For classical guitar aficionados, the Bermuda Festival debut of virtuoso Eliot Fisk and his wife Zaira Meneses this evening promises to be an unforgettable event.

Mr. Fisk, the last direct pupil of Spanish maestro Andrés Segovia, is a creative original dramatically linked to the great romantic tradition of the past.

Known worldwide for his adventurous repertoire and willingness to take music into unusual venues, Mr. Fisk has rated by Segovia as "on the top line of our artistic world".

Memorably described as a "fiery missionary to the unconverted" by the New York Post, the guitarist is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale University, who is now a professor at the Universitat Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, where he teaches in five languages.

He also teaches at the New England Conservatory.

He is a founder-director of the Boston Guitar Fest, and has been awarded the Cross of Isabel la Catolica by the King of Spain for his services to Spanish music ¿ a rarely bestowed honour, whose recipients include Segovia and Yehudi Menuhin.

As Bermuda Festival audiences will discover, he has earned his place in such stellar company.

Mr. Fisk has performed to dazzling critical and public acclaim, as a soloist with major orchestras, and in a wide variety of chamber music combinations, playing in most of the great concert halls of the world.

His recordings have earned him soaring praise, one of which, 'Mountain Songs' with Paula Robinson, was a Grammy nominee.

This evening's programme will feature Latin American music, and Mr. Fisk will be joined by his wife and fellow guitarist, Zaira Meneses.

In addition to duets, each artist will perform solo works.

Mexican-born Ms Meneses showed great talent for music at a very early age, studying both classical guitar and voice. Following her student years, she has travelled widely, performing with the famed Orquesta de Guitarras in concert tours around the world.

She has received numerous prizes for guitar performances nationally and internationally, and now lives in Boston, Salzburg, and whenever their schedule permits, in their beloved Spain with their daughter Raquel.

Tomorrow evening Mr. Fisk will perform a solo classical concert.

• For tickets/further information visit the Bermuda Festival box office on Front Street, or telephone 296-5774 between noon and 2 p.m.