Throughout musical history, the most popular guitarists have been known to play rock ‘n’ roll. However, one guitarist is breaking this mold by not even owning an electric guitar.

“[Rock ‘n’ roll] doesn’t really attract me,” the 19-year-old Peruvian, Jorge Caballero, said. “It’s too loud, and it doesn’t go with my personality.”

Unlike Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton or Richie Sambora, Caballero has worked his way to the top playing guitar pieces by composers such as Bach, Paganini, Barrios and Da Milano.

A classical music interest is only natural to a musician who grew up surrounded by parents with classical music talents. Caballero’s mother was a singer and his father, the man who originally spurred Caballero’s interest in music, was a guitar player.

Caballero said most of his music listening skills came from trying to reproduce his father’s playing — by listening to the sounds and imitating them.

“When I heard a certain piece, I wanted to play it,” Caballero said. “I wanted to make music.”

When Caballero was 10 he began taking guitar lessons at the National Conservatory of Music in Lima. Soon after he began his lessons, he won first-place prizes in the National Conservatory Guitar Competition and the Latin American Guitar Competition in Montevideo, Uruguay.

In 1996, Caballero was the first guitarist to win the Naumburg award, an award commonly given to vocalists, pianists and players of orchestral instruments. According to Caballero, he was the first and so far the only guitarist to win the award.

Because of the recognition he has received from his awards, Caballero has been asked to perform all over the world including Mexico City, Spain, Paris, Belgium, New York, Las Vegas, Toronto and recently in Washington D.C. at the Library of Congress.

Caballero said when he tours, he is grateful for the opportunity to perform, but what he really appreciates is the chance to play for people who aren’t familiar with classical guitar music.

“I like doing outreach programs for children and for the elderly because it’s something good to do,” Caballero said. “It’s giving them something they’ve probably never heard before.”

Although Caballero likes touring, he has plans for the future that don’t include performing. As a student of David Starobin at the Manhattan School of Music, Caballero aspires to become a teacher.

“I’d like to be able to give people something they need,” Caballero said.

But until he then, Caballero plans to take advantage of the opportunity he has to expose people to classical music through the guitar.

“We need to let them know there is an alternative,” Caballero said.

The Ames Town and Gown Chamber Music Association will present Caballero playing classical guitar on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Music Hall Recital Hall.

Tickets are available at the door and are free to students and $15 general admission.