Thomas
Fellow
Thomas Fellow is a musician with an almost inexhaustible supply of innovative energy. He is a first class acoustic guitarist, a breathtaking virtuoso with a signature sound, and is considered one of the best musical collaborators on this instrument.
His was instrumental in developing the groundbreaking ACOUSTIC GUITAR course (concert music, world music, jazz, pop) at the Dresden University of Music and is responsible for the artistic direction of the EUROPEAN GUITAR AWARD.
He is the author of the comprehensive educational book for guitar as an accompanying instrument (FELLOW GUITAR BOOK). As a composer, he has his own edition on Schott Music (Fellow Guitar Music Collection).
Musician
Thomas Fellow studied classical guitar performance at the Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt" in Weimar with Monika and Jürgen Rost. During his time as a concert guitarist, he won prizes at various international competitions, performed as a soloist with outstanding orchestras (including the Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra, Berlin) and travelled internationally for concerts to India, Brazil, the USA, Russia and across European. Various well-known composers (including Carlo Domeniconi and Jaime Zenamon) dedicated compositions to him and entrusted him with the premiere performance of their works.
Thomas Fellow ended his classical career in 1992 with a successful concert in the Philharmonie Berlin. Since then he has concentrated on his own music and on selected projects. With his two duos FRIEND `N FELLOW and HANDS ON STRINGS as well as the EUROPEAN GUITAR QUARTET (with Zoran Dukic, Pavel Steidl and Reentko Dirks) he has given almost 3000 concerts in over 30 countries. With the EUROPEAN GUITAR QUARTET he has performed in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Moscow's Tchaikovsky Hall and New York's Kaufmann Concert Hall. He was at the Penang Jazz Festival (Malaysia) and in the legendary THE 100 CLUB in London, among other venues, with FRIEND `N FELLOW. Notable performances with the duo HANDS ON STRINGS include the Festival of the Nations in Rome and in the Leipzig Gewandhaus.
Thomas Fellow has shared the stage with legends like Luther Allison, Ray Charles, Al Jarreau and Tommy Emmanuel. In 2018 he returned to the "classical world" at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival performing with world stars Sabine Meyer and The King's Singers in concerts that included works by Mendelssohn.
For several years, Thomas Fellow has been recognised as a composer and author. His works can be found on CDs of well-known artists, heard in concerts worldwide and are taught in over 60 countries through the TRINITY College program. His sheet music is published with Schott Music under the series “Fellow Guitar Music Collection”. Under this collection, "Fellow Guitar Book" written for the guitar as an accompanying instrument, is now considered a standard work.
Since 1992 Thomas Fellow has been an active faculty member, teaching at the Musikhochschule Dresden. There he developed a comprehensive education programme for the acoustic guitar as a classical as well as contemporary instrument. Graduates of this programme include many competition prize winners, scholarship holders and internationally renowned performing artists. The Musikhochschule Dresden is now one of the leading educational institutions for this instrument. In 2018, Thomas Fellow was awarded the Saxon Teaching Prize for this innovative idea.
Thomas Fellow was a guest lecturer for "World Music/Modern Styles" at the Musikhochschule Weimar for many years. He is also a regular guest at universities across the world (eg: Capital University Columbus/USA; Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica Granada /Spain; Anton Bruckner Private University Linz / Austria) and invited to music perform and teach at guitar festivals worldwide.
Apart from his position as Professor at the Dresden University of Music, his activities as a composer, label founder and as a festival organizer, there are three musical projects that he focuses wholeheartedly on:
FRIEND `N FELLOW, HANDS ON STRINGS, EUROPEAN GUITAR QUARTET
Friend n Fellow
In 1991, he and the singer Constanze Friend formed the duo Friend ‘n Fellow. After more than 1500 concerts and more than 100,000 CD sales it is considered the most successful project of its kind in Europe. They have toured the world from China (Beijing – China Millennium Park) to the USA (New York – World Trade Center) and shared the stage with LUTHER ALLISON, RAY CHARLES, TOMMY EMMANUEL and AL JARREAU among others.
Hands on Strings
Thomas founded his second musical project, Hands on Strings, in 2000, in collaboration with guitarist Stephan Bormann. Together they have created a unique blend of Concert Music, World Music and Jazz and released five critically acclaimed albums and received invitations to prestigious festivals in Rome (I), Columbus (USA) und Hamburg (GER).
