Michael Butten

The British guitarist Michael Butten studied at the Junior Royal Academy of Music, London. In his first year he won the Julian Bream Prize, adjudicated by Julian Bream, and, when leaving the Academy he was awarded the David Russell Prize. On completing his BMus degree with 1st class honours, he received the Regency Awards for Notable Achievement and in 2014, as a postgraduate with a scholarship from Help Musicians UK, he became the first guitarist ever to win the RAM Club Prize. He was the 1st prize winner at the 2016 Ivor Mairants Guitar Award, and is a Yeoman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. Recent successes include 1st prize at the Pleven Guitar Competition 2018 and at Leicester Musicfest 2018, as well as his BBC Radio 3 debut solo recital at St Magnus International Festival in Orkney.
Of particular interest to Butten is the neglected guitar music of British composers, which has resulted in Butten premièring works by prominent British composers such as Errolyn Wallen and a piece dedicated to him by Timothy Bowers, Elegy: Hommage to Dowland.