Søffren Degen (12 October 1816  7 July 1885)  has been called "The enigmatic guitar genius of Denmark". Many details of his life remains unknown mysteries, but it seems that he was a celebrated guitar virtuoso who frequently gave public concerts, who taught the guitar and composed many works for it, solo and chamber works mainly for guitar and cello, an instrument he himself played beside the guitar.

Degen was a friend and pupil of Napoleon Coste. The book are publishing, for the first time, two letters from Coste to Degen where the master are expressing his feeling of loneliness and sorrow, mainly because he have the problem of having damaged his arm, and maybe for that reason is fired from his modest underpaid job in an office. These letters give a true expression of the life conditions for a guitarist in his age. Sometimes when visiting Coste in Paris the two would perform as a duo.

Degen wrote second guitar parts to many af the masters great guitar solos. The Danish virtuoso tried all his life to make a living of his guitar playng. He even constructed a "new" guitar model inspired by Coste and Lacote, but he instruments declining popularity brought him not the success he might have been dreaming about. To compensate he various times worked as an actor, cellist in theatre orchestras, and he also was one of the first photographers in Denmark.