Born in 1954, French guitarist Gérard Abiton began his international concert career at the age of 20. He has toured throughout Europe, Canada, Mexico, Africa and the Middle East. In addition to his solo recitals, he has performed in numerous chamber ensembles and appeared with orchestras, including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Manchester Sinfonia, the Orchestre Symphonique du Rhin, the Orchestre de Chambre J-F. Paillard and Harmonia Nova. His own transcriptions of works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods have considerably enlarged his solo repertoire.

Abiton was self-taught until he was 16 when he entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. There he studied with Alexandre Lagoya. In the 1980s, he attended master classes with Abel Carlevaro and Andrès Segovia and went on to win Geneva’s 37th International Competition, the Concours International d’ Exécution Musicale and earned the Geneva Association’s Artist-Musicians Award for his outstanding interpretation of Swiss composer Frank Martin’s Quatre Pièces Brèves.

He has several CD recordings and is presently completing his current project — the guitar works of Manuel Maria Ponce. The first three volumes have been released and received outstanding critical review. The last volume, with Concierto del Sur, is currently being prepared.

"He is one of the rare guitarist of exceptional standards, whose course forces admiration. Gérard Abiton in concert is a very special moment."—Guitare Classique

“Abiton’s talent brings together moments of drunkenness and moments of dream, offering an incredible variety of colors and nuances.” —Le Pays de Montbeliard