World-famous guitar players are to take centre stage at a Bermuda festival this weekend.The Bermuda School of Music will host a series of concerts and master classes as part of the 9th annual Bermuda Guitar Festival, which starts Friday.Matt Palmer and Harris Becker will lead the classes, which have been arranged by festival organiser Stephen Crawford.“Over the last nine years we have had some amazing players and concerts,” said Mr Crawford. “We had the Katona Twins one year. I met them at the Bermuda Festival for the Performing Arts and brought them back for the guitar festival. Their concert was amazing. We have had various big names in the solo world including Andrew York, David Leisner, and Michael Chatfield, and steel guitarist Adam Rafferty.”Mr Palmer has been called one of the elite virtuosos of his generation of classical guitarists. He is a recent recipient of the Up and Coming Guitarist of the Year award by ‘Guitar International’ magazine. His debut CD was called ‘Un Tiempo fue Itálica Famosa’. He has performed and lectured at guitar festivals and universities throughout the United States.Mr Becker plays the guitar, lute and baroque guitar. He has performed extensively throughout the world as a soloist and chamber musician. He is director of guitar studies at Long Island University and is on the music faculty at Nassau Community College in New York and has been director of the Long Island Guitar Festival, which he founded in 1993. His recordings include ‘Catgut Flambo’ with guitarist Pasquale Bianculli and a solo CD, ‘Passing Through’.Next year marks the tenth anniversary of the Bermuda Guitar Festival and they hope to have a big celebratory festival.“The highlight is being able to have these phenomenal concerts. When you look around and see the audience on a high it makes all the work that you do all year long worthwhile,” said Mr Crawford. “When you see kids buzzing about the concert it is great. It lifts everyone’s profile a bit and gives us, as teachers, a little bit more energy.”This weekend’s festival will be the first for Bermuda School of Music guitar teacher Jerremiah Smith. He will perform in Saturday’s concert alongside Mr Palmer.“I teach classical guitar and electric guitar,” he said. “I teach seven year olds and up and I have a few adult students, from beginners to advanced level. I was about 14 when I first learned to play the guitar a bit late. I am really looking forward to Matt Palmer’s class, and to getting everyone out and enjoying some good classical guitar music.”Mr Crawford said classical guitar music has its ups and downs in terms of popularity although the popularity of jazz and pop guitar playing tends to constantly stay high.“Four or five years ago we had very busy concerts but things have tapered off,” he said. “However, we always do well and the concerts are always well attended. This is a great event because the master classes are for anyone in the community who is interested. They can come and feel free to sit and listen. We have lectures. They are all free. The concerts, we try to keep the price down.”