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Wednesday 25th February 2026, 7:30pm 
Westminster Theatre, Chancellor’s Building, Keele University 
Mela Guitar Quartet 

 Described by Gramophone as possessing “collective technical brilliance and preternatural ensemble making,” the quartet has released three acclaimed albums: the complete guitar quartets of Anthony Burgess, the complete guitar chamber works of Stephen Dodgson (both on Naxos), and their self-released recording Pluck, Strum, and Hammer! 

Their performance highlights include appearances at Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room, Kings Place, Barbican Centre’s Milton Court, St. George’s Bristol, Westminster Abbey, and even Jimi Hendrix’s bedroom. In 2019, they toured China with eight concerts in major venues such as Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre and Tianjin Grand Theatre, and in 2025 they will tour the United States as part of their GFA prize. 

Formed in 2015 by graduates of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Academy of Music, the quartet has earned recognition as International Guitar Festival Young Artists, Park Lane Group Young Artists, and Royal Over-Seas League chamber music finalists. In 2023, Michael Butten and Zahrah Hutton joined founding members Matthew Robinson and George Tarlton, bringing fresh energy to the ensemble. 

Mela continues to push the boundaries of guitar ensemble music, commissioning and premiering works by leading composers including Laura Snowden (My Clock is Broken!, The Emperor’s New Clothes), Michael Finnissy (Albion on the Road to Hell), and Stephen Goss (Venezuela). Their adventurous spirit and artistic excellence make them one of the most exciting guitar ensembles performing today. 

Programme: 

“Bacchanale” from Samson and Delilah (Arr. Bovey) Camille Saint-Saëns  (1835 - 1921) 

Deux Arabesques (Arr. Tarlton) Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918) 

Fugal Overture (Arr. Tarlton) Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934) 

Mother Goose Suite (Arr. Robinson) Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937) 
III. Laideronnette, Impératrice des pagodes  
V. Le Jardin Féerique 

Overture from Ruslan and Ludmilla (Arr. Tarlton)Mikhail Glinka (1804 - 1857)  

- Intermission - 

Hansel and Gretel Overture (Arr. Tarlton)Engelbert Humperdinck (1854 - 1921)  

My Clock is Broken! (2019) Laura Snowden (b. 1989) 

Opals (1995) - Black Opal, Water Opal, White Opal Phillip Houghton (1954 - 2017) 

Polka Italienne (Arr. Tarlton/Gryaznov) Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) 

My Neighbour Totoro Suite (Arr. Bovey) Joe Hisaishi (b. 1950) 

Tickets £16

Students and 16 and under go FREE

PARKING & HOW TO FIND US: Parking is free on campus after 5pm on a weekday and during the weekend. During a week day parking is limited on campus and restricted to P&D parking located outside the Student Union building during the daytime (until 5pm).  
Campus map here: https://www.keele.ac.uk/about/howtofindus/maps/keele-campus-map.pdf 
The Westminster Theatre is located in Building 54 on this map, the car park is C3 during the evening and at weekends and and P&D during weekdays.  

ACCESS: Chancellor's Building is fully accessible. There are a number of disabled parking bays in close proximity on C3 car park. There is ramped and flat access from the car park.