Strings of Light

Event information

Award-winning guitarist and composer Jon Pickard brings a rare solo performance on his remarkable 23-string harp-guitars — instruments as unusual as they are beautiful. Fresh from major European festivals and a top international composition award, Jon performs entirely solo, shaping every note by hand.
Blending classical roots, folk influences and his own heartfelt pieces, he creates warm, shimmering soundscapes that feel personal and immediate. There’s no trickery — just wood, strings and a lifetime of musicianship. “Weaves a flying carpet on the strings… almost unbelievable, technically and stylistically.” — Akustik Gitarre Magazine.

The show draws you in and makes you really listen, like in the days when music and storytelling went hand in hand. The sound rises and falls, with quiet moments just as powerful as the tunes themselves. It’s absorbing and surprisingly moving — filling the room and giving you a rare chance to switch off and step outside the rush of everyday life.
At the heart of the programme are not 1 but 2 of the rarest instruments in the world, with over 300 years of history, whose origins trace back to early European music-making, yet whose voices still feels startlingly fresh. In Jon Pickard’s hands, the harp-guitars become vessels for atmosphere and narrative, capable of conjuring vast inner landscapes from a single performer. Audiences frequently describe a sense of journey and transformation, captured by BritishTheatre.com: “In Pickard’s hands the ability of the instruments to teleport the listener is breath-taking.”
Emotion runs powerfully throughout the music. Rather than demanding attention, it draws listeners inward, offering moments of reflection, wonder, and a rare depth. The Fine Times Recorder describes the experience as “Beautiful, atmospheric….profoundly emotional and spiritual...You want to close your eyes and let the pictures created by the musician take you.” Each listener is free to discover their own stories within the sound.
Pickard is widely respected on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the foremost harp-guitarists of his generation:
2026, Featured Artist and flagship concert of the 4th European Harp Guitar Festival, Saujon, France
2025, awarded Best Guitar Composition at the Široki Brijeg Guitarist Festival, recognising both his distinctive compositional voice and his mastery of this rare instrument.
2025, Featured Artist, Festival Internacional de las Artes Schmidt & Hallowey 2025, Peruvian online arts festival celebrating originality and innovation.
2023 & 2021, Featured Artist, 22nd & 20th US Harp Guitar Foundation Gathering, North Carolina, USA

2023, Featured Artist, Swaledale International Music Festival, Yorkshire

2019, Featured Artist, Llyn Acoustic Guitar Festival, North Wales