Guitar music of Spain and Eastern Europe at Grossmont College on Oct. 26

The guitar duo of Fred Benedetti and George Svoboda will perform the music of Spain and Eastern Europe at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26, in Building 26, Room 221 at Grossmont College. Admission is $10 general, $8 for seniors and $5 for students.

The two have performed together for 19 years and their music ranges from the melancholy to the furious strains of flamenco. The duo has been performing regularly in the United States, and Mexico and has toured in England, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Benedetti and Svodoba performed in the Czech Republic and Germany this past summer, including in the cities of Pilsen, Sokolov, Marianske Lasne, Neualbenreuth. Benedetti estimates they have traveled to Europe during the summertime on at least 10 different occasions since 1998.

Born in Sasebo, Japan, Benedetti began playing the guitar at age 9 and in 1986, he was one of 12 guitarists chosen worldwide to perform in the Master Class of Andrés Segovia at the University of Southern California. He serves as chair of Grossmont College’s guitar studies program and co-chair of the Grossmont College Music Department. He has taught at Grossmont since January 1985.

Born in Cheb, Czech Republic, Svoboda’s music is rooted in the folk traditions of Eastern Europe. Svoboda has taught at Grossmont College, Mesa College, San Diego State University and California State University, San Marcos.

Grossmont’s Music Department guitar program is believed to be the largest in Southern California and perhaps within California’s 112-college community college system with more than 200 students enrolled in guitar classes at various levels of ability, including beginner, intermediate, classical guitar and guitar ensemble.

The public is invited to attend. The performance is a fund-raiser for the Grossmont College Guitar Guild. For more information, phone (619) 644-7254, or visit www.grossmont.edu/music and click “Concert Schedule.”