and also a 12 string Guitar. Since September 2016 I’ve been studying BA Hons Music at Falmouth University, Cornwall. In this time I have been taught by Guitar tutor Douglas McClure at the university. During just the first few months I composed my first piece for solo Classical Guitar titled “Red River”, performing it at my debut solo concert in March 2017 at the weekly AMATA lunchtime concert series. In May 2017 I recorded a four track demo, which will soon be available to download for free on online music stores. This summer I am set to perform my first solo festival date in August 2017, at “Hellys International Guitar Festival” in Helston, Cornwall.

Currently I regularly participate in both the Falmouth University Guitar Ensemble, but also in the Cornwall Youth Classical Guitar Ensemble. I also play lead Electric Guitar and joint lead vocals in rock band Rogue Nation (founding member since September 2015), Electric Bass Guitar and backing vocals in acoustic folk rock band Another Coffee Please (founding member since February 2017), Electric Bass Guitar in Lunacci’s backing band, and Classical Guitar in The Faure Quartet (since May 2017).

Despite this wide variety of performing in different scenarios, my primary instrument has always been the Classical Guitar. My most recent repertoire includes Classical Guitar standards such as “Asturias” and “Cavatina”, the works of Francisco Tarrega, Spanish Guitar, South American Guitar, and also Guitar arrangements of popular songs (currently including Mason Williams, Pink Floyd, Carlos Santana, and many others). However, I have also been adding to my Classical Guitar repertoire with my own original compositions; drawing upon a wide variety of influences from Classical, Rock, Minimalism, Renaissance, Folk, and Blues genres.

That’s all folks, thanks for reading, and a big thank you to Matthew Woolley (aka The Quantum Penguin) for asking me to do this on his new blog!

(To find out more about Emilio Ayto visit his YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLbeN6E6eSKjpGI8aaObUQ)