Many people might not know who David Russell is, but come Saturday night, they might.

"Tucson and the UA are very lucky to have this incredible musician; he is coming to this country just to do these performances in Tucson," said Tara Kirkpatrick, publicist for UAPresents.

Together, UAPresents and Tom Patterson, director of guitar studios and University of Arizona music professor, were instrumental in getting the classical guitarist David Russell to return to perform several concerts at Holsclaw Hall.

"David has been a friend of mine since 1979. He was a young, emerging artist at the time," Patterson said. "Since that time, he has been to the UA over a half dozen times in the past 20 years."

Russell is well-known among his peers and is considered one of the best classical guitarists alive today.

"By guitarists, he is widely considered one of the finest, if not the finest, living guitarist," Patterson said. "He is one of a handful of the finest living players."

Russell is part of a very small percentage of classical guitarists able to achieve a high level of fame and international success.

"He is definitely among the few that are really making it - what he has attained is really difficult," Patterson said. "David is at the pinnacle for his generation of performers. He has toured all over the world and is basically as successful as you can be."

Sound quality is a Russell trademark and a skill Patterson teaches his guitar students.

"He has one of the most beautiful sounds, and that is something that I emphasize in my classes here for the students in the university," Patterson said.

In addition to giving performances in Holsclaw Hall, Russell will offer master classes, reinforcing his advocacy of classical guitar studies.

"He is a favorite on college campuses because of his special interest in advancing young peoples interest in the classical guitar," Kirkpatrick said.

Russell provides virtuoso technical prowess in addition to skilled interpretations of traditional classical guitar pieces.

"David Russell is a brilliant technician. He has great technical skill and fantastic, fast fingers," Patterson said. "However, people don't remember that about his concerts; people remember how artistic and sensitive his interpretations are of anything from Baroque to Spanish music."

Russell performs at such a high level of mastery that many modern classical guitar composers have dedicated musical works to him.

"His attention to detail and musicianship is so superb that many composers have actually dedicated work to him. Among those are Guido Santorsola, Jorge Morel and Carlo Domenconi," Kirkpatrick said. "I was listening to his CD this morning and it is incredible; you forget that you are listening to a guitar. The sounds from the instrument go beyond what you expect to hear."

Born in Scotland and raised in Spain, Russell began his guitar studies early in life, as a student of his father who is also a skilled guitarist.

"The audiences are going to see true musical genius that was obviously discovered at an early age," Kirkpatrick said.

Russell will perform Baroque, 19th century and Spanish music in his upcoming concerts at Holsclaw Hall. Tucson will have the chance to listen to Russell perform in a small venue with superior acoustics.

"This is a unique opportunity for the Tucson community to hear one of the world's greatest living artists in an intimate setting," Patterson said. "It is one of the greatest guitar halls anywhere in the world, and the sound is amazing for the classical guitar."

Due to visa problems, the concerts, formerly scheduled for yesterday through Friday, have been rescheduled for tonight through Saturday. All performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the Nov. 14 performance will be honored for Saturday's concert. Call Centennial Hall Box Office at 621-3341.