Stephen Gordon is one of the most active and diverse guitarists working in the UK today.  His activities encompass guitar performance and teaching, conducting and coaching guitar ensembles, orchestral and choral conducting, music publishing and Arch Lute continuo work.

Stephen taught guitar and conducted guitar ensembles at Dartington College from 1982 - 2002 (giving  the European premiere of Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint with the college guitar ensemble) and Exeter University from 1995 - 2005.  He has also conducted guitar ensemble classes at the Welsh College of Music and Drama, Tilburg and Groningen Conservatoires (Holland) and from 1993 - 2002 at the Internationally renowned Iserlohn Guitar Symposium.   Stephen has given solo recitals at festivals in the UK, Holland, France and Germany.

Stephen founded  and directed the Prussia Cove Guitar Seminar, the pioneering Summer School for guitar and guitar ensemble.  The 10th anniversary of the Seminar was celebrated  by commissioning Stephen Dodgson to compose a substantial work - The Selevan Story - for guitar duo, flute, violin and guitar orchestra.  This work was premiered in Penzance, conducted by the composer, with Stephen Gordon and Gerald Garcia as guitar soloists.  Further performances were given at the Dartington International Summer School and Iserlohn Guitar Symposium after which Stephen Gordon went on to conduct it in Holland before recording the work along with the majority of Stephen Dodgson’s guitar ensemble output .

In 1994 Stephen founded ESG Music to publish Stephen’s guitar ensemble arrangements of orchestral music.  This has now  developed into a substantial catalogue of music, used by guitar ensembles worldwide with arrangements ranging from Mozart for guitar trio to complete baroque concertos for 10 guitars.  ESG music also publishes the ‘Don’t Press Too Hard’ series, the popular guitar tutor by Stephen Gordon and David Cottam.

Stephen was associate lecturer of music at Exeter College from 1995 - 2003.   During this period he conducted Teignmouth Choral Society, Exeter College Choir, Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. Under his directorship the chamber orchestra was invited on three occasions to perform in the Royal Festival Hall as part of the Music For Youth Festival.   Stephen also works playing continuo on Arch lute and  has developed workshops for classical guitarists introducing baroque improvisation and the realisation of figured bass.