Professor Allan Neave
The Guitar Department at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is among the foremost in Europe, attracting top students from Britain and indeed all over the world. Over the last ten years it has seen a production line of top-class and prizewinning talent, under the aegis of Allan Neave.
Allan is one of Scotland’s leading classical guitarists, and is Professor of Guitar at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he plays a central role in fostering the development of so many fine young musicians. Allan is a master of tone production and technical control, and is a hugely expressive musician. He is also an energetic promoter of the instrument through his work with Glasgow’s Big Guitar Weekend.
Allan Neave / guitar
Allan Neave studied classical guitar at the then RSAMD, RNCM and finally with the Great Spanish master – José Tomas in Alicante. Since this time he has been a regular guest at many of the world’s leading musical festivals including the Edinburgh International, St Magnus, Cheltenham, Lorient, Iserlohn International Guitar Festivals, as well as performances at Tartan Week, New York in 2012. He is a regular guest at many of the worlds leading musical events and has worked with many influential musicians including Nikita Koshkin, David Fennessy, Hans Werner Henze, Gordon McPherson and Stephen Dodgson.
To date, his career has been an eclectic one, from recording his acclaimed debut CD in 1997 to the emotional journey of ‘The Island Tapes’, South American tours both in solo and with new music group Psappha, an East Coast tour of Australia with SCO Principal flautist Alison Mitchell and a farewell concert with Tetra Guitar Quartet in Germany 2015. Past highlights have included many performances of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with some of the UK’s leading ensembles – Royal Scottish National Orchestra/ Northern Sinfonia/ Scottish Chamber Orchestra. In 2011 he collaborated with Scottish Bard – Don Paterson, recording the soundtrack for a film documentary about the late great Scottish painter, John Bellany.
During his 30 year career, Allan was the Artistic Director of the Dundee International Guitar Festival for over 20 years and since 2010 has led RCS’s ‘ Big Guitar Weekend’ a winter event for all matters guitar! In 2000, he received the Scotland on Sunday Glenfiddich ® Spirit of Scotland Award for Music; these awards were set up to recognise individuals who lead the way in Scottish culture. He was also awarded his Professorship from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for contribution to the musical landscape of our country.
Allan is currently Head of Guitar and Harp at RCS, he plays Michael Gee guitars and is a D’Addario, New York sponsored artist.
2025m Students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Are as follows :-.
Alexander Krylov
Alexander Krylov is a classical guitarist from Dublin, Ireland. After studying with Andrii Kryzhanivskii, and Marco Ramelli in the TUD Junior Conservatoire, he moved to Glasgow to study in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Alexander has taken part in many international competitions such as the Tino Andersen Guitar Competition 2024, CGR Festival competition in 2024, and Florence Guitar Festival 2020. He is currently working on a duo project with guitarist Luke Anderson, and a new programme for the next year of competitions.
Yuliia Makarenko
My name is Yuliia Makarenko and growing up in Kharkiv, Ukraine with my family, meant I was surrounded by musicians from an early age, leading to me becoming interested in music. Music has always been my main passion and primary interest. I dreamt of playing the guitar for many years and when I turned 10, I enrolled in the music school. There, I got my basic skills of guitar and in 2021 year I entered in music college in Kharkiv.
Currently, I am a third-year student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the prospects this institution has in store are very exciting for me and my future career in music.
Mostly, my guitar repertoire is classical, but I enjoy playing contemporary, jazz, blues rock, folk music as well. I devote all my time to the guitar, but when I have inspiration and time, my hobby is dancing.
Daria Druzenko
Daria Druzenko is a Bachelor of Music student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and an accomplished classical guitarist. A graduate of a professional music college, she is now expanding her career as both a performer and a guitar teacher.
Beyond her studies at RCS, Daria has a deep passion for symphony orchestras, exploring their rich soundscapes through writing, photography, and performance. She plays a remarkable Scottish guitar, crafted in 2014 by luthiers Mark Burnet and Michael Ritchie, which continues to inspire her musical journey.