Igor Klokov and Hao Yang receive the 2026–27 GSI Foundation classical-guitar scholarships
The two classical guitarists have been named the newest scholarship recipients at USC Thornton, extending a program focused specifically on advanced classical-guitar study.
Sep 5, 2026
Credit: Guitar Salon International (via source)
Guitar Salon International announced on September 3 that Igor Klokov and Hao Yang are the 2026–27 recipients of the GSI Foundation Classical Guitar Scholarship at the USC Thornton School of Music.
Klokov studied in Brno and Mainz and has won more than twenty international competitions, including first prizes in Koblenz and Belgrade. The award places two active concert-level players inside a scholarship program built specifically around the next generation of classical guitar study.
It is a smaller story than a major product launch, but exactly the kind of classical-guitar development that can disappear from a general guitar-news feed dominated by electric gear and rock artists.
Credit: HEM - Haute école de musique de Genève (via source)
Igor Klokov performing
Credit: Astral Artists (via source)
Hao Yang performing
Why it matters
The scholarship is a concrete investment in elite classical-guitar education and surfaces two players whose careers are developing across the international competition and conservatory circuit.
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