18 of the guitar community's best and brightest up-and-coming players celebrated the two-year program with a series of dazzling performances
(Image credit: Gibson)
Gibson has celebrated the first-ever class of Gibson Generation Group graduates with a virtual performance ceremony, which saw a string of up-and-coming Gibson-supported guitar stars in action.
The 18-member cohort joined the inaugural Gibson Generation Group (G3) in 2019, and were supported by the iconic guitar brand over a two-year period. Now, they are the first group to graduate from the G3 program, and have celebrated in style with a handful of electrifying performances.
G3’s class of 2021 includes players from all corners of the globe, including India, Japan and China, as well as a handful of European players from England, Spain, France, Norway and the Netherlands.
Said Jenny Marsh, head of the G3 global platform, “This inaugural G3 class was truly vital in shaping what the Gibson Generation Group will become for future members, and we have a solid foundation to build upon.
“The G3 artists are now a part of the Gibson family, we look forward to watching them grow and we’ll continue to champion their success.”
The 58-minute event included some dazzling electric guitar and acoustic guitar performances, with highlights including Reece Malone’s blues-y, trap-beat-infused No More, Isa Zwart’s gorgeously haunting acoustic track Lege Straten and 12-year-old Jayden Tatasciore’s rip-roaring Les Paul-based riot, Rewind.
Esani Dey, Gaetan Ponzio, Miyuna, Kris Niepert, Asher Belsky, Phoenix Knight and Irene Esteban Teijeira are also on the roster, and lined up alongside Jack Goodacre, Diego Flores, Ben Goldsmith, Noah Eckstein and Marina Paz Otero.
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Otto Jr. Lagarhus, Sonny French and Carter Wilkinson complete the catalog of Gibson’s best and brightest up-and-coming six-string stars.
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Kris Niepert(Image credit: Gibson)
Isa Zwart(Image credit: Gibson)
Esani Dey(Image credit: Gibson)
Carter Wilkinson(Image credit: Gibson)
Marina Pa Otero(Image credit: Gibson)
Reece Malone(Image credit: Gibson)
In the ceremony’s opening speech, Gibson’s President and CEO James Curleigh added, “You’re a part of history. For 127 years, Gibson has been inspiring, contributing and supporting sound through our guitars and through our artists.
“Gibson is synonymous with the share of sound, and you now are a contributor, a participant, an innovator and a player in Gibson’s quest in the share of sound. I want to say congratulations to all of you.
“Not only have we been doing this for 127 years, we get to help set up the next 127 years of Gibson, and you’re a part of it.”
To browse the entire list of G3 artists and find out more about them, head over to Gibson’s dedicated Gibson Generation Group page.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
