“What makes this vital?” That’s the question Sean Shibe asks himself as he puts his concert programmes together. How important is it to preserve the repertoire? And, as an artist working today, what direction can and should he be continuing to think in? In an innerview with the Elbphilharmonie, the young guitarist talks about art as a mirror of the present and about the limitations of his instrument. “I’m sure I’m not the only one who has wondered if we are more librarians dusting books than genuine advocates,” he says.

Creating relevance

One thing’s for sure: there’s nothing about Sean Shibe that needs any dusting off. The Scottish guitarist’s carefully conceived programmes bring old music together with brand new music, alternating at will between the acoustic and electronic guitar.

Creating relevance – that’s his motivation whenever he gets up on stage. He wants to respond in artistic terms to his present-day reality. “ When terrible things are happening, this little classical box sometimes isn’t the vehicle for the response I need to make, and it feels necessary to go beyond it.” And that’s precisely what he does: with new works, new techniques, and new sounds.

Always on the lookout for things to keep classical music alive today, his repertoire is also interspersed with his own arrangements and commissioned compositions by acclaimed composers including Thomas Adès or Helene Grime. He’s not interested in merely playing classics to keep the repertoire intact. He is keen instead to translate them into the here and now. The Edinburgh-born musician sees the Elbphilharmonie a particularly fitting venue for achieving this: “This building is a real synthesis of history and contemporary ambition.”

It is obvious too that Sean’s genre-busting style hits an important nerve of our time, as demonstrated by the many prizes and scholarships he has been awarded, and by the rapturous reception from audiences whenever he picks up his instruments. He is the first guitarist ever to be voted a BBC New Generation Artist, and other accolades include such prestigious honours as the Leonard Bernstein Award.

He also won over Hamburg hearts at the »Rising Stars« festival in January 2024. With works ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day, he showcases the exciting kaleidoscopic possibilities of his instrument.