BIOGRAPHY

Photo by Aiga Ozo

"An exceptional recital....technically brilliant, musically exquisite and mature...."

- Andrew McCrea

“...fresh musicality that mixes elegant playing with contrasting extroverted risk...”

- Bradford Werner, This is Classical Guitar

"...Young artists Flauguissimo Duo shine at IGF Guitar Summit. They gave a fine performance that held our attention throughout."

- Theresa Wassily Saba, Classical Guitar Magazine

"Pristine accuracy and musical integrity....strong emotional intensity and the final theme (of Britten's Nocturnal) was sublime."

- Chris Stell

“Excellent theorbo playing.”

- National Centre for Early Music, York

"Flautist Yu-Wei Hu was sublime and her handling of Gluck and Paganini, accompanied sensitively by guitarist Johan Löfving was my personal highlight..."

-Tom Rhodes, Early Music Today

“...magical playing...”

- Classical Guitar Magazine


Since being a prize winner in the prestigious London International Guitar Competition, Swedish Johan Löfving has established himself as one of the most exciting musicians of a new generation. As a guitarist and theorbo player, his performances have taken him to some of the world's finest concert halls such as Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, The Sage Gateshead, Wiener Saal Salzburg and Konzertsaal der Wiener Sängerknaben in Vienna. Additionally, he has appeared in major festivals including Lammermuir, King's Lynn, Stratford-on-Avon, Brighton Early Music Festival, Bath Guitar Festival, Saxå Chamber Music Festival, Styriarte Festival Graz and Carinthischer Sommer in Villach, Austria.

Since 2009, Johan has been performing regularly with his wife, flautist Yu-Wei Hu as Flauguissimo Duo. They have specialized in 18th and early 19th century repertoire and its exciting blend of spontaneous musical conversations and sublime beauty. The musical experience is heightened by their use of period instruments and Johan is particularly fond of his beautifully ornamented French guitar dating back to 1850.

Apart from his long term work with Flauguissimo Duo, he has worked with some of the finest musicians, such as baritone Thomas Guthrie, tenor Rob Murray, Barokksolistene and pianist David Owen Norris who invited him to take part in the 'Playlist Series' on BBC Radio 4. His passion for new music has resulted in several world premieres of both solo and chamber works, notably by the highly acclaimed British composer and guitarist Sam Cave. Johan is also the Artist Director of Northern Star Festival (UK) and Wermland Early Music (Sweden).

Johan graduated with First Class Honours from the Royal College of Music in London where he studied guitar with Gary Ryan, theorbo with Jakob Lindberg and conducting with Natalia Luis-Bassa. At RCM he was awarded both the Guitar Prize and the Hilda Anderson Dean Prize. Later, he completed his studies with Prof. Robert Wolff at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Johan is keen to emphasize the great inspiration he received from his teachers since the very beginning. He started to play at the age of nine at the Music School in Årjäng with Lars Eriksson. From there, he went on to study privately with the distinguished Norwegian Guitar Professor Sven Lundestad and later with Bo Hansson in Stockholm. Later he had the honour to study with legendary Eliot Fisk in Salzburg as part of the Erasmus Exchange Programme. A committed teacher himself, Johan was recently appointed Professor of guitar and theorbo at London Performing Academy of Music, LPMAM.

Johan plays on a guitar made by the Norwegian luthier Yngvar Thomassen, a theorbo by Swedish Lars Jönsson and a French Tribout guitar from 1850.

View Biography in Swedish (Biografi på Svenska)

Photos by Aiga Ozo