European Guitar Quartet
They are fantastic!
TOMMY EMMANUEL about HANDS ON STRINGS
You knocked me out with your playing!
BILL EVANS about THOMAS / FRIEND ‚N FELLOW
Killing! It absolutely sounds like a whole band!
TOMMY EMMANUEL about FRIEND ‚N FELLOW
Composer & Author
Early concert music pieces by Fellow have been premiered at the Vogtland Music Festival and the Berlin Festival for Guitar and Chamber Music (Fantasy for guitar and string quartet). He is also the composer of film scores having written the music for a television documentary about the tenor Jose Carreras. He received the Gellert Prize, the art award of the cultural area of Leipzig, for his composition “9 pm” (for 2 / 3 guitars).
Thomas Fellow is the author of a pioneering method for the guitar as an accompanying instrument. This comprehensive textbook was published by SCHOTT MUSIC in December 2009. Since 2016 he has, in addition, published a multi-volume series of concert music for guitar under SCHOTT MUSIC: the FELLOW GUITAR MUSIC COLLECTION (Volume 1 – Medusa, Volume 2 – Pocket Fantasies, Volume 3 – Fingerfood light, Volume 4 – Children's Corner, Volume 5 – Fingerfood XXL/Volume 1 [2022], volume 6 – Fingerfood XXL/Volume 2 [2023]).
After focusing on creating music just for his own projects, he began composing again for others in 2012 and has subsequently composed more than 200 works for Solo Guitar and smaller Chamber Ensembles with Guitar.
His piece MEDUSA was the catalyst for a profound collaboration with SCHOTT MUSIC resulting in a worldwide resonance and multiple recordings. Since April 2016 he has been publishing a series of sheet music with SCHOTT MUSIC called FELLOW GUITAR MUSIC COLLECTION (Vol. 1- Medusa, Vol.2 – Pocket Fantasies, Vol. 3 – Fingerfood Light, Vol. 4 – Children’s Corner.)
Fellow’s music has been performed in some of the most important concert halls worldwide (Tchaikovsky Hall Moscow, Kaufmann Concert Hall New York, Concertgebouw Amsterdam), played by some of the leading exponents of the instrument (Zoran Dukic, Pavel Steidl, Reentko, Helen Sanderson, Nora Buschmann, Jule Malischke, Takeo Sato, Inoi Ami, Aladdin Haddad).
Some of his easier pieces are part of the current syllabus of the TRINITY COLLEGE LONDON program, which is used for music education in more than 60 countries.
Educator
Thomas Fellow is a professor of acoustic guitar (concert music, world music, jazz, pop) at the “Carl Maria von Weber” University of Music in Dresden, an educational program which Fellow himself established and developed in the early 90s. The innovative, contemporary approach of combining existing fundamental elements of classical and jazz guitar education with the richness of folk influences and new influences from the fingerstyle guitar is unique in the German-speaking world and beyond. This course focuses on creative elements in particular arranging, composing, improvising and accompaniment, and represents a return to the universal musical education prevalent in earlier times (e.g. in the 17th and 18th centuries) in the West, and also prevalent in many current musical cultures.
In 2018, Thomas Fellow was acknowledged by the State of Saxony with the Saxonian Education Award for this innovative idea. The list of his former students is long and includes many internationally very successful concert musicians, competition prize winners and scholarship holders.
In addition, he directs the seminar “World Music / Improvisation” at the Weimar University of Music and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities (including Capital University in Columbus – USA, Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica Granada – Spain and Anton Bruckner University, Linz – Austria) and in various festivals in the USA, Colombia, Mexico, Malaysia, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Germany.
With the support of the Ministry for Science and Culture of Saxony, Thomas Fellow and Judith Beckedorf developed a video tutorial (in German) on the subject of "Differential Practicing" during the Corona period.
Entrepreneur
Thomas Fellow initiated Thuringia’s Guitar/World Music Festival (1996) and the String Spring Festival in Dresden which was founded in 2000.
He also scooped the debut EUROPEAN GUITAR AWARD which first took place in Dresden in 2006 and which honors the best young creative guitarists from all over Europe. Due to its high-profile jury, this competition has been exceptionally well regarded since the outset.
In addition to various artistic competition achievements, Fellow was also a jury member at the German Music Instrument Prize..
