KAZUHITO YAMASHITA

San Francisco Performances presents classical guitar virtuoso Kazuhito Yamashita, who will perform Saturday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m. at the Herbst Theatre, part of the War Memorial Performing Arts Center and across the street from City Hall on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.

The program for the evening includes “The Song of Compostela” (anonymous, arr. Yamashita); Largo from “The New World Symphony”(Dvorak); “Little Girls Beautiful Lives,” Op. 79 for Two Guitars (Keiko Fujiie); “Kasane,” Op. 84, for guitar quartet(Fujiie); “Del Vescovo,” from “Season Quartet.”

More than 75 recordings attest to this Japanese guitarist’s prowess and popularity. He is particularly acclaimed for his transcriptions of large-scale works that make his instrument a virtual six-stringed orchestra.

Yamashita’s artistry has inspired dozens of composers around the world to create works for him that test the limits of technical mastery in guitar sound, making him “a legend in guitar circles.” (The Guardian, U.K.)

Born in Nagasaki in 1961, Yamashita has been acknowledged as one of the world’s virtuosic guitarists by critics and the public alike, who are fascinated with his dazzling technique and expressive talent. His recordings and numerous original arrangements of such works as Mussorgski’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” Stravinsky’s “Firebird,” Rimski-Korsakov’s “Shéhérazade” and Dvorak’s Symphony of the New World have become a legend within guitar circles.

He started to study the guitar at the age of 8 with his father, Toru Yamashita. In 1972, at age 11, he won the Kyushu Guitar Competition. Four years later, he was awarded the first prize in the All Japan Guitar Competition.

In 1977, he won three important international competitions — the Ramirez in Spain, the Alessandria in Italy and Paris Radio France Competition — becoming the youngest winner ever recorded.

In 1978, Yamashita made his debut in Japan and one year later he made his European debut in Paris, where he was acknowledged as the greatest revelation of the guitar.

Still in his 20s, he made his first appearances in Canada (Toronto Guitar Festival), America and England. He gave a solo recital in the Musikverein (Grosser Saal) in Vienna.

In 1989, the Casals Theatre in Tokyo, the most prestigious Japanese theater, presented a series called “The World of Kazuhito Yamashita,” made up of seven concerts in 12 months.

Yamashita has given solo recitals in concert halls around the world such as Vienna’s Musikverein Grosser Saal and the Lincoln Centre and has performed with a variety of orchestras and conductors in Europe, North America and Asia. His sensational appearance at the Toronto International Guitar Festival in 1984 was particularly memorable.

He is an enthusiastic proponent of new works for the guitar and has given world premieres of more than 60 new compositions around the world.

Most recently, he is doing a guitar quartet with his children called “ Kazuhito Yamashita + bambini.” This quartet has recently been invited by the two international festivals in Italy, Seoul Art Center in South Korea, and several cities in Japan.

For tickets or more information, call (415) 392-2545, or visit www.performances.org.

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