Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, ‘the people’s guitarist,’ speaks in advance of his July 1 concert at Snow Park Amphitheater

For the opening of Deer Valley’s Music Festival, Pablo Sáinz-Villegas takes the stage on Saturday with the Utah Symphony for a night of classical Spanish and South American melodies.

Given many accolades over his impressive musical career, Sáinz-Villegas is widely accepted as “the successor of Andrés Segovia and an ambassador of Spanish culture in the world.” Born in Northern Spain, he has played in more than 40 countries, “devoted to inspiring his audience, educating music lovers of all ages and recognized for internationally redefining the role of the classical guitar in the music industry,” says his website.

Journeying to Park City from a short sabbatical in Miami, Sáinz-Villegas’ Saturday performance will be his fourth time in Utah, and the first show to launch his busy summer of touring. “The last time I played for the Utah Symphony was during the pandemic … so I am very excited to be back,” Sáinz-Villegas said in an interview with The Park Record Friday morning.

The show will be held in the evening at Deer Valley’s Snow Park Amphitheater. “I love outdoor concerts … It’s something beyond the music itself. It’s about the experience,” Sáinz-Villegas said.

The show, titled “Spanish Nights,” is “a journey through small pieces, many about Spain and South America and the guitar traveling through different places and cultures,” he explained. It was created as a collaboration between the Utah Symphony and Sáinz-Villegas, after carefully considering the concept, place and audience.

“Most of the pieces we are playing are pieces that are very popular tunes, so it will be a lot of fun.” There will be traditional flamenco tunes from Spain, choro songs, like “Tico Tico” by Brazillian composer Zequinha de Abreu, a few solo acts and more.

He says he enjoys the opportunity to play with an orchestra because of the communication that is created with the conductor and members. “The guitar is a very powerful but delicate voice and the orchestra represents full sounds and colors,” he said. “It creates a dramatic duality … like this macrocosmos relating to this microcosmos, to put it in a philosophical way.”

Sáinz-Villegas will perform with his iconic classical guitar, built for him in 2007 in Germany. Made primarily of cedar wood, which creates a more mellow and round sound, the guitar travels with him everywhere. “It’s an extension of who I am, of my body, my arms, my emotions,” he said.

Dedicated to encouraging aspiring musicians, Sáinz-Villegas has been working to share his philosophy through his project “The legacy of music without borders,” created in 2006.

To those learning the classical guitar, he reminds students that “music is about people, joy and love.” “When you’re learning, it’s a very long journey — 18 years until you start mastering the instrument. So, it’s very easy to forget the purpose … you may go through a dessert where you are lost,” he said. Bring yourself back to that purpose, that music is for other people, and enjoy every note.

Limited seats are available online for Pablo Sáinz-Villegas with the Utah Symphony at the Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater, Saturday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m.