Biography

Mark is stunning audiences with his beautiful sound, wonderful phrasing and his unique attention to detail.

As recently commented by Classical Guitar magazine;

"Ashford's playing possesses such clarity and underlying adherence to the sense of structure of the music, as to render the innate difficulties of the guitar a long forgotten trouble that need no longer concern us."

Born in Northampton,  England Mark began his formal musical training at Chetham's School of Music studying the guitar with Gordon Crosskey. He then went on to study with Michael Lewin as a scholarship student at the Royal Academy of Music, London from where he graduated in 1993 with first class honours, the Julian Bream Guitar prize and awards from the Principal. The following year Mark continued his studies with the renowned British guitarist David Russell in Spain thanks to financial awards from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Allcard grants and the Royal Academy of Music.

Mark has been a laureate of several national and international competitions, including BBC Radio Two's Young Musician, South East Arts Music Platform, Guitar Foundation of America, Alessandria International Guitar Competition, Giuliani Guitar Competition, Hungarian International Guitar Competition, Scandinavian International Guitar Competition. 
He has performed as a soloist at many of the UK's most prestigious chamber music venues including, Wigmore Hall-London, Purcell Room-London, Bridgewater Hall-Manchester, Fairfield Halls-Croydon, St. Georges-Bristol and the Queens Hall-Edinburgh. His recitals have been broadcast on BBC Radio 2 & 3, BBC World Service, Classic FM. Performances have also taken him to France, Spain, Italy, Finland, Poland, Holland, Hungary, U.S.A, Cuba and Barbados.

As a concerto soloist Mark has performed with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Concertante and the Turin Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of such eminent conductors as Carl Davis, Christopher Warren-Green, Barry Wordsworth and Ignacio Yepes. His latest recording features Rodrigo's 'Concierto de Aranjuez' with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Cleobury.

Mark is currently head of guitar at the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music, course leader at the IGF, Bath and external examiner for the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama.   In 2003 was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music having achieved distinction in the profession.