MARSHFIELD — Mito de Soto will make his third May appearance in as many years at Chestnut Center for the Arts. The Spanish-American guitarist and vocalist takes center stage on Saturday evening, May 16, at 7 p.m.

De Soto’s concerts include original compositions in the fiery form of flamenco, sometimes including jazz chords and overtones, as well as beautifully serenading classical guitar pieces from Spain, where he studied.

“The name ‘de Soto’ is steeped in both flamenco and American history,” said de Soto, “and I am proud of that fusion and influence on my music.”

He said, “Most people grow up with one or two closely related musical influences and styles. I grew up with six eclectic and unique styles.” Fortified by diversity, de Soto brings a new mélange of flamenco, classical, and jazz-flamenco to the music scene.

A multi-instrumentalist, de Soto began his career at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee under the mentorship of voice professor Evelyn LaBruce and theory composition technology professor Yehuda Yannay.

The night of October 25, 1995, changed his life forever, when de Soto attended a performance by and briefly met the world’s most renowned flamenco guitarist, Paco de Lucia, a musical visionary.

From that point forward, de Soto focused his time and education on perfecting his guitar performance techniques. His journey into the world of flamenco performance evolved into a voyage to Spain to explore his ancestral roots and flamenco heritage.

In addition, de Soto has explored a variety of styles from African drumming and Balinese gamelan to jazz-fusion and progressive rock.

De Soto combines all of this varied musical background with his education in composition/technology to produce an eclectic flamenco compositional style that exudes a passion, which is clearly received and shared by audiences throughout the U.S.

To learn more about and hear Mito de Soto, visit musicdemito.com.

Advance tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (55+) and students—at the door: $12/$10. Children, 9 years of age and younger, are admitted free. To reserve advance tickets, available until Friday, May 15, at noon, contact Chestnut Center at 715-389-8999 or [email protected]

The Chestnut Center for the Arts is located in downtown Marshfield at the corner of Third Street and Chestnut Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. performance.