The University of Agder and CreaTeME is hosting Guitar Maestro T.E.A.R.S. 2026 — a three-day conference for pop/jazz/rock guitar for teachers in higher music education across the Nordic and Baltic region.
Kristiansand, Norway, May 5th-7th 2026.
Following the successful symposiums in 2019 and 2025, this gathering brings together prominent guitar educators from our part of the world for three days of sharing, networking and collective learning under the theme “Mastering (the space between) Function and Freedom”.
"This is not a conference where you only sit and listen — it is one we build together."
Program
DAY 1 — Tuesday 5 May 2026
Venue: BARE
Session 1 · 09:45–13:00 · Galleri, BARE
- 09:45 — Meet‑up & registration
- 10:15 — Official welcome
Rolf Kristensen (University of Agder, NO) - 10:20 — What is the Guitar Maestro project?
Martin Granum (Royal Academy of Music, DK) - 10:25 — Conference practicalities
Marius Igland (University of Agder, NO) - 10:30 — Relevance — Does our education reflect the needs of today’s guitar students?
Rolf Kristensen - 11:00 — What do you find challenging to teach? (Discussion)
Øyvind Nypan (University of Agder, NO) - 11:20 — Coffee break
- 11:40 — The student perspective
Students from UiA, RAMA & University of Gothenburg - 12:10 — What might student‑centered art education be?
Marius Igland - 12:30 — Lunch break
Session 2 · 13:30–16:20 · Galleri, BARE
- 13:30 — Groove, Lock, Pocket and Crack!
Richard Smith (USC Thornton School of Music, US) - 14:00 — My approach to teaching sight reading
Jarmo Hynninen (Metropolia UAS, FI) - 14:30 — Examples from teaching sight‑reading and improvisation
Mart Soo (MUBA & EMTA, EE) - 15:00 — Coffee & kanelbolle
- 15:20 — Teaching sight‑reading, time feel and improvisation
Ulf Bandgren (University of Gothenburg, SE) - 15:50 — Publishing your teaching material
Martin Granum & Rasmus Birk (DK) - 16:20 — Info about social programme & Day 2
Evening Programme
- 16:30 — Free time
- 17:30 — Option A: Visit Kunstsilo art gallery
- 17:45 — Option B: BA‑exam concert (BARE)
- 19:00 — Official dinner @ Flua Pizza
DAY 2 — Wednesday 6 May 2026
Venue: University of Agder, K‑building
Session 3 · 09:45–13:00 · K1 039 (Sal 2) + Sal 3
- 09:45 — Meet‑up
- 09:55 — Welcome to campus
- 10:00 — Keynote: Electronic guitar and soundscape perspectives
Bjørn Charles Dreyer (NO) - 11:00 — Coffee break
- 11:20 — Improvisation concepts
Martin Hultén (Ingesunds Musikhögskola, SE) - 11:50 — Guitar ensembles
Richard Smith · Jens Christian Kwella · Øyvind Nypan · Rolf Kristensen - 12:40 — Lunch break
Session 4 · 13:40–17:00 · K1 039 (Sal 2)
- 13:40 — Keep focus! (Discussion)
Samuel Hällkvist (Malmö Academy of Music, SE) - 14:00 — Motif development
Hans Balstedt (Örebro University, SE) - 14:30 — Practicing improvisation, without improvising
Steinar Jeffs (University of Agder, NO) - 15:00 — Coffee & kanelbolle
- 15:20 — Fundamentals of improvisation
Risto Toppola (Sibelius Academy & Savonia UAS, FI) - 15:50 — Creative ways to practice scales
Miroslav Mirosavljev (JAM Music Lab, AT) - 16:20 — The art of prioritizing (Discussion)
Marek Talts (EE) - 16:40 — Info about social programme & Day 3
- 16:45 — Tour of the Faculty of Fine Arts
Evening Programme
- 17:00 — Free time
- 17:45 — Option B: BA‑exam concert (BARE)
- 18:00 — Option A: Odderøya nature walk
- 19:00 — Official dinner @ Bønder i Byen
DAY 3 — Thursday 7 May 2026
Venue: BARE
Session 5 · 10:00–12:30 · Galleri, BARE
- 09:45 — Meet‑up
- 09:55 — Intro to the final day
Martin Granum - 10:00 — Shared guitar lessons
David Stackenäs (Ingesunds Musikhögskola, SE) - 10:30 — What is relevant to teach? (Discussion)
Jakob Henriques (Örebro University, SE) - 10:50 — Missing topic session
Workshops & group discussions - 11:20 — Coffee break
- 11:40 — Keynote: Diversity in Higher Music Education Toolbox
Sheila Simmenes (NO) - 12:10 — Student team presentation
Students from UiA, RAMA & University of Gothenburg - 12:30 — Lunch break
Session 6 · 13:15–14:15 · Galleri, BARE
- 13:15 — Wrap‑up, evaluation & looking ahead
- 14:15 — Programme finished · Departures
Participating Institutions:
Austria
- JAM MUSIC LAB Private University, Vienna
Denmark
- Royal Academy of Music (RAMA), Aarhus / Aalborg
Estonia
- Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EMTA), Tallinn
- MUBA — Music and Ballet School, Tallinn
- University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy
Finland
- Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki
- Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Kuopio
- Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki
Lithuania
- Vilniaus Kolegija / Higher Education Institution, Vilnius
Norway
- Ansgar University College, Kristiansand
- UiT — The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø
- University of Agder, Kristiansand
Sweden
- Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg
- Ingesunds Musikhögskola, Karlstad University
- Malmö Academy of Music, Lund University
- School of Music, Theatre and Art, Örebro University
United States
- USC Thornton School of Music, Los Angeles