Born in Berkshire, Michael Butten studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Michael Lewin. He is the winner of the 2016 Ivor Mairant’s Guitar Award and a Yeoman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. One of Butten’s main interests is British guitar music, and the link between contemporary British guitar music and the music composed for the lute in the renaissance period. He has drawn warm critical acclaim from The Daily Telegraph for his performance of Lennox Berkeley’s guitar works, and has performed the Malcolm Arnold Guitar Concerto numerous times with the Berkeley Ensemble, as well as recording Malcolm Arnold’s Serenade with the Chamber Ensemble of London. He is currently preparing a solo recording devoted to the music of John Dowland.