Once Around the Sun
An unprecedented collection of 365 solo guitar works, Once Around the Sun draws together the full breadth of the classical guitar tradition, including historical forms, cultural idioms, and traditional études.
by Michael Knopf
"Knopf is no ordinary musician. Each composition is a like a tiny masterpiece, a musical gem..."
Prof. Apostolos Paraskevas | Beklee College of MusicFirst Prize Award
"Music for the Dark Hours for Two Guitars"
has been awarded 1st Prize at the 2025 Varia International Guitar Festival
Varia, GreeceAn unprecedented collection of 365 solo guitar works, Once Around the Sun draws together the full breadth of the classical guitar tradition, including historical forms, cultural idioms, and traditional études.
Around the Sun
by Michael Knopf
"Knopf is no ordinary musician. Each composition is a like a tiny masterpiece, a musical gem..."
Prof. Apostolos Paraskevas | Beklee College of MusicFirst Prize Award
"Music for the Dark Hours for Two Guitars"
has been awarded 1st Prize at the 2025 Varia International Guitar Festival
Varia, Greece
Once Around the Sun
Complete 12 Volume Collection
Use promo code FULLSET199 to get $50 off
Get Your DiscountOnce Around the Sun is conceived as a meaningful resource for musicians and educators seeking to expand the classical guitar canon with new repertoire that is both pedagogically robust and artistically rich.
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Once Around the Sun is a valuable collection for performers, teachers, and students with every piece exploring technique, style and aesthetic.
The Complete Collection is being released as a series of twelve volumes of 30-31 pieces in the coming months.
The Concert Platform Series consists of professional level solos, duos, and suites.
The Resonance Series features works focusing on lush harmony and melody at a tranquil pace.
The Etude Series provides studies with varying learning approaches to style, technique and expression.
Duende – Flamenco Fantasies for Solo Guitar
$30.00For Solo Guitar © 2025A collection of eight Flamenco-inspired pieces for contemporary classical guitar.
Duende – Flamenco Fantasies for Solo Guitar
$30.00For Solo Guitar © 2025A collection of eight Flamenco-inspired pieces for contemporary classical guitar.Add to Cart
Clouds and Mountains – for Violin & Guitar (score only)
$19.50Contemporary concert music for violin and guitar inspired by the dynamic movements, shapes and colours of clouds and the summits of great peaks.
Clouds and Mountains – for Violin & Guitar (score only)
$19.50Contemporary concert music for violin and guitar inspired by the dynamic movements, shapes and colours of clouds and the summits…Add to Cart
The Conditions of Being Human (part 1) Suite for Solo Guitar
$28.00A 4 piece suite for solo guitar inspired by humanity’s “art-of-being”; powerful music filled with colour and emotion.
The Conditions of Being Human (part 1) Suite for Solo Guitar
$28.00A 4 piece suite for solo guitar inspired by humanity's "art-of-being"; powerful music filled with colour and emotion.Add to CartCirrus, Wind & White – for Guitar & Mandolin (score & parts)
$25.00New music for concert mandolin and guitar inspired by the majesty of mountain and sky.
Cirrus, Wind & White – for Guitar & Mandolin (score & parts)
$25.00New music for concert mandolin and guitar inspired by the majesty of mountain and sky.Add to Cart
Under the Open Sky – suite for solo guitar
$24.00This suite contains the three works from Once Around the Sun entitled Joy, Radiance and Bravura. The music is animated and rich in motif and idea.
Under the Open Sky – suite for solo guitar
$24.00This suite contains the three works from Once Around the Sun entitled Joy, Radiance and Bravura. The music is animated…Add to CartStellarium for Solo Guitar
$20.00For Solo Guitar © 2025A new, evocative concert work shaped by colourful gestures within an austere landscape of sound and silence.
Stellarium for Solo Guitar
$20.00For Solo Guitar © 2025A new, evocative concert work shaped by colourful gestures within an austere landscape of sound and silence.Add to Cart
About the Composer
Knopf’s unique compositional voice blends the elegance of classical guitar with the rhythmic flair of jazz, the hypnotic repetition of minimalism, the colour of world music, and the introspective textures of modernist traditions.
Every piece in the OATS collection is an invitation to explore, to challenge, and to feel.
About Michael
About the Project
Once Around the Sun is a groundbreaking collection of 365 original works for classical guitar by composer and guitarist Dr Michael D. Knopf.
This extensive body of work invites guitarists of all levels into a richly diverse musical journey, one that spans genres, aesthetics, and technical challenges.
About the ProjectTestimonials
Let's connect
If you have any questions about the music or the project, please get in touch.
The compositions in Once Around the Sun are licensed for personal and individual professional use only. Unauthorized distribution, resale, or sharing is prohibited. Arrangements require prior written consent from the composer.
