One measure of a musician's stature is the ability to absorb the musical language of another culture and through that language, express a universal emotion -- an emotion that is authentic rather than strained or condescending.

In the realm of classical guitar, there is an artist who has achieved this stature. At 8 tonight, classical guitarist and Grammy Award nominee Christopher Parkening will be in Schwab Auditorium to perform a concert of both classical pieces and traditional Spanish dances.

Parkening began studying the guitar at the age of 11; four years later, he was selected for the first master class given in the United States by the venerated flamenco guitarist Andres Segovia.

Parkening went on to study guitar at the University of Southern California while continuing his studies with Segovia.

"Segovia was the towering genius of guitar for the 20th century," David Shaffer (graduate-guitar performance) said. "He changed the style of playing --made it very different from that of the 19th century -- and transcribed a number of classical pieces."

Although some canonized European composers -- Antonio Vivaldi, for example -- wrote music specifically for guitar, the instrument has never enjoyed any great prominence in the canon.

"For a long time, the guitar wasn't considered important enough to take up a serious composer's time," Shaffer said. Segovia changed that. "A lot of composers began to write pieces just for him."

The flamenco style, of which Segovia was a master, is rooted in the driving, rhythmic dances of the Andalusian gypsies. Consequently, in classical music the guitar's most common association has been with Spain.

A strumming sound on any instrument of the orchestra often evokes a Spanish mood, as evidenced by Bizet's Carmen or more recently, by Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. However, Parkening, like Segovia, has absorbed Spain's musical language.

Parkening's performance tonight is dedicated to his late mentor, and will include two of Segovia's compositions.

"Christopher Parkening is a great artist," Segovia once said. "He is one of the most brilliant guitarists in the world."

Angel Records had so much confidence in this young guitarist that, in 1968, it issued his two debut albums simultaneously --a rare thing in the recording industry. Since then, Parkening has recorded seven more albums.

He will be joined on stage tonight by David Brandon, one of his former students.

Tonight's performance is presented by the Center for the Performing Arts, and is supported jointly by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.