An evening with guitarist Diego Salvetti at Orcas Center

||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER |||

Guitarist, composer and teacher Diego Salvetti is coming to the San Juans for a special night of music. He comes to the Orcas Center stage on Sunday, March 1, at 7 p.m.

Born in Bergamo, Italy, Salvetti grew up listening to classical styles, jazz and flamenco music performed by his father and two older brothers. He started his musical studies at seven years old, studying with his father. He then began learning classical guitar with the Italian composer and guitarist Giovanni Podera.

At the age of 11, Diego won first prize at the 13th National Guitar Competition in Genova, Italy, “Pasquale Taraffo.” Successively, Diego started studying with Maestro Giorgio Oltremari at the Bergamo Conservatory “G. Donizetti.” After 10 years in the conservatory, he graduated with top grades in classical guitar. In 2000, Diego won the scholarship from the 14th contest of
Bergamasca association “Amici di Lino Barbisotti.”

In 2009, Diego finished his master’s degree in music didactics at the Conservatory L. Marenzio in Brescia, Italy. After graduation, Diego started studying flamenco and Brazilian guitar, composing and developing the technique in an 8-string guitar, mixing classical, flamenco, and Brazilian guitar.

Diego is the author of two volumes of guitar technique with exercises, studies, and compositions of his own. These volumes have an introduction written by Marco Pereira and Sergio Assad.

Through these works and an intense activity as a concert performer, Diego became one of the main references in the guitar world.

Tickets range from $10 to $70, with a special $10 price for students. Purchase tickets online at www.OrcasCenter.org, over the phone at 360-376-2281 x 1, or in-person Tuesday – Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and an hour prior to showtime.

And don’t forget, volunteers who help with iPad check-in get to see the show for free!