Record Label
Doctor Heart Music
Together with the cardiologist Prof. Dr. Hubert Seggewiß he founded the record label DOCTOR HEART MUSICin 2014. Their defined goal is it to grant the artists absolute freedom and the optimum conditions to develop and present their projects and recordings at their best. A special focus lies on music out of the following genres: Song, World-music, concert music and Jazz. Experimenting close to musical borderlines is just as welcome as a certain “Pop-Appeal”. Among the artists of DOCTOR HEART MUSIC are established acts like FRIEND ‘N FELLOW, HANDS ON STRINGS and the EUROPEAN GUITAR QUARTET as well as promising newcomers such as ANTOINE BOYER & SAMUELITO and SÖNKE MEINEN.
Thomas Fellow has played more than 3000 concerts in over 30 countries . He was invited to major Classical Concert Series and Festivals as well as to Jazz Festivals, Blues Festivals, World Music Festivals, Pop Festivals, big TV Events, Radio Broadcasts and countless Guitar Festivals
New York City (World Trade Center/Kaufmann Concert Hall/Buttenwieser Hall) • Chicago (Ravinia Festival) • San Francisco (San Francisco Performing Arts Center) • Beijing (China Millenium Park) • Shanghai (Anting New Town Open Air) • New Delhi (Ficci Auditorium) • Kolkata (International Guitar Festival) • Moscow (Tchaikovsky Hall) • St. Petersburg (Glinka Kapelle) • Paris (Elyssees Montmartre) • London (The 100 Club) • Wien (Radiokulturhaus ORF) • Amsterdam (Concertgebouw) • Warsaw (National Philharmonic Hall) • Krakow (Wawel) • Zurich (Blues & Soul Weekend) • Luzern (Lucerne Festival, Blue Balls Festival) • Rom (Festival of the Nations) • Barcelona (Festival de la Porta Ferrada) • Bogotá (Luis Ángel Arango Recital Hall) • Malaysia (Penang Jazz Festival) • Mexico (Monterrey Guitar Festival) • Kuala Lumpur • Budapest (Budapest Guitar Festival) • Bergen (Bergen Music Festival) • Rijeka (Kastav Festival) • Bratislava (Bratislava Jazz Days) • Houston • Tucson • Belo Horizonte • Mumbai • Madras/Chennai • Bangalore • Medellin • Cali • Baranquilla • Belgrad • Budapest • Prag • Liechtenstein • Wrozlaw • Poznan • Gdynia • Toulouse • Lyon • Marseille • Montpellier • Orleans • Avignon • Salzburg • Linz • Innsbruck • Basel • Bern • Genf • Göteborg • Kosice • Mikulov • Dubrovnik
and almost everywhere in Germany including:
Berlin (Philharmonie, Schauspielhaus, Deutsche Oper, Tempodrom) • Leipzig (Gewandhaus, Oper) • München (Gasteig, Muffathalle, Tollwood Festival) • Hamburg (Laeiszhalle, Fabrik, Große Freiheit) • Düsseldorf (Tonhalle) • Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival • MDR Musiksommer • Leverkusener Jazztage • Kunstfest Weimar • Kulturarena Jena • Beethovenfest Bonn • Leipziger Jazztage
He has performed with the following orchestras and musicians:
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Kammerorchester • Orchester mit Solisten der Komischen Oper Berlin • Schweriner Philharmonie • Leipziger Streichquartett
Sabine Meyer • The King’s Singers • Ensemble Amarcord
Tommy Emmanuel
Oscar Andrade • Raul Aliaga • Peer Arne Glorvingen
Luther Allison • Bernard Allison • Ray Charles • Al Jarreau • Dee Dee
Bridgewater • Maceo Parker • Simply Red
Dates
Oktober 2024
11 Okt MÜNSTER (D)
Hot Jazz Club fnf
