Irene Ketikidi is a guitarist and composer known for her work in instrumental rock, progressive music, and contemporary guitar performance. A graduate of London’s Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP), she first gained wider attention after performing her composition “Rambler” at Steve Vai’s Guitar Nation Masterclass in London in 2010. This appearance helped establish her reputation as a technically skilled and expressive lead guitarist. Ketikidi released her debut album Martial Arts and Magic Tricks in 2013. The record attracted significant attention within the guitar community and received praise from established players such as Guthrie Govan, Greg Howe, Nita Strauss, and David Kilminster. Her work was featured in Young Guitar Magazine in the “Heroines of Now” column, as well as in publications including Guitar World, Guitar Interactive, and Guitar Girl Magazine. The album’s reception led to her first major support slots and increased media visibility. Her second album, A Sky For All, released in 2018, showcased a shift toward melodic and atmospheric composition. The record incorporated layered arrangements and a progressive rock sensibility. In 2019, Ketikidi opened Nick Johnston’s solo show in Athens and later appeared as a guest during Nita Strauss’s performance at the Chance Theater in New York. In late 2023, Ketikidi released the progressive metal single “MAGGOTS” and performed with her solo band at the Guitar Experience Festival, an instrumental guitar event that sold out. A live recording from this performance went viral shortly after its release, surpassing 1.4 million views on YouTube within the first week. Following this success, she co‑directed and produced subsequent editions of the Guitar Experience Festival, helping to bring together a wide community of guitar enthusiasts and emerging performers.
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Snake Eyes
Wax on Wax Off
Stardust
Catch
Matt
In the Machine
Brilliance
Stage 2: Distance
Hide & Shake
Rambler
Live at Piraeus Club Academy 2023