Academic Staff | Orchestral Studies

Dr Sasha Savaloni

Assistant Lecturer

Dr Sasha Savaloni, Guitarist, has attracted widespread acclaim from critics and audiences with his performances praised for their “remarkable command” and “piercing intensity” (Preserve Harmony).

He is regularly active as a soloist and chamber musician and has performed in some of the world's most prestigious venues and festivals including the Wigmore Hall (London), Kings Place (London), Usher Hall (Edinburgh), St Magnus International Festival, Sul Tasto Paris, Festival de la Guitarra de Sevilla amongst many others.
He has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, European Union Youth Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and his playing has been broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 3 in addition to German and American radios.

Winner of numerous awards and prizes, Sasha has achieved widespread recognition most notably as the winner of the Sevilla International Guitar Competition (2018) and the New Elizabethan Award (2022).

Sasha is a passionate advocate of new music and has been regularly active in expanding the guitar repertoire through performing and commissioning new works. To date he has been involved in the premiere of more than thirty new works.
He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and obtained his doctorate from the University of St. Andrews.
In addition to his teaching at the TUDublin Conservatoire, Sasha is a guitar professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He also lectures at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Research/Performance Interests and Expertise:

Sasha has broad research interests across a variety of musical topics, his main areas of expertise include 19th century music practice and performance, as well as idiomatic transcription techniques. Sasha completed his doctorate at the University of St Andrews and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on the ‘Transcription and Performance of Franz Schubert’s Music for Guitar’.
His current research interest includes the impacts of vocal music on instrumental performance. He is also exploring modern guitar notation techniques in Helmut Lachenmann’s Salut für Caudwell.

Professional Affiliations:

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, UK
Publications / Awards / Upcoming Research Outputs / Performances:
Doctoral Thesis
Transcription and performance of Franz Schubert’s music for guitar - University of St Andrews

Awards:

New Elizabethan Award, 2022
Park Lane Group Artist, 2019
1st Prize at the Sevilla International Guitar Competition, 2018
2nd Prize & Audience Award at the Miguel Llobet International Guitar Competition (Barcelona), 2015
2nd Prize Ivor Mairants International Guitar Competition (London), 2015

Past Performances:

Kings Place (London) - 14 May 2025
Scotland-wide Tour - June to July 2025
Lecture at Guitar Foundation of America Symposium [University of Louisville] - 17 to 19 June 2025

Upcoming Recordings:

Solo album - Shakespearean Guitar Music [release TBC]
EP Schubert Lieder (tenor & guitar) [release TBC]