25 Okt TYCHY (PL)
Guitar Festival fnf
28 Okt GROSSRÖHRSDORF (Sachsen – D)
Schulkonzert "Welt der Gitarre" hos
30-3 Okt TOUR ZUR NEUEN CD – EUROPEAN GUITAR QUARTET
FOURTUNE – TOUR TBA tf
31 Okt RAVENSBURG (D)
Großer Festsaal Weißenau – European Guitar Quartet tf
November 2024
1 Nov RAVENSBURG (D)
Masterclasses (European Guitar Quartet) tf
7 Nov LEIPZIG (D)
Messe (no tickets available) fnf
8 Nov KASSEL (D)
Theaterstübchen fnf
9 Nov KELLINGHUSEN (D)
Ulmenhofschule fnf
11-17 Nov TOUR ZUR NEUEN CD – EUROPEAN GUITAR QUARTET
FOURTUNE – TOUR TBA tf
12 Nov PRAG (CZ)
Doupe with European Guitar Quartet NO TICKETS AVAILABLE tf
13 Nov PRAG (CZ)
Doupe with European Guitar Quartet NO TICKETS AVAILABLE tf
16 Nov WERNIGERODE (D)
Konzerthaus mit dem EGQ tf
29 Nov LÜDENSCHEID (D)
Jazzclub fnf
30 Nov FRÖNDENBERG/RUHR (D)
Kettenschmiede fnf
Dezember 2024
5 Dez FREIBURG (D)
Konzerthaus (INAKUSTIK präsentiert Audiovector Trapez) fnf
Januar 2025
10 Jan GÖRLITZ (D)
Apollo Theater hos
18 Jan WERNIGERODE (D)
Konzerthaus fnf
25 Jan WERMELSKIRCHEN (D)
Kattwinkelsche Fabrik fnf
30-3 Jan CARDIFF (GB)
Masterclasses Royal Welsh College Of Music (tbc) tf
Februar 2025
7 Feb VECHTA (D)
Gulfhaus – Doppelkonzert mit Jule Malischke fnf
21 Feb NORDENHAM (D)
Jahnhalle fnf
28 Feb SAALFELD (D)
Schier Optik hos
März 2025
12 Mä LEIPZIG (D)
Messe (Eröffnung – no tickets available) fnf
13-23 Mä TOUR ZUR NEUEN CD – EUROPEAN GUITAR QUARTET
FOURTUNE – TOUR TBA tf
14 Mä EINBECK (D)
Esel (European Guitar Quartet) tf
15 Mä BAD RODACH (D)
Gitarrenfestival (European Guitar Quartet) tf
29 Mä BERLIN (D)
Petruskirche fnf
April 2025
25-30 Apr YEREVAN (ARMENIA)
Masterclasses and Lectures and premiers planned tf
Mai 2025
10 Mai NECKARGEMÜND (D)
E-Werk fnf
11 Mai WINTERTHUR (CH)
ESSE Musicbar fnf
17 Mai WESENSTEIN (b. PIRNA – D)
Festival fnf
Juli 2025
15-19 Jul PETRER (SPAIN)
Festival with European Guitar Quartet (tbc) tf
26 Jul HERSBRUCK (D)
Open Air fnf
August 2025
24-31 Aug MONNEREN (F)
Kurs Stimme/Gitarre (komplett) fnf
September 2025
5 Sep BONN (D)
Harmonie fnf
24 Sep DECIN (CZ)
Concert Hall (with European Guitar Quartet) tf
27 Sep LEIPZIG (D)
Moritzbastei fnf
Oktober 2025
10 Okt KÜHLUNGSBORN (D)
Kunsthalle fnf
11 Okt SCHWERIN (D)
Speicher fnf
November 2025
7 Nov DARMSTADT (D)
Gitarrentage hos
8 Nov SAALFELD (D)
Jazzfestival fnf
15 Nov BAD WÜNNENBERG
Aatalhaus fnf
19-30 Nov CHINA
Tour Hands On Strings (by Fingerstyle China – dates tba) hos
Dezember 2025
6 Dez FRÖNDENBERG/RUHR (D)
Kettenschmiede hos
Equipment
Classical Guitar (Garcia Model) by MAARTEN VAN GUYSE
vanguyseguitars.com
LARRIVEE – LSV 11
Steelstring (2007)
with a L.R.Baggs I-mix-system
YAIRI CY 62 CE
Nylonstring (1990)
with a stereo pickup system, which can split between bass strings and trebbles – unfortunately no longer available
NATIONAL DUOLIAN
(1934)
THOMAS FELLOW is part of the D’Addario family and uses D’Addario strings exclusively.
CABLES
VOVOX cables
Supported by VOVOX
AMPLIFIER
SEYMORE DUNCAN "TARA" ACOUSTIC AMP
Additional Effects (Reverb)
Lexicon „ALEX“
STUDIO
For recordings he also uses several other guitars, for example:
National: Luther Allisons 1934 National Duolian (an absolute precious gift)
Baritone: Larrivee Baritone BT 60 (supported by Best Acoustics)