Hailed by the Toronto Globe and Mail as “the clearest case of genius ever to touch his instrument,” lutenist Paul O’Dette is among the most influential figures in his field. He has made more than 155 recordings, garnering extensive acclaim; he is a two-time winner of the Grammy Award and the Echo Klassik award, and a twelve-time winner of the Diapason D’Or. In addition to his activities as a performer, O’Dette is avid researcher of early music, having worked extensively on the performance and sources of 17th-century Italian and English solo song; Italian, German, and French Baroque opera; basso continuo practices; and instrumental music. He opens the 2024-25 Segovia Classical Guitar Series with a program focused on newly-discovered Italian lute manuscripts.