The love for the guitar, for music, and for the art of the students of the Municipal Conservatory of Veria, the search of the maestro Petros Ristas for music that exceeds the limits of imagination and the grafting with sound colors from other musical instruments flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin, cello, mandolin, created the ARTGUITARISTAS orchestra.

They have taken part in concerts of the Municipal Conservatory of Veria, in the 3rd 4th and 5th Panhellenic meeting of guitar orchestras organized in March 2013, March 2014 and March 2015 in Kozani by the Municipal Conservatory of Kozani, in the Panhellenic meeting of guitar orchestras organized by the Municipal Conservatory of Veria. They have collaborated in summer of 2012 with the guitarists’ orchestra in the 1st Summer International Music Academy of the Municipal Conservatories organized in Volos, as well as in the 2nd Summer International Academy again in Volos in the summer of 2013, where the summer academy program closed with a big concert. In the summer of 2014, they took part in the 3rd International Summer Academy organized in Kavala. In the spring of 2015, they participated in the two-day guitar festival organized by the Municipal Conservatory of Veria together with other guitar orchestras. In summer of 2015, they participated in the 3rd Karditsa Guitar Festival in Lake Plastira, and received rave reviews for the concert they gave, a tribute to film music.

In the winter of the same year, he participated in the meeting of guitar orchestras organized by the municipal conservatory of Larissa and in the 4th international guitar festival in Volos.

In April of the same year he participated in the meeting of guitar orchestras organized by the Municipal Conservatory of Veria

In the summer of 2016, he participated in the 4th Karditsa Guitar Festival in Lake Plastira. In the spring of 2016 and spring of 2017, he participated in the 1st and 2nd Macedonian Festival organized in Kastoria and in the 7th Panhellenic Meeting of Guitar Orchestras and Ensembles organized at the Municipal Conservatory of Veria.

In the summer of 2017 and summer of 2018, he participated in the 5th and 6th Karditsa Guitar Festival in Lake Plastira. In November 2017 he participated in the 2nd Guitar Festival held in Corfu, as well as in the 4th Guitar Festival Peloponnese which took place in Nafplio in March 2019.

In the summer of 2019, he participated in the 7th Karditsa Guitar Festival in Lake Plastira. In the summer of 2022 and summer of 2023, he participated in the 28th and 29th Hermoupolis Guitar Festival in Syros giving a big concert at the Apollon Theater.

In the summer of 2024, he participated in the 6th music festival in Rethymno, Crete. In the summer of 2025, he participated with great success in the 10th festival in Sifnos.

Their repertoire includes works by As. Piazzolla, En. Morricone, N Rota, R Aubry, M.Hadjidaki, M Theodoraki, St Xarchako, M.Plessa, P.Rista, G. Bregovic and other composers.

Founder and conductor of the orchestra is the composer Petros Ristas.