Roger Zimmermann in the city. Picture by Rashbehari Das

He loves to play for an audience. ?One week without an audience and I feel sick to my stomach,? grins German guitarist Roger Zimmermann, in the city once more to strum out German and South American beats from a vast musical repertoire that he has gathered, expanded and improvised upon over the years.

He started playing the guitar ?on November 4, 1977, at 5 pm.? Soon after, began his experiment with rock ?n? roll beside campfires and at school and college musical explorations. Despite having too many favourites in contemporary music to list, he is a fan of Bob Dylan, ?one of the greatest artistes of this century.?

He began delving into the intricacies of the classical guitar in Berlin and Dusseldorf from 1984 to 1988.

Heavily influenced by Spanish guitarist Pepe Romero and Agostia Barrios, ? he has dedicated four CDs to the latter ? his repertoire extends beyond the musical heritage of Germany.

His master classes at the Calcutta School of Music on Thursday and Friday were so packed that there was not neither time nor space to accommodate all the students.

However, when a student arrived late from Kalyani after having travelled two hours by train to meet the maestro, Zimmermann was all sympathy. ?I?ve travelled rather far, too, to reach this city,? the resident of Berlin quipped. Thereafter, the boy was seated right next to him and handed out technical tips.

The ace guitarist was both happy and sad at the end of his tryst with young talent. ?There are so many gifted and enthusiastic students here. But there is a lack of schools here to take them forward with this instrument.?

Zimmermann?s programme at Sandre Hall, Calcutta School of Music, on February 12 will be a mix of German and modern music, showcasing the ?possibilities and development of the guitar.? With names like Bach, Fernando Sor, Leo Brouwer, Joaquin Roderigo, Francesco Tarrega and Agosta Barrios on his menu, the evening promises to delight.

While tango and milonga are bound to keep the audience on the move, the performance will be strung together by anecdotes between pieces. ?The compositions I have chosen are based on either a poem or narrative,? he smiles.