Simon Davies and Nicholas Lee began playing guitar together in 1992 whilst studying classical guitar with Gordon Crosskey, John Williams and Craig Ogden at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.
The Arada Guitar Duo have performed in numerous concerts across the UK including venues such as the Free Trade Hall (Manchester), St. James' Piccadilly (London) and the Barber Institute (Birmingham). They are increasingly in demand at festivals, concert series and music societies. The duo have performed on BBC radio and were finalists in the Landor Competition 2005.
Their recent recording of original duos from the 19th century "Grand Duo" was released in 2006 and is available on the Landor Records label. With works from Coste, Giuliani, Mertz and Sor, it features music rarely heard either on disc or in concert. Broadcasts have included BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. In 1998 the duo recorded works for the Telstar Records CD release "Guitar Serenade" to much acclaim.
As a soloist Simon Davies has won several music competitions including the Chiltern Radio Young Musician of the Year and performed widely, culminating in him being the representative for the UK in the European Young Musicians' Concert in Brussels. He also plays in a successful jazz/classical guitar duo with the Sardinian jazz guitarist Giorgio Serci and in 2001 released their debut CD "Lo Scenario".
Nicholas Lee plays regularly for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and on tour. Having performed in some of the country's top concert halls including Birmingham's Symphony Hall, Manchester's Free Trade Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank, he now also plays in a new project featuring original music for two steel strung acoustic guitars.
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