Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle is an Australian classical guitarist and lutenist based in Brisbane. She began her guitar studies with Dr. Paul Svoboda at Loreto College in Brisbane before completing a Master’s degree in guitar performance at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg under Prof. Olaf van Gonnissen, supported by a scholarship from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Alongside her solo career, Gallenti-Guilfoyle performs internationally with the Contra Guitar Duo, formed with her partner Hamish Strathdee. She has a particular interest in Renaissance and Baroque repertoire, working on Bach arrangements, Dowland lute songs, and basso continuo on theorbo, and in 2022 contributed to the Green Guitar project, commissioning new works from Australian composers inspired by the climate crisis.

Sources:

• https://www.emmashay.com/bio