Rarely, someone transcends the ordinary and enters a world where art becomes more real than life.

Too often, that someone leaves this world too soon because life is far more real than art. Thirty years ago, Auburn’s native son and jazz guitar legend Lenny Breau died tragically and mysteriously at age 43 far from home. This Sunday, for the final memorial concert, more than two dozen of Maine’s top musicians will unite to celebrate and perpetuate Lenny’s legacy.

“There is a lot of deep respect and emotions when it comes to Lenny,” said Arlo West, who shares a personal history with Breau and his younger brother, Denny Breau.

“Denny reached out to all his good friends and musicians in the local community. Many of us had some connection to Lenny. I said, ‘Hell yeah — count me in,’” West said.

What started six years ago as an annual memorial concert to establish a scholarship for young local music talent is coming to its finale. The financial reality of awarding an ongoing scholarship became unattainable, so the funds will go toward building a stage in Lenny’s name, Denny Breau said.

Denny Breau, a well-respected professional musician in his own right, said the approximately $5,000 from previous concerts and any additional proceeds from Sunday will be turned over to The Friends of Pettingill. The organization formed to preserve the playground around the former Pettingill School and has pledged to build a pergola with a performance stage in Lenny’s name.

A brotherhood of local artists will perform at “A Celebration of the Guitar” on Sunday afternoon at the Franco Center, where there will be a cash bar and a raffle for two guitars.

“Knowing that this is the last one will definitely give it another vibe,” local blues guitarist Kevin Kimball said.

Steeped in music from childhood with performing and touring parents, Lenny and Denny struck out as adults on different musical paths. Denny stayed close to home and close to his family’s country and folk musical roots. Discovered and befriended by guitar virtuoso Chet Atkins, Lenny hit the recording studios and stages in Nashville. He also had a television program in Canada.

“To me, there are two kinds of guitar players,” Denny Breau said. “There are the copycats, like myself, and then there are guys like Lenny who changed music. He was a genius, a true innovator.”

Even Atkins, the originator of the fingerstyle jazz guitar, has often exalted Lenny for his ability to bring simultaneous melodies, harmonies and percussion out of a single guitar in a way that no other guitarist had ever done before. Lenny added a seventh string to the basic six-string guitar. He added arpeggios and multilayered musical lines using both hands as if playing classical piano.

But unlike Atkins, Lenny Breau never enjoyed true commercial success. He wasn’t interested in money or contracts. His longstanding substance abuse resulted in subpar live performances and canceled concerts.

Still, Lenny’s guitar innovation and artistry became legendary among fellow musicians and jazz aficionados.

“I spent 20 years in the military, traveling to a lot of countries,” Kimball said. “I didn’t know Lenny personally, but it happened often enough for me to take note that among musicians all over the world, Lenny Breau’s name would come up. That’s how important and influential his work was. What he did with the guitar was alchemy.”

Once in a while, Lenny would come back home to Auburn, said West, who remembers playing as a kid at the Cellar Door and meeting Breau for the first time.

“He never treated me like an annoying kid, and we became friends,” West said. “Later, I wouldn’t see him for a year or two, but he would show up in town unexpectedly and come to the house. That whole thing was so weird.”

West referred to Lenny’s death, which was determined by an autopsy to be murder by strangulation. He was found in a swimming pool at his apartment building in Los Angeles.

Denny said he doesn’t think about his brother’s death too often; he thinks closure can only happen when the killer is caught. Instead, he remembers his brother through music.

“That was 30 years ago,” Denny said. “We were brought up in a family of music, and music is the most basic thing that makes other people happy.”

He said he feels fortunate to be able to make a living doing something he loves and to be married to someone who understands that life.

He said he also appreciates the brotherhood of local musicians who share a mutual admiration and respect for top-notch talent.

Sunday’s concert has a lineup of guitar greats in blues, country, rock, folk and jazz. Breau will perform his own style of roots music in a lineup that includes guitar slinger West and his rockabilly band The Pinecasters, blues slide guitarist Kimball and the Blue Steel Express, and blues axman Mark Miller, who has opened for the likes of B.B. King.

The concert will also feature jazz legend Brad Terry with Peter Herman, Cowboy Billy (Malinda Liberty, Frank Coffin and Rick Graham), Cold Fusion (Rich Keene and Ron Boufard), young guitar phenom Justin Lindsay and classic rock veteran Ken Goodman.

When: 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16

Where: Franco Center (downstairs) 46 Cedar St., Lewiston

Tickets: $15 at the door; advance tickets at Maine Street Music Lessons in Auburn, Creative Media/Tucker’s Music Pub in Norway