A TOP guitarist who has played for the likes of Jools Holland and Dame Shirley Bassey is visiting Dunfermline next week for a special performance at the Carnegie Hall.

Giorgio Serci, who left his native Sardinia in the early 1990s, has brushed shoulders with huge stars and received invitations from the world’s top orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic and the City of Birmingham Symphony. The guitarist, composer, arranger, teacher and magazine columnist also has the distinction of having played with both maverick classical violinist Nigel Kennedy and New Orleans music legend Dr John.

Next Tuesday, Serci's Guitar Journey Duet with fellow London-based guitarist Jonny Phillips comes to Dunfermline as part of its first Scottish tour.

Serci and Phillips, who is best known for leading Oriole, one of the most accomplished groups on the UK jazz scene, had been friends for almost 20 years before they decided to form a musical partnership in 2015.

Having met and got chatting at a concert in South London, they quickly realized that they had much in common musically, including a fascination for the guitar’s history and how the instrument became such a big part of music all across the world.

“For a long time I’d had this idea for a group that explores the history of the guitar from its origins in Spain and North Africa out across the Americas,” said Phillips, who regularly visits Spain and Portugal to play and soak up the music there. “Oriole does that to some extent but I like the two guitar format – it’s easily portable for one thing – and the moment I heard Giorgio play I felt he would be the ideal partner. It just took us a while to organize time for us to work on it.”

Although both musicians are serious students of the guitar and its influence internationally – Serci has a particular fascination for Brazilian and Cuban musical styles – they were keen to avoid a scholastic approach in presenting the music they put together to illustrate the guitar’s journey.

“It’s really about communicating how we feel about the music rather than how much we know,” says Serci. “When I first heard Jonny play I was immediately struck by his ability to tell a story through his compositions. He also has a deep understanding of and respect for traditional music from different parts of the world, and that comes across in his playing. It makes it fun for me to play with him and, I hope, a really enjoyable, entertaining experience for the audience when we play together.”

And should Jools or Dame Shirley try to get in touch while Serci and Phillips are travelling around Scotland?

“I’ll have my mobile with me," said Serci. “And if I’m onstage, I hope they’ll leave a message.”

The show takes at 8pm on Tuesday, March 15. Tickets are £12 (concessions £10) and can be purchased by calling the Carnegie Hall box office on 01383 602 302.