Peppino D'Agostino

Peppino D'Agostino is an Italian-American fingerstyle acoustic guitarist born in Messina, Sicily, widely regarded as one of the finest acoustic guitarists in the world. Self-taught from an early age after watching his cousin play guitar at church services, he was inspired by Paco de Lucia, Leo Kottke, and Carlos Santana and was composing and recording in Italy by his late teens. He released his debut album Bluerba in 1981 and relocated to the United States in the mid-1980s, initially busking on the streets and Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco before working his way up through restaurants and clubs to concert halls and international festivals. His American recording debut Acoustic Spirit arrived in 1987 on Shanachie Records and launched a career spanning more than 18 albums on labels including Favored Nations, Mesa/Bluemoon, and Acoustic Music Records. Hailed as "a guitarist's guitarist" by Acoustic Guitar magazine, "a giant of the acoustic guitar" by the San Diego Reader, and "a poet" by the San Francisco Chronicle, D'Agostino was voted Best Acoustic Guitarist by Guitar Player magazine readers in 2007. His virtuosic technique blends open tunings, percussive effects, classical influences, folk, and world music into what he calls "minestrone music" - a warm, lyrical, and technically complex sound that bridges the classical and steel-string worlds. He has shared stages with Tommy Emmanuel, Leo Kottke, Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, and Sergio Assad, and co-founded the Pacific Guitar Ensemble in 2010 with San Francisco Conservatory guitar chair David Tanenbaum. In 2011 his composition Stammi Vicino reached number one on the iTunes rock charts in Italy.