Byron Johnston is a UK based solo guitarist who is gaining increasing acclaim for his arousing performances which showcase his unique brand of acoustic fusion and highly original artistic approach to guitar playing. To see him perform, it is difficult not to notice that he has an almost visceral understanding of the guitar. When he plays, he invokes the kind of music that captures his audience in the heat of the moment, with passionate and dazzling displays of artistry.

Following the release of his album ‘Oceano’, Byron has made a name for himself as a soloist in the UK guitar music scene. It was his debut album that first drew the attention of the programming team at The Royal Albert Hall and led to an invitation to perform as a soloist at The Royal Albert’s Ignite Series of concerts. His music has been described as evocative and passionate, where he fuses his masterful gypsy flamenco guitar technique with influences ranging from classical, fingerstyle and world music.

He began his musical career as the founding member of acoustic Latin band Cuba Libra. Their first album ‘Aviendha’ led to festival performances and radio appearances in the south of England, and with that, the taste of musical success. By 2005, Byron began performing as a solo concert guitarist, making the huge transition from playing in a band to being a successful writer and solo performer. As an original and exciting performer, Byron has seen his career go from strength to strength and he has not looked back since.

Since 2006 Byron has performed on three separate occasions at the renowned Royal Albert Hall, as well as the Queen Elizabeth Hall for The London Guitar Festival in 2007. Later that year he was asked to headline a reunion concert at The Windsor Arts Centre to celebrate the world’s leading finger style guitar player, Tommy Emmanuel. As an in demand session guitar player, Byron has also performed at many music festivals around the UK, including shows associated with MTV, OXFAM, EMI music group as well as live on BBC TV and Radio. His music has also taken him world over, including Italy, France, Spain and the Caribbean.

At present, Byron is busy working on two further albums, due for release in 2009. The first album is a duet record with solo violinist Anna Phoebe (Jethro Tull/Trans Siberian Orchestra) which is being produced by James McMillan (Myleene Klass, Russell Watson, Van Morrison). Both Anna and Byron have played together on several occasions, tantalizing audience with things to come and the album is a hotly anticipated release for 2009, promising to be a passionate, exciting and dynamic collaboration inspired by today’s classical crossover genre. He will further this with another solo album and follow up to his 2007 debut Oceano