"What inspires me is to share music with others in a live environment, to inspire people by my own commitment and intensity and passion. When others witness that, they become inspired in turn. What really motivates me is the desire for excellence. Really, it's a combination of both: It's to set a very high personal bar and then to transmit that passion in concert to listeners, to touch them with the power of the music."

Obviously, local audiences are in for something special when this master performs March 29 at Le Petit Trianon in a concert sponsored by the South Bay Guitar Society.

The guitar society is no stranger to treating area listeners to a wide range of musical delicacies. From solo concerts featuring such diverse artists as Belgian guitarist Johan Fostier and flamenco specialist La Trini, to lectures and demonstrations, to regular events such as classical guitar open mic nights, the organization is a boon to guitar lovers and guitar players alike.

Cobo's performance will offer audiences a musical experience that's definitely not your everyday guitar concert. "It's music of the day; it's music that embodies colors and rhythms and harmonies of our contemporary music and music of the world. It's not strictly classical music at all," says Cobo of his program, which features work by several well-loved tango composers, such as Astor Piazzolla and Angel Villoldo. The program will also likely include works by Maximo Diego Pujol, Napoleon Coste, Jorge Morel, Horacio Salgan, Dilermando Reis and Leo Brouwer.

If anyone can provide true insight into this music, it's Cobo. Not only does he especially love these pieces but he personally knows all the composers. "I love to play tango; I love to play Latin American music. I'm very fond of the music of Cuba, and a lot of the music I'm going to play that evening is some of my favorite music to play. It fits on the guitar; it sounds really cool—a lot of special effects, a lot of percussive stuff," says Cobo. "It's music that's close to my heart, close to what's in my brain. And I really do enjoy playing it. There's a very high fun factor in this music. It requires a great degree of skill, but it's inherently very fun music to play."

A native of Colombia, Cobo began playing guitar at around age 8; less than 10 years later he made his professional debut with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá in a television broadcast seen by more than 9 million people.

Cobo has recorded a number of albums, including a selection of concertos by Brouwer and a children's album of lullabies. His latest CD is Walking on the Water, which features songs by Pujol, Roland Dyens, Marco Pereira and Larry Cooperman, among others. Of his future endeavors, Cobo says, "I'll be recording on my own label for the next few years. Touring is probably going to pick up in 2003 and 2004, but I will be doing a lot of recording of Latin American music by living composers." He says he plans to make the CDs available online at prices that will be more affordable to a wider audience.

Currently, Cobo teaches at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In his teaching, too, his passion for his craft is evident. He says he aims to instill in his students "integrity and the commitment to something that's very important to them."

Ricardo Cobo, presented by the South Bay Guitar Society, performs March 29, 8 p.m., at Le Petit Trianon, 72 N. Fifth St., San Jose. Tickets are $15­$18. For more information, call 408.292.0704 or visit www.sbgs.org.