Profile

Robert Castellani, UK ‘Guitarist of the Year’ Grand Finalist in 2002 and 2003 is renowned as one of the country’s ‘best young guitarists’. 2010 sees the release of his first eagerly anticipated CD plus recordings with singer Anna Pancaldi.

Initially an electric guitarist, Robert cut his teeth in bands around Ipswich covering his favourite artists like Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. Still only 22 years old, he has recently directed his attention to the acoustic guitar and has started composing music for the instrument. He has also composed music for classical groups like the Angel Piano Trio and Sankorfa Percussion Quartet.

His work with Anna Pancaldi sees his songwriting skills come to the fore and presents his influences from artists like Jeff Buckley and Michael Hedges. The songs are often in altered guitar tunings and show maturity beyond his years, both in compositional style and the lyrical content. “The music is designed to create an atmosphere”, states Robert. “There is great connection between the musicians and the audience at shows and we always leave the stage on a high.” His unique brand of alternative folk certainly makes his music stand out from the crowd.

As a solo artist, Robert is steadily gaining recognition. His solo tunes for the acoustic guitar have been compared to the likes of modern virtuosos Andy McKee and Thomas Leeb. His broad range of techniques like right hand tapping and percussion on the guitar whilst playing have gained him over a quarter of a million views on YouTube and exposed his music all over the globe. His skills have been recognised by music companies Roland and Elixir Strings, both of which are his primary sponsors.

Colchester based Anna Pancaldi comes from a jazz and soul background and is a solo performer in her own right. With a natural warmth to her voice, a mesmerising sound graces the audience at live shows. Classically trained, she is capable of a huge range of styles and is thoroughly sought after, both for live and studio work.

Their latest EP entitled ‘Covers’, features stunning renditions of tunes from the likes of Nina Simone and Ben Harper and is available at their live shows and soon from the Ambiel Music label website - http://www.ambielmusic.com.

Further recordings are scheduled for release later this year.