These Young Guitarists Are Up to Big Things (2019)

Nicole Cerminara, Adrian Brown, Achmad Satria, Kaspar Jalily, Kazuki Isogai, TJ Whitelaw, Mia Garcia, Justus West, Ashton Sellars

Introducing our second annual list of young guitar players who are up to big things.

Some of the guitarists are well established while others are just getting starting. The common ground between them all is that they've all been stirring up a lot of buzz on Instagram, which is a hotbed for 6-string talent.

Last year in our list, we highlighted Jake Curran, Benjamin Totten, Matt Zara, Tiana Ohara, Ruben Wan, Nicholas Veinoglou, Sus Vásquez – who have all gone on to do incredible things. We can't wait to see what's next for the guitar players below.

Nicole Cerminara

One artist who emerged onto our 2018 radar was Canadian guitarist and singer, Nicole Cerminara. If you follow Instagram guitar accounts you most likely will have seen Nicole's super funky videos. Whether it's blues, funk or fingerstyle, Nicole's playing is always on point. She is one of our favorite new discoveries this year and we're excited to see what 2019 holds for her.

Adrian Brown

So PickUp might have a soft spot for Kiwis but trust us, Adrian Brown is definitely one to watch. At only 19 he has already been noticed by Ernie Ball's young guitarist program and has made a big splash in the Instagram guitar community. Adrian's playing ranges from Tom Misch riffs, to Prog lines, to John Mayer-like loops and grooves. We hope to see Adrian in the US soon. In the meantime, we'll be here enjoying his New Zealand-based videos.

Achmad Satria

This was an easy pick for us. Achmad Satria is one of the most talented musicians we've ever heard and is fast becoming known around the world from his home in Indonesia. Rarely have we heard someone as young as Achmad with such a mature touch and musical feel. There's plenty of younger kids with unbelievable chops but few with as much taste and musicality as Achmad. One to watch out for in 2019, for sure.

Kaspar Jalily

Taste, technique and feel. That's the first few words that come to mind when we think of French guitarist Kaspar Jalily, who's well known among pro musicians and the online guitar community. We're excited to see what 2019 holds for him in Europe and the US.

Kazuki Isogai

Japanese guitarist Kazuki Isogai was a star in 2018, releasing 240 plus fingerstyle grooves and riffs which received huge engagement across Instagram and quickly gaining over 100K followers. Watching a Kazuki Isogai has become a daily routine for us. 2019 will be a big year for him, no doubt.

TJ Whitelaw

Toronto guitarist TJ Whitelaw was another talent to burst onto our radar in 2018. His dimly lit bedroom videos shredding through Gospel and neo-soul lines at a rapid pace had us and hundreds of thousands of musicians spell struck on Instagram. TJ is well known in the Toronto music scene and is quickly establishing a name for himself both online and in Los Angeles. And, he released a PickUp Music master class: How to Shred (Tastefully) on Guitar. It's one of our most popular yet.

Mia Garcia

With only a few video posts on Instagram, Mia Garcia has quickly built a large following and was one of our favorite new artists to discover in 2018. Even if you're not already following her, you've most likely seen her fingerstyle neo-soul videos on your discover page. We're excited to see more from Mia in 2019 and beyond.

Justus West

One of the most talented and soulful guitarists at the moment is LA-based Justus West. He has performed with artists including the late Mac Miller, Snoop Dogg, Ty Dolla Sign, and Vince Gill. His Instagram is a stream of inspiration for aspiring guitarists and music fans. 2018 was a huge year for Justus and we can't wait to see what's next.

Ashton Sellars

We've known about New Zealand guitarist Ashton Sellars' incredible playing for a while, so it was great to see him receive more recognition in 2018. Ashton's virtuosic Neo-Soul jams were some of the most viral and well-received posts on pickupjazz in 2018. We're excited to hear more from him and we bet this is just the start.

Who did we miss?

Reach out to us on Instagram if you know of any super talented guitarists deserving of wider recognition.