LONG VERSION

(312 words)

Emmanuel Jacob Lacopo is a post-classical guitarist and composer whose work explores what classical music can become in the 21st century. His work moves between performance, composition, improvisation, and technology, creating immersive musical experiences that expand traditional notions of the guitar and its role within contemporary music.

Recognized as one of CBC’s 2023 “30 Under 30 Classical Musicians,” Lacopo has developed an artistic voice that moves freely between musical worlds that do not always intersect. Whether performing on classical guitar, electric guitar, synthesizers, or electronic setups, he approaches music-making as an open-ended process of discovery, using technology not simply to augment the instrument but to change how he plays, composes, and listens.

Lacopo is the artistic director of Il Buio, a Montréal-based post-classical ensemble that brings together guitars, strings, piano, drums, saxophone, and electronics through original compositions. Both Il Buio and his broader work reflect his interest in creating spaces where different musical backgrounds and approaches can exist together without needing to fit neatly into a single genre.

In 2023, Lacopo released Eastman (People Places Records), a reimagining of the music of Julius Eastman for guitar and electronics that was named a CBC “must-hear” recording. In September 2026, he released Dreamscapes & Our Modern Contradictions (Watch That Ends the Night Records), his first full-length album of original music. Developed over several years, the album brings together classical and electric guitar, live electronics, strings, drums, saxophone, synthesizers, and voice, reflecting his interest in the space between acoustic performance, electronic transformation, songwriting, and post-classical music.

Alongside his creative work, Lacopo is an active educator, lecturer, and advocate for new approaches to music-making. He holds degrees from Yale University and McGill University, including a Doctor of Music degree focused on post-classical practice. Through performances, recordings, teaching, and online content, he continues to explore how music can create connections between different communities, practices, and ways of listening.

short version

(169 words)

Emmanuel Jacob Lacopo is a post-classical guitarist, composer, and educator exploring what classical music can become in the 21st century. His work moves between performance, composition, improvisation, and technology, blending classical and electric guitar, live electronics, multi-instrument setups, and contemporary production techniques. He approaches the guitar as a flexible creative tool, using technology not simply to augment the instrument but to change how he plays, composes, and listens.

Recognized as one of CBC’s 2023 “30 Under 30 Classical Musicians,” Lacopo is the artistic director of Il Buio, a Montréal-based post-classical ensemble that brings together guitars, strings, piano, drums, saxophone, and electronics through original compositions.

In 2023, he released Eastman (People Places Records), a reimagining of Julius Eastman’s music for guitar and electronics that was named a CBC “must-hear” recording. His debut album of original music, Dreamscapes & Our Modern Contradictions, was released in September 2026 on Watch That Ends the Night Records. 

Lacopo holds degrees from Yale University and McGill University, including a Doctor of Music focused on post-classical practice.