Irina Kulikova – Classical Guitarist
“Some of the most sheerly beautiful playing I have ever heard”
Soundboard Magazine
One of the most distinctive voices in classical guitar today, Irina Kulikova is internationally acclaimed for the extraordinary beauty of her tone and the profound emotional presence of her performances. She has appeared at leading festivals and concert halls across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Tokyo’s Musashino Hall, and the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center. In a world shaped by AI and constant distraction, her performances offer something increasingly rare: a sense of stillness and connection.
It’s about the touch
Your finest touch, an enchanting start.
Today’s love in tomorrow’s hearts.
Among Irina Kulikova’s recordings, It’s About the Touch stands as her most personal and independent artistic statement. Recorded with GRAMMY®-winning producer Norbert Kraft. Including the world premiere of Three Night Ballades by Konstantin Vassiliev, dedicated to Irina Kulikova and Feliks Volozhanin.
“Wherever she performs, she plays her way into the hearts of her listeners.”
Luz Leskowitz, Stradivarius violinist
and founder of the Salzburger Schloss Konzerte
Ballade for Beautiful Elena. By the late Victor Kozlov, Irina Kulikova’s first guitar teacher. The music has quietly reached listeners around the world, with millions of streams across digital platforms.
Touch – Passing On the Art of Sound
Beyond her performances, Irina Kulikova is a guiding presence for guitarists worldwide. A dedicated mentor, she shares her artistry through masterclasses that explore sound as a space of attention and stillness.
“With the guitar held against the body, sound becomes direct and tangible. Touch is where musical imagination becomes sound, when movement, breath, attention, and inner hearing come together.”
Whether exploring Bach, Sor, Debussy, Albéniz, Barrios, or contemporary repertoire, she encourages students to cultivate an individual artistic voice and a more attentive way of listening: more honest, more focused, and more deeply connected to the musical imagination of great composers.
