“I simply got hooked,” guitarist Peppino D’Agostino said about when he first picked up the six-stringed instrument and began plucking and strumming away.

Born in Sicily but raised in Torino, D’Agostino discovered the guitar at the impressionable age of 10, when one of his cousins began playing one. Recalling the overall aura of the music culture of his upbringing, D’Agostino said it was a special time in Italy, citing the popularity of the Beatles and the general excitement behind the instrument as it hit popular consciousness around the world.

“Your friends looked at you differently,” D’Agostino said about when he would play for his peers. “That’s one of the reasons why young kids start, to impress your classmates. Then you discover that music is so much more than impressing people. It’s a lighthouse of hope.”

By the time he was 16, D’Agostino performed his first concert and kept playing clubs and festivals in Italy. He arrived in California from Italy 33 years ago, at 29.

“I knew people here and knew there were more opportunities,” he said, recalling the mid-1980s, when the Windham Hill movement was prominent and gave him an opportunity to meet the key players in the industry.

Since then, D’Agostino has recorded 14 CDs with various record companies, as well as written two guitar instructional books. D’Agostino also lent his musical talents to video games, specifically for Electronic Arts, as well as a Monterey Aquarium documentary. He was also named one of the 50 transcendent superheroes of the acoustic guitar by Guitar Player magazine in 2017, as well as receiving the bronze medal for Best Acoustic Album of All Time for “Every Step of the Way.”

“These are wonderful awards that I’m happy about … but I still love playing music and performing live. I believe that once you start believing in your resume, it’s the end,” he said with a laugh. “I’m happy that I got them and made a living by playing guitar and following my passion.”

D’Agostino has shared concert halls and international festivals with the likes of Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, Tommy Emmanuel, Leo Kottke, Martin Taylor, Roland Dyens, David Tannenbaum and many more.

Remembering one of the highlights of his career, even before picking up an acoustic guitar, D’Agostino’s attention was brought to a American vinyl record featuring Leo Kottke, Robbie Basho and John Fahey.

“I started listening to this and the sound of the acoustic guitar was phenomenal, particularly Leo Kottke,” D’Agostino said. “Because of that record, I started playing acoustic guitar instead of electric.”

Years after turning from one instrument to the other, he was working on organizing a music festival in Italy. The promoter wanted to book Kottke, but didn’t speak English well enough to make it happen. He turned to D’Agostino, who was fluent, for help with the American agency with translation. After speaking, they accepted the offer, picking up Kottke from the airport. Later that night, they played together.

“All my friends in Italy knew my love for Leo Kottke’s music. They saw me on stage with him. For me, it was a beautiful moment,” he said, adding that he still talks with Kottke.

He said whenever he performs, he strives to make a connection with his audience by telling stories and asking them to sing in Italian. “It’s not just about music,” he said.

D’Agostino will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at Rainshadow Recording Studios, Fort Worden State Park, Building 315.