ATHENS — The UGA Performing Arts Center will present Orquestra de Guitarras de Barcelona Friday in Hodgson Concert Hall.

The Guitar Orchestra of Barcelona brings together 25 of Spain’s most gifted guitarists for a unique concert experience, showcasing works by Baroque composers as well as contemporary authors, with a strong emphasis on Spanish music.

Director Sergi Vicente has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, America and Asia. He has released five CDs in addition to recording for a variety of radio and television shows.

Vicente has participated in some of the most important international festivals and events, and in 1999, he was named director of the European Guitar and Mandolin Youth Orchestra.

In 1989, Vicente, then a teacher at the Conservatorio Superior de Musica del Liceo in Barcelona, formed an ensemble with eight of his students with the intention of enriching their academic studies.

As time went on, the ensemble became a much more ambitious project and developed into the 25-chair Guitar Orchestra it is today. All members of the Guitar Orchestra are teachers, graduates or master level students of the Conservatorio.

To date, more than 70 guitarists have passed through the orchestra’s ranks, many of them going on to international careers as soloists.

The Guitar Orchestra of Barcelona frequently appears at music festivals throughout Europe, and in 2010, the ensemble embarked on its first American tour.

Following the success of the 2010 tour, the orchestra is returning to the U.S. where it will make its Athens debut.

John Sutherland, guitar professor at UGA, will present "A Conversation with ..." beginning 45 minutes prior to the concert.