Craig Ogden

Described by BBC Music Magazine as ‘A worthy successor to Julian Bream’, the Grammy-nominated guitarist Craig Ogden is one of the most diverse and successful guitarists of his generation. Craig has performed concertos with many of the world’s finest orchestras including all the major orchestras in the UK and is the most sought-after guitarist for chamber music in the country. He has topped classical charts with his five Classic FM albums and his array of more than 30 recordings for major labels have been critically acclaimed. Craig has featured on many soundtracks for film and television, and presented programmes for BBC Radio 3, BBC Northern Ireland, and ABC Classic FM in Australia.

Born in Perth in Australia, Craig studied guitar from the age of seven and percussion from the age of 13. His undergraduate studies at the University of Western Australia were followed by two postgraduate years at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, and upon graduation he was immediately appointed as a staff member. In 2004, Craig became the youngest instrumentalist to receive a Fellowship Award from the RNCM.

One of the UK’s most recorded guitarists, Craig has accumulated an acclaimed discography for Chandos, Virgin/EMI, Nimbus, Hyperion, Sony and five chart-topping albums for Classic FM. Recent recordings include a solo recital disc for Chandos, Craig Ogden in Concert, a new arrangement of the Goldberg Variations by J S Bach with violinist David Juritz and cellist Tim Hugh for Nimbus which has amassed more than 3 million streams on Spotify, Environments II guitar concerto by the Irish composer Greg Caffrey with the Ulster Orchestra and Dancing with Piazzolla with the London Tango Quintet, released in February 2024 and selected as album of the week by BBC Radio 3. In October 2025, Craig will be releasing a new recording on Chandos with the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet, of which he is now a regular member.

Numerous composers have written works specially for him and he has recently given world première performances including a concerto by Greg Caffrey with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast (recorded for BBC Radio 3); a concerto written for him by William Lovelady with the English Chamber Orchestra for Music in Country Churches with HM The King in attendance, followed by its London première at Cadogan Hall, and a concerto written for him by David Knotts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London with the BBC Concert Orchestra (recorded for BBC Radio 3 and filmed for BBC4 TV).

Craig gives classes and workshops to students in the UK and internationally as part of his commitment to promote the classical guitar and holds an annual residential course at Hawkwood College in the Cotswolds. In January 2025, Craig was invited to give masterclasses and recitals at Nelson Guitar Festival in New Zealand.

Craig Ogden is Director of Guitar at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Adjunct Fellow of the University of Western Australia, Associate Artist at The Bridgewater Hall and Director of the Dean & Chadlington Summer Music Festival. Craig Ogden plays a 2011 Greg Smallman guitar, and strings made by D’Addario.