More than 100 artists from around 20 countries will perform at the 12th Guitar Art Festival, which will be held in Belgrade on February 8-13, it was announced at a press conference in the Belgrade City Assembly on Wednesday.

Besides a total of six concert evenings, there will also be competitions for young guitarists in six age groups. Of a total of 70 contestants, 40 are coming from Serbia.

Noted professors and guitar virtuosos will hold a number of master classes, and the festival will also feature the second Guitar Art Expo music fair at the Continental Hotel on February 10-13, where guitar builders and manufacturers will be able to present their craft and products.

This year's Guitar Art will attempt to get back to the classical music roots under the slogan 'Inside'.

The festival will be opened at the Kolarac Foundation Hall by the quartet Los Romeros, founded by famous guitarist Pepe Romero.

The press conference was addressed by State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture Snezana Stojanovic-Plavsic, City Secretary for Culture Ivana Avzner and representatives of the diplomatic corps in Serbia from the embassies of China, Brazil, Spain and the Italian Cultural Center, who spoke about the support to the Guitar Art Festival.

The beginning of work of the Arts festivals alliance of Serbia (SEFA), which was established at the initiative of Jugokoncert Director Biljana Zdravkovic, was also presented at the conference.

Guitar Art Festival is a member of Jugokoncert, an organization in charge of much of the music-and-stage activity in Serbia's capital.