Bellevue College's International Guitar Series returns for a fourth season with six concerts at the Carlson Theatre, opening Friday, Oct. 16, with Chinese classical guitarist Hao Yang.

The series, curated by Naeim Rahmani, Bellevue College guitar faculty member and artistic director of the series, spans classical guitar, contemporary composition, improvisation, electronics and musical traditions from around the world, according to the college.

All six concerts start at 7:30 p.m. General admission is $20. Faculty and staff pay $15. Students with a Bellevue College ID get in free.

"I created the series because I wanted our students to encounter different possibilities for what it means to be a musician," Rahmani said in the college's Oct. 10 announcement. "There is tremendous value in learning from an extraordinary classical guitarist, but I also want students to work with musicians who improvise, compose, experiment and approach music from different cultural perspectives."

The schedule is built around the academic year so visiting artists can lead masterclasses and workshops. In some cases, students rehearse alongside the performers and share the stage during public concerts.

Nattira Chaiprasit, a Bellevue College guitar student, said the model has changed how she listens. She recalled performing with guzheng virtuoso Wu Fei and said working with visiting artists has made her more confident.

Hao Yang, who won the 2024 Koblenz International Guitar Competition, opens the season. Gyan Riley follows on Friday, Dec. 4.

Riley's collaborations include Paul Simon, Zakir Hussain, Bill Frisell, John Zorn and Kronos Quartet.

French guitarist Judicaël Perroy, winner of the 1997 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition, performs Friday, Jan. 29, 2027.

Composer Aida Shirazi and kamancheh performer Niloufar Shiri share the stage Friday, March 12, 2027, blending acoustic sound, electronics and the kamancheh, an Iranian bowed string instrument.

Italian guitarist Aniello Desiderio, who has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Berlin Philharmonie, plays Thursday, April 22, 2027. Paolo Angeli closes the season Saturday, June 12, 2027, performing on a 25-string prepared Sardinian guitar he developed over decades with hammers, movable bridges and other modifications.

Longtime audience member Betha Gutsche, who has attended most of the series' first three seasons, said each concert feels distinct. She said she especially enjoys when students perform alongside the visiting artists.

Tickets and the full schedule are available at the Bellevue College International Guitar Series website.