Classical guitarist David Russell to perform in Tucson

“From when I can remember, I’ve played guitar from a really young age,” Russell said earlier this month from his home in Spain. “I suppose when I was about 12 or 14, I kind of decided that that was what I wanted to do. So I started studying properly.”

His studies led him to the Royal Academy of Arts in London and a steady string of international contest wins including the Julian Bream Guitar Prize — twice — the Andrés Segovia Competition, the José Ramírez Competition and Spain’s prestigious Francisco Tárrega Competition.

“Things really worked out well for me,” Russell, 54, allowed, his native Scottish accent swoonably sublime. “I got some competitions that opened some other doors. It just became my life.”

Russell’s life has intersected with Tucson. Last September, he was tapped by the University of Arizona School of Music to be an artist in residence, a position he said will last several years.

“It’s really nice because it means I get to work much more gently with the students rather than intensely in a two-day type of trip,” he explained. “I’ll be there for 10 days. Basically I don’t teach anywhere. I teach more in Tucson than anywhere in the world.”

During his residency stays, he also slips in a public performance, like his recital here last October and two appearances this weekend.

“We make a life whatever it happens to be,” he said during the interview from Spain, where he and his wife were spending Easter. “We enjoy it a lot. We have a really good time. It’s not a burden at all.”

He’s lived in Spain for 20 years and performs there extensively. But he says he prefers American audiences who “are very warm and friendly and appreciative, which is what we look for.”

“In some ways, I’ve toured the States more than 30 years in a row, and it’s the only country I’ve done like that, apart from Spain,” said Russell, who won a 2005 Grammy for best instrumental soloist in classical for his CD “Aire Latino.”

American critics seem to love Russell. The Cleveland Plain Dealer gushed, “Russell speaks musically in a songful, delicate voice that draws colors and nuances from the music that a listener might not have thought were there. . . . He is a quietly commanding performer both in musical and technical terms.” The Washington Post said Russell has a “musical imagination that stretched far beyond the limitations of the six strings.” And the St. Louis Dispatch concluded, “It is hard to imagine anyone being able to produce a more beautiful tone on a guitar than Russell did. He is a major artist who can take his place with the best guitarists of our day.”

“I’ve been kind of lucky that my career didn’t suddenly start. It grew slowly,” he reflected. “I had many, many years where each year was a little better than the previous year. I didn’t have any periods where things were not working well. I’ve been really, really lucky. Doors have opened for me without asking.”

His concerts include works written for classical guitar and classical works he transcribed for guitar, including cuts from his just-released Telarc album “Air on a G String,” which includes his transcription for Bach’s similarly named work. The record, which came out in early March, includes Baroque works by Bach, S. L. Weiss, J. de Saint-Luc and Francois Couperin.

“I prefer to do my own rearranging of the works. It’s always nice to go through the process yourself,” he said. “There’s tons and tons of work — more than I will be able to play in my life — already written for the guitar. There’s also many beautiful pieces written for arrangements that work very well on the guitar. Bach never wrote for the guitar, but it would be horrible to go through the whole life and never play anything by Bach.”

If you go

Classical guitarist David Russell in concert

• When: 7 p.m. Friday and Sunday.

• Where: Holsclaw Hall, North Park Avenue and East Speedway.

• Admission: $35, with discounts available, through the UA Fine Arts box office, 621-1162.

• Soundbites: Check out Russell’s Web site for samples from his latest albums, www.davidrussell guitar.com.