The classical guitar in its modern form was shaped by the Spanish master Antonio de Torres (1817–1892), who enlarged the body and created its classic figure-of-eight shape. Nylon strings (replacing the older gut) appeared in the 1940s, giving the characteristic warm, matte timbre.
The guitar repertoire is vast: from the Renaissance (lute, vihuela) through the Baroque (Bach in transcriptions) to virtuoso works by Sor, Tárrega, Villa-Lobos, and Rodrigo. The legendary Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia proved in the 20th century that any serious music can be played on classical guitar. In Ukraine a strong guitar school is developing: performers such as Ivan Shamo and Marko Topchii win international competitions.
