Julian Bream (1933–2020) is considered one of the most important classical guitarists of the 20th century. With his compelling, emotionally and intellectually profound playing, he convinced leading composers of his time such as Britten, Birtwistle, Henze and Takemitsu to turn to his little-respected, yet compositionally highly demanding instrument. In this way, he ensured that he was perceived by the general music world as what he was: an artist with a guitar. In addition to the enormous expansion of its tonal possibilities and the temporary liberation of the guitar from its niche existence with the help of "new" music, Bream also played a major role as a pioneer on the lute in setting the "early music"movement in motion from the 1950s onwards. Privately a soloist, Bream worked with world-famous musicians such as George Malcolm, Peter Pears and André Previn. However, the fact that as a young piano student he was forbidden to play the guitar within the walls of London's Royal College of Music, or even to bring it there, is an example of the resistance the self-taught musician had to deal with. Nevertheless, he remained unswervingly true to his resolution, which was to lead a life that was at the time - especially for a Cockney-speaking Londoner - basically highly improbable: a life for music, for art and for a place for the guitar in it. The series "SOLO – Porträts und Profile" invites you to get to know the artists of "classical" music. For the first time on the German-language book market, the focus here is on international performers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Each book portrays a musical personality in an accessible and compact form: conductors, soloists and singers. Biographies and careers are presented as well as essential characteristics of individual music-making. A classification of the artistic profile rounds off the well-founded descriptions. The authors of the series are proven experts in their respective fields and come from research and practice.