About us
Volt Duo is an award-winning classical guitar duo formed by Gus McQuade (UK) and Gonçalo Maia Caetano (Portugal), based in London. Their repertoire spans centuries and styles, with a particular focus on their own bespoke arrangements — from Pat Metheny and Jean-Philippe Rameau to Alexander Scriabin — alongside works by composers such as Sergio Assad, Manuel de Falla, The Beatles, and more.
The pair began collaborating in 2018 while studying at the Royal Academy of Music, performing together in guitar duos, quartets, and chamber ensembles before officially forming Volt Duo in 2022. Since then, they have performed extensively at festivals and venues across the UK and Europe, including the Llantwit Major Chamber Music Festival and City Music Society, and were prize-winners at the Lagoa International Guitar Competition in Portugal.
Individually, Gus is a New Elizabethan Award winner and City Music Foundation Young Artist, with appearances at Wigmore Hall, the Purcell Room, and St Martin-in-the-Fields. Gonçalo has received several international prizes, including the prestigious Prince’s Prize, and is set to perform Malcolm Arnold’s Guitar Concerto in a Julian Bream Trust concert at the Royal Academy’s Duke’s Hall.
gonçalo Maia caetano
Gonçalo Maia Caetano is a classical guitarist from Portugal who has concluded his Advanced Diploma course at the Royal Academy of Music with professor Michael Lewin. The guitarist also got a Bachelor of Music Degree (with First Class Honours) and a Master of Arts’ Degree (with DipRAM) there.
Gonçalo has performed in many concerts throughout Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria and United Kingdom. He has performed in renowned venues such as The King’s Place in London, Wiener Saal in Salzburg, Austria, among others.
In 2016 Gonçalo won the 2nd prize Ex-Aequo in Valencia’s International Guitar Competition and later in the year he was awarded the 3rd prize in Guimarães International Guitar Competition. In the following year, he was the winner in the competition “Grand Prize Virtuoso” and consequently was invited to give a concert in Wiener Saal, Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. In 2021, Gonçalo was the Winner of the Blyth Watson Guitar Concerto Prize at the Royal Academy of Music. In 2023 Gonçalo received 1st Prize at the prestigious “The Prince’s Prize” competition, the 2nd prize at the Ivor Mairants Guitar Competition and the 2nd prize in Pleven Guitar Competition. In 2024 he was awarded the 2nd prize in the Gallery of Guitars Competition in Scotland and this year he won the 2nd prize in Lagoa Guitar Festival in the chamber music category with his duo “Volt Duo” with Gus Mcquade.
Gonçalo has had Masterclasses with distinguished guitarists such as David Russell, Fabio Zanon, Aniello Desiderio, Lukasz Kuropaczewski, Roland Dyens, Laura Young, Graham Devine, Michel Sadanowsky, Carlo Marchione and many more acclaimed musicians.
Apart from his classical guitar studies, he is very interested in Jazz. In the end of his first year at the Royal Academy of Music, Gonçalo started his second study in Jazz Guitar. He also has his own Jazz project “Maia” with which he released the single “Yellow”. In 2020, Gonçalo joined the “Phemo Quartet” as a Bass player and in 2022 the quartet performed in the Vortex Jazz Club. Later this year, the quartet will release their debut album “Anti-Revelation”.
Gonçalo is currently being supported by the Musicians’ Company, Help Musicians UK, IGF and Talent Unlimited.
gus Mcquade
Gus McQuade is a classical guitarist from Leamington Spa. He completed his Master’s degree with distinction at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was awarded the prestigious Regency Award (2024). His studies were supported by scholarships from the Drake Calleja Trust, Help Musicians, the Craxton Memorial Trust, and the Royal Academy of Music.
As a soloist, Gus has performed at leading London venues including the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room and Kings Place. He is also a recipient of the Blyth Watson Award and the Timothy Gilson Prize.
An avid chamber musician and arranger, Gus works across a range of ensembles, often creating original arrangements that draw on diverse musical styles. His work reflects a strong interest in blending genres, with an innovative approach shaped by the needs and character of each project. During his time at the Academy, he took part in masterclasses with leading guitarists such as David Russell, Fabio Zanon, Paul Galbraith, and Xuefei Yang, as well as lutenist Nigel North.