Global guitar stars at Shanghai festival

Besides concerts, Boegershausen did a guitar workshop in Beijing's Baroque Academy and connected with some of his biggest fans.

"It was a wonderful experience to see how eager these young people were to learn about my style of playing and arranging," he says. "Huang has been consistently promoting acoustic guitar events in Asia. I hope to return to perform in China again with him next year."

Huang says that he does not just invite the established guitarists but also young talents. This year, he has 18-year-old Japanese guitarist Kanaho joining the festival.

"It will inspire our young audiences, who want to learn guitar," says Huang.

Born in Tanjung Balai in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, he started to play guitar at 16 after watching his classmate play it well. In 1986, Huang went to Taiwan to study mechanical engineering at National Cheng Kung University and has lived there since. In the 1990s, he sang at local restaurants and piano bars, and wrote pop music.

"The instrument leaves something magical for both the players and listeners, on a personal and spiritual level," he says.

However, Huang says, people usually start learning the guitar at a young age and stop playing it after they take full-time jobs.

"It saddens me that Asian guitar stars, such as South Korea's Sungha Jung and Japanese guitarist Kotaro Oshio, have all graced the stage but I cannot find a Chinese guitarist," he says. "If I could have a jam session with any artist someday, I hope it would be someone from China."

IF YOU GO

8 pm, July 9. Mao Live House. 308 Chongqing Nanlu (south road), Shanghai. 021-6445-0086.

7 pm, July 10. Beijing Theater. 10 Anhuili Sanqu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8403-7131.